WHITE, BRIGHT & BEAUTIFUL
Snow buries the borders and lawns but crowns the topiary and trees when winter arrives at Wyken Hall in Suffolk
Snow buries the borders and lawns but crowns the topiary and trees when winter arrives at Wyken Hall in Suffolk
Carla Carlisle adores snow. “I’m never happier than when we are snowed in. I think that it bestows a state of grace on the garden, highlighting its structure. I just love it,” she says. “My husband Kenneth’s heart sings at the first signs of spring, but mine sings when it snows.”
Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that Carla grew up in the heart of the Mississippi delta and didn’t even see snow until she moved to Washington at the age of 17. Or might it just be this particular garden at Wyken Hall that makes it such a magical experience for her? Divided into a series of rooms by hedges and walls, and wrapped around the copper-red limewashed manor house on all sides, it perfectly lends itself to a deep, velvety cushion of snow and a sugar-frosting of ice.
From the warm haven of her kitchen, Carla can look out onto the quincunx – five interrelated circles of box, with emergent yew topiary and a handcrafted fountain – an idea inspired by a herb garden that Gertrude Jekyll had designed for Knebworth House. This area has
particular significance for Carla, as it represents her prolonged battle against the car. “What is this British obsession with parking right outside their front windows?” she says. “On one occasion, I counted 14 cars parked here, but surely the approach to a historic house like this should be timeless. Now all cars are banished round the back and my battle is complete.”
Running along the house front now is an L-shaped open veranda, edged by espalier Spartan apple trees underplanted with lavender. In summer, five Mississippi rocking chairs are lined up here, exuding warm Southern-style hospitality. Carla has made sure that seats and benches are a recurring feature throughout the garden: “I want visitors to feel comfortable and welcome. I’m not looking to create a sensation of awe with statuary and urns. My message is ‘Come in, sit awhile, take a load off.’”
When Carla married Sir Kenneth Carlisle in 1986, he had already made a start on the garden at the back of the house, with three interconnected rooms on an intimate scale – a knot garden, terrace garden and herb garden – designed by Arabella Lennox-boyd, in her early days as a garden designer. “She and her husband Mark came to stay for the weekend and she generously drew up plans for Kenneth as a present,” Carla says. “We will always be grateful to her for that – it gave the house gravitas and gave us the confidence to create the other areas that have followed.” These now include an orchard, a rose garden, a red-hot border, a small lake with a jetty, a kitchen garden
and nuttery as well as an atmospheric Betula glade leading to an ancient oak.
Sir Kenneth’s family has an impressive horticultural pedigree. He was born at the famous North Wales garden Bodnant, which was designed by his grandfather Lord Aberconway, a former president of the RHS. Carla freely acknowledges that her husband has all the plant knowledge and expertise while she contributes her artistic eye for colour, design and layout. As she says: “We are two people from different lands who have brought out the best in this ancient plot. If you were to take Sissinghurst as the template, I am Harold Nicholson to his Vita. We don’t duplicate each other’s skills and I suspect it’s a far more interesting garden as a result.”
Carla also greatly appreciates the help they receive. Pip Green, who recently took over as head gardener, has breathed new life into the estate with fresh planting ideas, while Alex Fricker ably assists her, and Carlos Ledesma, a boatbuilder, brings all his skills to maintaining the benches, pergolas and gates in the garden. Some of the latter are inspired by designs
Carla has seen in other gardens such as Blickling Hall and Castle Drogo, and have been built to her specifications by local craftspeople. “I always keep my business local to Suffolk if I can,” she says. Carlisles have lived at Wyken for 100 years but, in the 30 years of their marriage, Kenneth and Carla have transformed the garden and surrounding farm, planted a seven-acre vineyard and created an award-winning restaurant and country store.
Yew and hornbeam hedges add to the feeling of safety and security that Carla has aimed for at Wyken. “I think hornbeam is the gardener’s friend,” she says. “It does well on heavy soil, grows quickly and, although not evergreen, it does hold onto its leaves.” She also advocates lowgrowing germander (Teucrium x lucidrys) as salvation for anyone whose box hedges are being decimated by blight or box caterpillar. It is a fine substitute: at Wyken, it makes neat ruffs under an avenue of pleached hornbeams and has recently been introduced to replace box in the herb garden.
In the winter months, the garden is closed to visitors so Carla and Sir Kenneth have it to themselves. Well, that is if you don’t count their dogs or the peacocks, guinea fowl and Brahma hens that strut about in it, and the Shetland sheep and llamas in the fields adjoining. Animals, as well as people, are essential ingredients at Wyken Hall.