Friday was my last day at the Towers and I’m writing this on Monday with the wierdest feeling because I’m not at work and not on holiday either. Before I left I took a handful of photos of the gardens, trying to capture the sense of the place and its surroundings.
The box knot and view down towards the Blackwater Estuary
I’va always enjoyed trimming the box knot – it appeals to the tidy bit of my brain. Sometime I’d like to make a knot garden from the herbs the Tudors would have used – hyssop, santolina, lavender, germander etc. There is a lovely example of this over at Cressing Temple near Chelmsford.
The south facing Long Gallery border
MsV and I rejigged this border about five years ago and it’ll need it again fairly soon but I’m glad to see it looking nice in the sunshine. The Hollyhocks don’t quite fit the theme of hot colours but who can turn down a volunteer hollyhock?
The Lower Garden with a view down to the brook
The little yews are getting along ok despite the struggles I had with them to start off with. All the borders around this lawn are ones I put in – they really improve the look of the bottom half of the garden. These days visitors spend a little longer in the garden as they go down to have a look at them, which is just what I wanted.
Verbena bonariensis in front of the Tower
The loss of the Swamp Cypress has opened up views of the Tower like this one which is the silver lining to that cloud. MsV (who has replaced me) will spend a lot less time raking up needles than I have done over the years!
The top garden basking in the sun
I’ll miss it like hell – I’ve really enjoyed working there. The people at the Towers are a really great bunch, the gardens are interesting, challenging and beautiful and I’ve really had the opportunity to use my own creativity to make an impact and an improvement. I came to the gardens as a trembling newbie, in over my head a bit in all honesty, but I’ve grown into the role and have brought the gardens along with me and that’s been amazing.
Now I need to get busy scouring the Nottingham/Derby area for a new challenge – somewhere I can use my experience and learn new things too. There’s always something new to learn in gardening – that’s the joy of it!
The Sproutling Writes 
You knew someone was going to ask so it might as well be me – why did you leave as Head Gardener? It is fortunate that you still get to keep it in the family. 🙂 Beautiful grounds.
My husband and I are moving to the Midlands where we have lots of friends. We’ve been considering it for years and now MrK has a job starting in September.
By keeping it in the family do you mean passing it to MsV? She’s been my colleague at the towers for years but she’s no relation!
Yes – I thought MsV was family. So, here’s to a new adventure with many happy chapters to discover.
Onwards and upwards! As my Dad always says. 🙂
It must be a wrench leaving Layer Marney – where you’ve invested so much time, effort and thought. I shall leave ‘my’ gardens one day, obviously, but can’t imagine no longer being so intimately involved. But I suppose, like you, I’ll know when the time is right. Good luck with finding a new job. Dave
Thanks David. 🙂