Garden of the Week
This lush Lincolnshire garden set on rich Fenland soil offers a riotous feast of flowers, foliage and wildlife
For the last 10 years, Rob and Claire BaileyScott have only taken a holiday in February when their perennial-packed garden is still largely dormant. “After that, there’s no time to get away!” says Rob. Not that he’s complaining. The couple’s garden in the Lincolnshire Fens is a feast of flowers, foliage and wildlife.
Big borders crammed with tall plants in a riotous tapestry of colour and texture are Rob’s signature style. While Claire tends the organic vegetable garden and small orchard, which keeps the couple selfsufficient for 10 months of the year, Rob’s domain is the borders, a stunning annual flower meadow and two bog gardens, situated either side of a pond which he dug himself.
“In the growing season, Claire will be at one end of the garden, and I’ll be at the other. At this time of year, I’ll be getting on top of weeds and mulching as much as I can. We use a pair of kids’ walkie talkies to keep in touch with each other during the day!”
When Rob, a window cleaner, and Claire, an accountant, moved in to the Grade II listed, 16th century farmhouse, the whole property was in a bad way. “It was very neglected,” explains Rob. “There was nothing in the garden except two yew trees, grass up to my waist and nettles that were taller than my head.”
Having previously owned new build homes with small gardens, neither Claire or Rob had much horticultural experience. “My inspiration has come from my in-laws,” says Rob. “They’re really good gardeners who made me see that ordinary people can make extraordinary gardens.”
Rob’s first task was to clear 27 tonnes of concrete and slabs
and eight tonnes of gravel from the space. “After that, I had no masterplan, I really did just start at one end – and keep on going.”
He created a large border, around 10m (33ft) deep, and then dug out the pond by hand. “I knew that I wanted water. I love ponds, partly because of the wildlife they draw in, but also because they’re so restful. You get the reflections of the sky and the silver birches behind it.”
Two bog gardens were sited either side of the pond and a lush lawn provides a verdant backdrop to the planting schemes. “When we moved in, the grass was wild. My fatherin-law advised me not to dig it out and returf, but just to keep cutting it. I followed his advice, and fed it in autumn and spring, and this is the result! Nothing has been grown on this land for years, so the soil must be full of nutrients.”
Gardening on a large scale, Rob was able to indulge in the big plants he loves. Spires of persicarias mingle with feathery, nectar-rich veronicastrums, with bobbing spheres of blue echinops punctuating the texture. “I like to mix spire shapes with daisies and globes, and if you keep repeating that format, it creates a nice rhythm in the border,” explains Rob.
One features hot colours, while another, on the west side of the garden (his favourite), is created with pastel pinks, blues and whites. A swing seat has been placed close by to create a place for relaxing.
Five years ago, Rob and Claire bought an extra piece of land adjacent to their home. Here, Rob has made a flower meadow. Each year, in May, he sows a kilo of locally bought seeds, including corn marigolds, poppies and cornflowers for a splash of pure sunshine.
“Before I begin, I mix the seeds with sawdust. It means they stand out, so you can see where you’ve been, and you get even coverage. Eight weeks later, I’m rewarded with an absolute mass of flowers.”
Rob creates focal points throughout the garden, such as an antique seat, which he sited in the wildflower meadow and placed at the head of the grass path, or a hand-made wooden pelargonium theatre in which to group a bright display. “I collect antique tools, and I bought a lovely old Victorian wheelbarrow from a local antique shop. It creates interest.”
Gardening without chemicals means encouraging beneficial wildlife to get rid of pests. “We’ve three chickens to help control the slugs, and our resident hedgehogs are useful with that, too. We feed and encourage birds as much as we can. I’ve counted 57 different species here,” says Rob. “In summer, you get the full reward. Walking through one of the borders with the plants stretching up taller than I am, the whole garden just seems to buzz and hum with life.”