Garden of the Week
English eccentric Ornamental trees, quirky ruins, structural grasses and a stunning salvia collection define Great Comp gardens in Kent
As the last golden leaves float to the ground and perennials die back, late autumn and winter are the seasons when the bare bones of a garden are revealed. At Great Comp, near Sevenoaks, Kent, a Georgian manor house surrounded by seven acres of land, the structure is underpinned by statues, ruins and romantic follies, which, although they look ancient, were put in place by the garden’s original creators, Roderick (Eric) and Joyce Cameron.
The couple, who moved to the house in 1957, transformed an area of rough woodland and paddock into an elegant yet playful rural retreat where they could indulge their garden fantasies. Now, a balanced mixture of coniferous and broadleaf trees blends with large herbaceous borders, sweeping lawns and areas of semi-woodland, creating areas of different character. Intriguing curved paths link the areas, which include an Italian garden inspired by the Forum in Rome, where Eric had been stationed during the war. Joyce
Cameron died in 1992 and her husband in 2009, but the garden, now a charitable trust, is overseen by curator William Dyson, who has been working there for 27 years.
“I knew Eric very well. He was a design man, keen on the layout of the garden, with a liking for big trees and shrubs. I’m a plantsman, and I was keen to remove some of the trees for more colourful
perennials. Our discussions could sometimes last for three or four years, but eventually we reached an agreement!”
Since Eric died, the gardens have evolved under William’s stewardship. He has softened the planting, gradually removing the original 1960s leylandii, and increasing the number of magnolia trees, which now number around 80, with 52 different varieties. He’s also expanded the tradition of underplanting the trees with plants including hellebores, campanulas, geraniums, hostas, lilies and violas.
“When I first came here, I wanted to introduce colour to the central part of the garden. I looked around to see what would suit the acid, sandy soil, and I found that salvias were a good fit. They thrived here, and my interest in them grew. I started a controlled breeding programme, and we now have around 250 varieties. This includes some winter-flowering
ones, such as Salvia leucocephala, which is one of my favourites. It really lifts the spirits.” William is now the UK’s leading expert on salvias, and he runs a specialist nursery within the gardens at Great Comp.
Another striking feature in the garden are the ornamental grasses; great mounds of them appear in every part of the garden, except the woodland areas. “We use grasses for spatial division and contrast,” explains William. “They work particularly well when planted with salvias.”
At this time of year, the textured blonde swathes of miscanthus have swaying seed heads that catch the low winter sun. The clumps will remain uncut until just before snowdrop time, around February. “That’s when we get the hedge trimmer out, once they’ve started to shed their leaves. In spring, we’ll lift and divide any grasses that need it using a power saw.”
The six fake ruins, or follies, which were created by Eric from ragstone and ironstone which he’d dug up in the garden, add an extra dimension. “They create microclimates, including shade and shelter from the north easterly winds,” explains William.
The Italian Garden was built using 18,000 bricks purchased for a song in 1993 from a local roofer. “It was an impulsive idea that Eric designed on the back of an envelope,” recalls William. “It’s in this garden where we have the exotic plants, including one of the first leptospermum (tea tree) in the UK, and a Trachycarpus fortunei.”
There’s an exuberance here, with Tetrapanax papyrifer (Chinese rice paper plant), cannas, salvias and dahlias. The plants are left to overwinter, with a thick woodchip mulch to protect them.
Winter brings hellebores, then snowdrops and snowflakes (leucojum). A Snowdrop Sensation event takes place on February
21, when the gardens are open to showcase the sweeping displays of snowdrops and hellebores and specialist growers come to sell plants. In April and May, the magnolias bloom and the trees light up with pale blooms. Camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas form a stunning display in April and May.
“When we get to September I say it’s my favourite month, but
I do like late spring with all the magnolias and the camellias.”
Eric and Joyce Cameron’s vision is clearly in very safe hands. “We never stand still,” says William. “We’ll keep on changing things and refreshing areas which need it.”