Annual report 2011 12 by Great Dixter

GREAT DIXTER CHARITABLE TRUST ANNUAL REPORT 2011/12

GREAT DIXTER HOUSE & GARDENS Christopher Lloyd was unquestionably the greatest gardener and garden writer of our time. His house and garden at Great Dixter - the focus of his energy and enthusiasm, which fuelled nearly 40 years of books and articles, is a place of pilgrimage for horticulturists throughout the world.

The large medieval manor house with its substantial Lutyens wing sits at the centre of a six-acre garden with undulating yew hedges, backdrops of old farm buildings, and the rolling Sussex countryside. In 2003, Christopher had the foresight to set up the Great Dixter Charitable Trust. The Trustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trustees and staff are dedicated to maintaining the quality and unique atmosphere of Great Dixter. The house and its contents are being protected. The garden remains open to inspire visitors with its exuberant, dynamic, and innovative style of gardening. The surrounding estate with its meadows and ancient woodland continues to be managed in the traditional manner to maximise biodiversity and sustainability. Education programmes are underway that will train future generations of gardeners. Christopher died in 2006, leaving behind his legacy to the nation. Whilst he is much missed, the house and garden flourishes under the stewardship of the Great Dixter Charitable Trust continuing and expanding on his good work as he intended.

Contents Chair’s Report Chief Executive’s Report Development Committee Report Conservation Project Report House Committee Report “What Dixter Means to Me” Treasurer’s Report Admissions The Garden at Great Dixter Summary of Accounts Education and Outreach Education Report

Acknowledgements and Thanks Staff, Trustees, and Committees

2 4 6 7 8 9 12 13 14 16 18 19 20 20

Chair’s Report Welcome to the Annual Report of The Great Dixter Charitable Trust for the Financial year 2011/12. In these pages I hope you will enjoy the glorious images of the house and gardens and the reports from Fergus Garrett, our Chief Executive and Head Gardener; our committee chairs; our talented staff; and friends. These outline our conservation and educational projects, operational performance, development efforts, and progress with respect to the conservation of the house, barns and Dixter Farm and the maintenance and enrichment of the gardens. The conservation project is progressing extremely well. By the close of the financial year (31st March, 2012) the estate had undergone the most intense phase of conservation project work; even the house was pulled apart to replace the heating system and plumbing. Fergus continues his inspirational leadership and ambassadorship for Great Dixter, locally, regionally, and internationally. His message of Great Dixter’s ethos and dynamism is powerful. He is without doubt one of the most important figures in horticulture in the world today.

Visitation to Great Dixter continued to swell and reached an all-time high in 2011/12. Students from many parts of the world enthusiastically embrace the Great Dixter gardening experience, an unparalleled opportunity to train in the style of gardening so abundantly celebrated at Great Dixter. We produced another successful Specialist Plant Fair in October 2011 and another highly successful Christmas Fair in December. Our thrice-annual Symposia and multiple Study Days were fully subscribed. The publication of Great Dixter memories in Dear Christo (The View from Great Dixter in the U.S.) saw a second printing. Press coverage of Great Dixter has been extensive, supportive, and inspiring. I am particularly proud of the commitment and effectiveness of our staff and committees. The staff is a cohesive and talented lot who pull together under Fergus’ leadership. Our committees have been working with energy and dedication, with achievements to match. As a private charity with modest means, finding the right balance of staff and volunteers is essential. On behalf of the trustees, I would like to heartily thank our staff, volunteers, supporters, friends and donors for their continued hard work and financial support, without which Great Dixter could not continue to be the dynamic, vibrant place it is. Grants were received from The Garfield Weston Foundation, the WARR Partnership/ DEFRA, English Heritage and HLF Historic and Botanic Gardens Bursary, Chanticleer Garden, Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin Trust, The Finnis Scott Foundation, The Tanner Trust, The Sackler Trust, Monument Trust, Goldman Sachs Gives, Hartnett Conservation Trust, Phyllida and Glenn Earle Trust, and the Royal Oak Foundation. We are also extremely grateful to the Friends of Great Dixter for their generous support over the course of the year including Prof. Kyle Landt, Marla Angermeier M.D., Prof. Arleen Rifkind, Anne H Bass, Jeremy and Elizabeth Hosking, Linda and Frank Smith, Barbara S Baker, Patrick Bates, Madeline and Ian Hooper, Bernard Soguel and Catherine Dreyfus Soguel, John Massey. Also, for arranging fundraising events, Diana Guy and Nancy and William Hallman. Finally, as always I wish to thank our late and great Christopher Lloyd, the creator and steward of Great Dixter in his lifetime, and the visionary who founded our Trust to carry the legacy forward.

GEOFFREY DYER CHAIR OF THE TRUSTEES

Chief Executive’s Report This year was Great Dixter’s most successful in many respects. We welcomed a record number of visitors more than 51,000 - to the house and gardens, and the increased attendance boosted revenue in both the Gift Shop and the Nursery to new highs. Throughout the year, we continued to strengthen our infrastructure. With thanks to The Heritage Lottery Fund and our many other valuable supporters, extensive repairs were undertaken to the house, as well as a complete renovation of the heating system and the installation of fire alarms throughout the building. In September 2011 work commenced on the restoration of the mediaeval Great Barn and Oast houses. Our curatorial and archival team carried on with the demanding task of recording, cataloguing, and safeguarding the Lloyd collections, including hundreds of letters, photographs, and architectural drawings in the house. Catherine Haydock, our Education Officer, now based at our new Dixter Farm educational facilities,

welcomed an increasing number of school groups. During school holidays, families were encouraged to visit with child-targeted activities in the garden. Our training programme for horticulturists continued with our new Christopher Lloyd scholar Rachel Dodd. This year we were also pleased to welcome back Emma Seniuk, an intern from Longwood Gardens in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as our first North American Christopher Lloyd Scholar. Fifteen other students joined us this year, arriving from the UK, USA, France, Sweden, Germany, and Belgium. The monitoring of Great Dixter’s biodiversity continued with fascinating results. The newly established meadow in the field next to Four Acre Shaw wood is already showing abundant diversity and is included in the monthly bumblebee survey transect route, with encouraging results for numbers counted there. To date eight species of bumblebees have been identified at Great Dixter. We will continue this and other surveys at Great Dixter as we attempt to better understand the biodiversity on the estate. In the garden, Siew Lee Vorley took on the position of assistant head gardener as Tom Coward departed to become head gardener at Gravetye Manor. Michael Morphy became nursery manager, replacing Kathleen Leighton, who stepped down to 4 days a week after 25 years of invaluable service to Great Dixter. Both our Specialist Plant Fair and Christmas Fair were joyful and successful events in the true Great Dixter style. A proportion of the profits raised from the Specialist Plant Fair were applied to The Christopher Lloyd Travel Bursary, which went to Hannah Wilson, a gardener at the Himalayan Garden in North Yorkshire, to assist with her travels to Vietnam, on a plant hunting expedition with Alan Clarke. My heartfelt thanks go out to all our trustees, office staff, gardeners, nursery-workers, guides, students, volunteers, and our generous and much-valued supporters who continue to keep Great Dixter the magical place it has always been. FERGUS GARRETT CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Development Committee Report This was a year of further progress on the part of the Development Committee. In June 2011, Phyllida Earle hosted an event at her home, Tidebrook Manor, in support of the Christopher Lloyd scholarship. Guests picnicked in the grounds of Phyllida’s spectacular garden and heard talks by Fergus on gardener training and by Tidebrook’s Ed Flint on his association with Christopher Lloyd. In the USA, Fergus gave a fundraising lecture at John Gwynne’s Rhode Island garden, and, in April, Aaron spoke at Nancy Hallman’s open garden in Texas. Plans were made for a May, 2012, awareness-raising dinner at the New York City home of the UK ambassador to the UN.

in April 2011 to £110,000 in March 2012.

There has been much discussion about how to maximise North American interest in Great Dixter, especially in light of Fergus’s successful lecture tours, Aaron’s growing role in fundraising events there, and the popularity of Great Dixter’s Symposia amongst U.S. and Canadian supporters. A meeting in New York was scheduled in May 2012 to consider North American fundraising issues on a broad basis.

Following Sandra’s departure, the committee was led by Geoffrey Dyer, Phyllida Earle, and Tom Cooper. In June, two new members joined - Gyr King and Jayne Gillespie - bringing much appreciated ideas and enthusiasm. In November Zivi Sainsbury stood down. Initially involved as a garden volunteer, she has been wonderfully supportive, particularly in sharing expertise in setting up the new website.

2011/12 represented a shift in fundraising efforts away from the Heritage Lottery Fund project towards the garden, woods, and training - the “operational side” of Great Dixter. New objectives have been established. These identify short and longterm goals, based on the Trust’s need to generate some of its annual income from donations. A short-term goal remains to meet the HLF project shortfall, which dropped from £256,000

As in previous years, donors have been exceedingly generous in their support. In the 2011/12 financial year, we raised a total of £379,049 from grants and individuals as mentioned in the Chair’s Report, with a further £17,464 in Gift Aid and £1,093,925 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

At the end of March 2011, Sandra Hepburn stepped down after three years as Chair. As the first person in this role, Sandra brought wide experience in fundraising to Great Dixter. She encouraged a strategic, focused approach, and worked closely with former Development Director, Justine Webb in early funding campaigns. After Justine’s departure, Sandra helped steer the fundraising office through a period of adjustment as work was transferred to other staff, and funding needs shifted after the acquisition of the estate.

TOM COOPER AND GEOFFREY DYER

Conservation Project Report The renovation of the Dixter Farm buildings was completed in September 2011, students moved into new accommodation, which maintains the Great Dixter tradition of sustainability by reusing the hospital beds used at Great Dixter during the First World War. Education and fundraising staff transferred to bright and airy rooms in a converted cowshed. Adjacent to the offices, a large education room stretches the length of the northernmost building. The conversion, designed by architects Thomas Ford and Partners, is a contemporary reflection of the main house, with brick floors, lime-washed wood, and worktops of timber from the estate. A meadow has been planted in the central courtyard and round the edges of the buildings.

The worst decay in the Great Barn complex was in the lean-to at the corner of the barn and the oast, once used to store charcoal for the oast kilns. Much of the lean-to’s structure had to be reconstructed and layers of soot were cleaned from its walls and floor. The refurbished area will be used to exhibit materials relating to the history of the garden in a display drawn up by exhibition designers, DesignMap.

Replacement of the heating and hot water systems began in October 2011. Floorboards came up, furniture was covered in black corrugated sheeting, radiators were sent away for reconditioning, water was intermittent, and there was plenty of dust. While the reconditioned radiators and their covers maintained the original appearance of the house, the heating chamber, located below the dining room was transformed with gleaming pipework and stateof-the-art control systems. In addition, solar panels for heating water were placed out of sight on the roof.

A loggia has been built next to the Shop so visitors can drink tea and coffee out of the rain. Covered in Sussex tiles with oak uprights and flag stone floors, the deeppitched roof matches those of the nearby potting sheds.

In the garden, the contractor’s presence posed challenges, with trenching in the Blue Garden, a reduced standing area for plants around the Nursery, churned up verges, and, at times, closure of the track. One of the biggest projects was the excavation of an underground bunker for wood chip to feed a new biomass boiler in the old chemical store. The 40 cubic metre bunker required massive concrete piling as well as a tunnel for the auger to draw fuel up into the boiler.

The staff mess room, which is attached to the barn on the eastern side, has been improved by the addition of a radiator, dishwasher, and new oak slab table. The garden’s irrigation system has been extended and a pump installed at the reservoir.

Despite temporary difficulties, much has been achieved and the infrastructure of the house and garden has been put on a solid footing for many years to come. VICTORIA WILLIAMS PROJECT/ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR

Perhaps the most fascinating part of this year’s work are repairs to Great Dixter’s medieval Great Barn. Buildings Archaeologist David Martin followed the work closely to ensure minimal loss of historic fabric. On his recommendation the central section was raised for a new floor to fit into the original joist sockets. Where new timber was required, oak was used that had been cut in Weights Wood 10 years ago. Metal tie rods and collars were inserted along the main roof trusses and at the top of upright posts to stop the roof from spreading outwards., and, additionally, part of the log store between the Great Barn and White Barn was re-thatched. At the north end of the barn, a new earth floor was laid using clay from the top car park.

House Committee Report One of the conditions of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s support of Great Dixter was that we catalogue the contents of the main house and the Lloyd Family archive. Work on this front has proceeded apace under the able guidance of Curator, Katie Hobbs and Archivist, Hazel Gatford. Roy Brigden, formerly Curator of the Museum of English Rural Life at Reading, has since taken over these responsibilities, with the help of a team of well-trained volunteers. By the end of March, more than 3,300 objects in the house had been photographed and catalogued onto an electronic database. In addition, most of the historic photographs - early photographs of the property, family photographs and Lutyens documents have also been catalogued, and re-packaging in acid-free materials of the Lloyd papers was completed. Six volunteers continue to assist with sorting and listing of items. All this work greatly facilitates the use of the collections, and we can now welcome Beatrice Rapley to coordinate the displays planned for the Great Barn lean-to and elsewhere that will open in autumn 2012. Beatrice is progressing well with the process of selecting artefacts and images to be used. The design company DesignMap has been appointed to provide a scheme for the work. We are very conscious of the need to retain the character of the spaces used for the displays and to enhance visitors’ understanding of how they were originally used. Discreet conservation has been carried on a number of objects in the house, including the repair and cleaning of

the somewhat singed 18th-century tapestry above the Solar fireplace, whilst cushions and carpets were fumigated to destroy moths. Christo’s favourite armchair in the Parlour was also fumigated and its tapestry cover repaired. Before the major upheaval caused by the replacement of the Edwardian heating system, a major packing exercise was undertaken to protect the furniture, which survived unscathed.Volunteers have provided a cover for the needlepoint seat in the Great Hall to protect it from light. (The cover is removed when the house is open to the public.) Data monitors have been placed round the house to record relative humidity and temperature, stability being key to maintaining the contents of the house in the best condition. Several private groups were taken round the private part of the house and two guides (Paul Wood and Gill Duff) have ben trained by Charles Hind, Aaron Bertelsen and Victoria Williams to develop what we can offer visitors. The House Committee is vigilant in seeking to maintain the atmosphere of the Great Dixter as a private house and not a museum. We are therefore particularly pleased to welcome onto the Committee Christopher Lloyd’s great-niece Ginny Best, who has known Great Dixter well for many years. CHARLES HIND CHAIR OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE

“What Dixter Means to Me”

I always approached Dixter through the lanes from Bodiam. This way, there was plenty of time for anticipation to build. From the woods, you emerge into Northiam and take the final left-hand turn into the lane that leads directly past the horse pond to the house and its surrounding phalanx of outbuildings. Opening the wicket gate was almost the best moment of all, the porch standing wonkily ahead, the garden familiar, yet always surprising. What might be flowering in the long grass either side of the path? What would Fergus have arranged by the porch? Over the years, the clusters of pots there became ever more outrageous - like Christopher’s shirts. No house said “Welcome!” like Dixter did. Nowhere did I laugh more. And that’s how I still remember it.

Anna Pavord

Treasurer’s Report From a financial standpoint, 2011/12 was a successful year for Great Dixter and the estate. We had in excess of 51,000 visitors and an operating surplus of £58,919, both figures being in excess of our budgeted expectations. The trustees decided to designate this surplus as Christo’s Fund, the intention being to build a reserve to carry the operations through more difficult times. It was felt that the title Christo’s Fund would appropriately honour Christopher Lloyd’s vision when he bequeathed the majority of his estate to the Charitable Trust. With the record number of visitors, the increased cash flow from admissions was matched by healthy income from the Gift Shop and the Nursery. The Great Dixter Nursery continues to maintain its reputation for quality and fairly priced plants. The Nursery has been favourably mentioned in several reviews during the past year. The Heritage Lottery funding continued during the year, providing substantial funds as can be seen in the Statement of Financial Activities, where additional income of in excess of £1 million is shown. This income was used for the project, and the expenditure can, again, be seen within the Statement of Financial Activities. The Heritage Lottery

project has moved into the final stages, and although there has been some disruption to the enjoyment of the garden and house by ongoing building works, this has been minimized by scheduling work, where possible, in the quieter times of year. The Trust continues with its policy of remunerating employees fairly and reasonably. This can be seen within the accounts to 31st March 2012. The Great Dixter Charitable Trust values the considerable efforts made by all employees, volunteers and other parties towards the wellbeing and financial stability of Great Dixter. Overall the results for the year are most encouraging. Great Dixter has improved on past performance during difficult times. Reserves are healthy at the year end, although there is still considerable work to be undertaken to maintain and improve the financial wellbeing of Great Dixter. We are however well on the road to financial sustainability. I would like to thank everyone in the team for the efforts made. JOHN FRENCH TREASURER

Admissions

In 2011, visitor numbers reached 51,308, which is 12.5 percent above 2010â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total of 45,603, and a record for Great Dixter. Fabulous spring weather meant by the end of May, 3,500 more visitors had passed through the gates than in the previous year, and a warm and dry summer helped boost attendances further. The good weather was not the only factor contributing to the strong admissions numbers. Pre-booked coach party visits totaled 472 for the year - a 28.6 percent increase on 2010, due in part to the continuing improvements in marketing for that area. Admission tickets were offered for the house and gardens or gardens only, with concessions made for children aged 15 years or younger. Annual Tickets for individuals, couples, and families reached 28, 169, and 18 sales respectively. Parishioners were given access to the garden without charge on open days held in April and September. Students from UK horticultural colleges were granted free admission throughout the season. PERRY RODRIGUEZ BUSINESS MANAGER Cumulative Visitor Numbers by Month 60000 50000 40000 30000

2011

2010

20000 10000 0

Visitor Numbers by Month

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

Average Visitor Numbers per Day by Month 450

12000

400

10000

350

8000

300 250

6000

200 150

4000

100

2000 0

FEB

50 FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

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OCT

The Garden at Great Dixter Five years after the loss of Christopher Lloyd, the garden at Great Dixter continues to be as dynamic and vibrant as ever. Long grass decorated with wildflowers still laps at your ankles as you walk down the front path towards the old leaning porch. The house sits snug with self-sown ferns softening its foundations. Plants spill out onto the paths; cracks in paving and in the garden walls are hung with Mexican daisies and Hartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tongue ferns; climbers ramble over neighbours; plants look comfortable. Colourful and flamboyant displays decorate the mixed borders with self-sowers such as evening primroses, verbenas, and teasels linking the plants. Bedding plants come and go; pot displays add sparkle and lift dreary corners. Balustraded hedges in dark green yew form the visual barriers that stop your eye from wandering, weird and wonderful topiary shift the mood, transporting you to another world. The garden changes from season to season, from year to year. Inward views to a majestic house with occasional glimpses of the surrounding landscape, provide an intimacy unequalled by many other gardens. Plants rule the roost manipulated by the constant attention of an artistic hand. At Dixter, the rhythm of gardening remains unchanged. We respond to the elements, guided by decades of history with this site. Skill, knowledge, traditions, and stories are passed down through generations. As another year passes, another layer of understanding is added. Great Dixter continues to age with grace, whilst being constantly re-rejuvenated by the creative energy flowing through its veins. Even though old traditions underpin the management of Great Dixter, we embrace change as the garden takes positive steps into the future. Christopherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spirit is very much present not only in those of us who gardened alongside him but also in the fabric of the place. FERGUS GARRETT HEAD GARDENER

Summary of Accounts STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2012 (REGISTERED NUMBER: 07181964) Unrestricted funds £

Restricted funds £

Designated funds £

Total 2012 £

Total 2011 £

Incoming Resources Incoming resources from generated funds: Voluntary income: Donations Gift Aid Christopher Lloyd’s legacy Activities for generating funds: Admissions income Nursery income Merchandise income Other business income Royalties Investment income: Interest Incoming resources from charitable activities: Heritage Lottery funding

49,155 17,464 -

322,188 -

7,706 -

379,049 17,464 -

542,204 7,861 10,674

309,944 134,781 157,847 113,018 31,787

65,335 -

309,944 134,781 157,847 178,353 31,787

281,178 116,687 134,006 165,439 1,383

1,368

5,995

7,363

6,949

1,093,925

560,262

815,364

1,481,448

13,701

2,310,513

1,826,643

722,491 88,483

48,804 7,280

771,295 95,763

706,145 82,355

139,017 4,947 -

51,868 1,271,982

2,606 377,783

193,491 4,947 1,649,765

374,654 12,845 732,771

954,938

1,379,934

380,389

2,715,261

1,908,770

(139,574)

101,514

(366,688)

(404,748)

(82,127)

(58,919)

58,919

(198,493)

101,514

(307,769)

(404,748)

(82,127)

Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward Capitalised funds

183,212 -

2,743,265 1,271,982

2,797,694 377,783

5,724,171 1,649,765

5,073,527 732,771

Total funds carried forward

(15,281)

4,116,761

2,867,708

6,969,188

5,724,171

Total Incoming Resources Resources Expended Costs of generating funds Business costs Fundraising costs Charitable activities HLF project costs Governance costs Capitalised Expenditure Total Resources Expended Net Incoming Resources Transfers between funds Unrestricted to designated funds Net movement of funds

Summary of Accounts continued BALANCE SHEET AT 31ST MARCH 2012 (REGISTERED NUMBER: 07181964)

2012 £

Fixed Assets Great Dixter Historic House and Gardens Dixter Farm Great Dixter Historic House Contents Other tangible assets

Current Assets Treasury reserve account Bank and cash in hand Stock Debtors

2011 £

3,687,508 1,978,442

2,928,586 1,100,240

359,658 36,085 6,061,693

359,658 38,336 4,426,820

472,142 177,366 99,099 252,489

1,017,995 255,296 98,766 194,975 1,001,096 7,062,789

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Creditors Accruals

83,621 9,980

1,567,032 5,993,852

259,681 10,000 93,601

Total assets less current liabilities

6,969,188

269,681 £

5,724,171

Funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Designated funds

(15,281) 4,116,761 2,867,708 £

6,969,188

183,212 2,743,265 2,797,694 £

5,724,171

This is a summary of information extracted from the annual accounts on behalf of the trustees. These summarised accounts may not contain sufficient information to allow for a complete understanding of the financial affairs of the charity. For further information, the full annual accounts and the auditors’ report should be consulted. Copies of these can be obtained from Great Dixter, Northiam, Rye, East Sussex TN31 6PH. The annual accounts were approved by the trustees on 5th July 2012.

Education and Outreach UK Lectures The following subjects were covered in more than 30 UK venues: • • • • • • •

Great Dixter: Past, Present and Future Succession Planting Exotic Gardening Meadows Choosing Good Plants Preparing your Garden for Spring and Summer Good Planting and Using Plants

Hands-on Pruning (November only) Hands-on Propagation (November only) Soil Conditioning (November only) Flower Border Management (November only)

Northiam Horticultural Society Links with Northiam Horticultural Society include Fergus Garrett as President, supplying plants for annual plant sale. Royal Horticultural Society

Turkey; The Netherlands; Australia

Fergus Garrett on Show Judging, Herbaceous plant and Trials committees and Trials Advisory committee, exhibited plants at RHS.

Study Days at Great Dixter

School Visits

International Lectures and Tours

• • • • • •

Good Planting Succession Planting in the Mixed Border Exotic Gardening Choosing and Using Good Plants Meadows Preparing Your Border for Spring and Summer

30 visits from 3 local schools during February and March as part of the Creative Partnerships project. Family Days Activities for families were offered during the summer and autumn school holidays.

RHS Trials Conference

Apprenticeships

External Study Days

A work based diploma in horticulture has been developed, assessed by Hadlow College.

Coton Manor Great Dixter One Week Symposia held in May, September and February These subjects were demonstrated in the Garden and lecture room: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • •

Chelsea Flower Show (May only) Visits to Sissinghurst Castle and Beth Chatto Gardens (May and September) Nurseries and private gardens (May and September) RHS Wisley (May only) Good planting and design lectures with Fergus Succession planting lectures Nursery propagation and composts The Exotic Garden lecture Great Dixter Meadows Vegetable growing Hedges and topiary Pruning master class Staking and tying Border soil improvement A visit to Great Dixter’s ancient woodland and a study of coppice management In depth tour of Great Dixter House

Students James Horner - UK (Christopher Lloyd Scholar) Rachael Dodd - UK (Christopher Lloyd Scholar) Jill Raggett - UK (Anne Wright Scholar) Emma Seniuk - U.S. (N. American Christopher Lloyd Scholar) Yannick Boulet - Belgium Romain Chalaye - France Dagmar Entschel - Germany Daniel Grankvist - Sweden Thomas Leroux - France Bertrand Mucherie - France Emma Nordström - Sweden James O’Day - U.S. Helen O’Donnell - U.S. Lisa Roper - U.S. Helen Strohschein - Germany Debbi Wiles - U.S.

Education Report The buildings at Dixter Farm became ready for use in September 2011. The teaching room was outfitted with steam-bent wooden furniture, including adjustable-height tables and both adult- and child-sized chairs, purchased from Community Playthings, a local company based in Robertsbridge. The Farmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s courtyard was prepared with subsoil and strewn with cuttings from the flower-rich meadows in the garden, to create a small area of meadow for ecological study. There are plans to make the area at Dixter Farm rich in wildlife as well, with the addition of nest boxes, habitat piles, and insect hotels in the coming year. At the perimeter of the courtyard meadow are a series of raised planting areas in which children will grow vegetables, and an adjacent cob oven was constructed using clay from the biomass boiler excavations. Including cooking in teaching sessions will help children make the link between growing and eating and begin to understand food miles and principles of healthy eating. Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, an artisan baker from Hastings advised on the construction of the oven, and ran a training session for staff on making pizzas and flatbreads. Following a trial project in March 2011, funded by Creative Partnerships, we developed a curriculum-linked programme for primary schools, based on gardening, cooking, biodiversity and art and using the garden and woodland at Four Acre Shaw in addition to the new education room. (In February, I passed the Forest Schools practical assessment.) Hazel Brook a local artist with experience of running workshops for children will lead our art sessions. Money raised at the 2010 Specialist Plant Fair for the Christopher Lloyd Bursary was awarded to young gardener Hannah Wilson for a plant-collecting trip to Vietnam with Alan Clark in November 2011. The Christopher Lloyd Scholarship fund received a substantial grant from Goldman Sachs Gives, along with continued support from the Historic and Botanic Garden Bursary Scheme. Rachael Dodd was selected as the second Christopher Lloyd scholar, coming to Great Dixter with an impressive background that included traineeships at Cambridge University Botanic Garden and Tresco and the HND in Horticulture with Plantsmanship from Edinburgh University. She began work in September 2011, being one of the first students to live in the new accommodation at Dixter Farm. Previous scholar James Horner continues with us at Great Dixter, now as a gardener. Building on our strong links with North America, and kindly supported by Barbara Baker, we have developed a Christopher Lloyd Scholarship for North American Gardeners. Emma Seniuk, a previous Great Dixter student returned to us for a year in October 2011 as the first recipient of this scholarship. Emma is a graduate of Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, and spent a month working with our great friends at Chanticleer Garden in Philadelphia before her return to Great Dixter. CATHERINE HAYDOCK EDUCATION OFFICER

Staff, Trustees, and Committees Full-time and part-time staff including leavers and starters Chair of the Trustees Geoffrey Dyer Trustees John French, Treasurer Rosie Atkins Thomas C Cooper Charles Hind Kemal Mehdi Zivi Sainsbury Keith Sangster John Watkins Phyllida Earle Trust Secretary Sarah Seymour Head Gardener and CEO Fergus Garrett Sarah Seymour, PA to CEO Business Manager Perry Rodriguez Project/Administrative Director Victoria Williams Curatorial Katie Hobbs, Curator Hazel Gatford, Archivist Roy Brigden, Archivist/Curator Friends/Development Officer Linda Jones Joe Rodriguez, Development and Communications Education Officer Catherine Haydock

Administration Jude Churchman May Reid Nicolette Smith Guides Audrey Pharo, Head Guide Elizabeth Ashby Janet Cheshire Martin Prudence Crawshay Williams Angela Glyde Anthony Green Janet Hopkins Paul Wood Judith Hogg Gill Duff Nursery Michael Morphy, Nursery Manager Kathleen Leighton, Asst. Manager Debbi Leam Shop Alice Rodriguez, Shop Manager Estate Alex Anderson Ben Robbins Jean-Michel Tassoni Garden Siew Lee Vorley, Asst. Head Gardener Aaron Bertelsen Lewis Bosher Tara Culley Graham Hodgson James Horner

House Committee Charles Hind, Chair Aaron Bertelsen Giny Best Olivia Eller Peter Eller Fergus Garrett Audrey Pharo Victoria Williams Development Committee Phyllida Earle, Chair Rosemary Alexander Aaron Bertelsen Thomas C Cooper Geoffrey Dyer Fergus Garrett Jayne Gillespie Fiona Hooper Linda Jones Gyr King Hen Norman Joe Rodriguez Perry Rodriguez Zivi Sainsbury Sarah Seymour Victoria Williams Biodiversity Committee Sarah Seymour, Chair Amanda Ferguson Fergus Garrett Catherine Haydock Dixter Dog Conifer

Acknowledgements and Thanks The dedication of its Friends and supporters is essential in helping Great Dixter maintain its unique spirit. The Great Dixter Charitable Trust is indebted to those individuals and organisations that generously give their time or donate funds towards preserving and continuing the many facets of Great Dixterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work. The trustees and staff would like to thank them all for their conscientious and considerate time, effort, and sustaining belief in the Trust. In the making of this report: special thanks to Carol Casselden (front cover), Fergus Garrett (back cover), Joe Rodriguez, Howard Sooley, and Sarah Seymour for providing copyrighted image content ÂŠ signified by the initials CC, FG, JR, HS and SS. The design of the report by Joe Rodriguez, Sarah Seymour, and Fergus Garrett. Edit by Tom C. Cooper. This report is printed using vegetable-based inks on paper from well-managed forests.

Great Dixter House and Gardens are open from 1st April to 28th October 2012, Tuesday-Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays. Gardens 11.00am to 5.00pm (last admission). House 2.00pm to 5.00pm. For further information visit www.greatdixter.co.uk.

GREAT DIXTER • NORTHIAM • RYE • EAST SUSSEX TN31 6PH • TEL. 0044 (0) 1797 252878 www.greatdixter.co.uk Great Dixter Charitable Trust - Ltd. Co. No. 7181964 - Registered Charity Number 1134948