It was H on our allotment who introduced us to the gardens of Copped Hall, a private charitable trust (open to the public) situated close to Epping, Essex. H volunteered, taught and gardened there and such was her enthusiasm that she persuaded us to join. So we took early communion and then drove up the road to report for Sunday morning's task. It was (and still is) a great place to make friendships, pull weeds, enjoy the sun and shelter from the rain, eat home-made cake and buy home-grown vegetables.
H's special responsibility was the long border outside and along one of the high brick boundaries of the walled garden. It has an amazing collection of herbacious perennials and roses in the style of the last Edwardian owners of the mansion which is still in the process of being restored. As I thought about all the hard work that has gone into Copped Hall, I looked out at our own miniature 'long border' which brings me so much pleasure.
Like our volunteer work, this involved some cutting back as my husband tackled our clematis Broughton Star, finding a poorly rose bush and some delphiniums to be moved them up the border to a sunnier spot. We learned about the dry spot in the shade of the hedge at the bottom and planted herbs and a broom tree from my sister. We had plants to introduce - our honeysuckle and the michaelmas daisies from a gardening customer. We found things that we wanted to keep such as the camellia, the peonies and the pink geranium sanguinium and we bought others in keeping with the style of the border - a lavender cutting, pinks from the superstore (rescued once again) and gifts from our neighbours - the sweet williams that are now coming into flower.
Our long border will never rival its bigger role model, but it is fragrant, old-fashioned and colourful. And I don't have to drive a fourteen mile round trip to appreciate it.
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