On the pots Birds and wildlife were the inspiration for gardener Arthur Parkinson when he set about transforming an unloved patch in the grounds of the Emma Bridgewater factory in Stoke-on-Trent into a colourful cutting garden
Gardener Arthur Parkinson has created a garden in pots at the Emma Bridgewater factory garden in Stoke-on-Trent
Sitting on a wooden bench in the walled garden at the Emma Bridgewater factory, drinking tea and tucking into home-made cake, while surrounded by chickens, it’s easy to forget you’re in Stoke-on-Trent. Apart from the dull drone of traffic nearby, the small space is bright and peaceful; like a place in the country, with cottage-garden favourites spilling out of dolly tubs and raised beds. The garden is the work of 24-year-old Arthur Parkinson, who was given the challenge of transforming an unloved dumping ground into a space that would attract visitors to the factory, and supply the café and gift shop with cut flowers.
When I visit it’s September, and the garden is tumbling into delightful, organised chaos. In a few weeks, all the plants will be pulled out, cut down, re-potted and put in the greenhouse. Half the old soil will be chucked in a barrow and new multi-purpose compost added with a bit of grit. Arthur will then plant the containers up again. First to go in is a layer of tulips, followed by alliums, then another layer of tulips and a layer of crocus. Each dolly tub will contain ten alliums, 40 tulips and 50 crocus. Throughout the year, Arthur explains, these bulb lasagnes can become tricky to manage, but he knows layering is the most efficient way of keeping interest in the garden from March to October, when the factory is open to the public. “It’s hard because when the tulips are over, the alliums
are coming up, so I’m literally going through getting the tulip bulbs out and trying not to break off my allium stems,” says Arthur. “It’s a condensed space to work in.”
When planning combinations, Arthur isn’t shy in his plant choice: “I know what colours I like and the plants I like and I’ve always been like that.” Drawn to deep sorbet tones and wary of pastel and white, Arthur’s style is bold and complements the dark-blue windows and iconic red brick of the factory walls. He tells me if he hadn’t taken up gardening, he would have been a bird keeper; birds and wildlife are his biggest inspiration for colour, and if he is ever puzzled as to what to do, he’ll watch Planet Earth.
While his brood of rare Buff Cochin chickens run freely around our feet, he explains how he sees the garden almost like a flock of flamingos or a peacock tail, picking out the dominant colours and planting them repeatedly. By limiting the colour palette, Arthur can achieve maximum impact in this small space and it gives the garden a more harmonious feel. “I’ll pick no more than four colours when I’m selecting my tulip bulbs,” he says. “But they can all be different flowers, so I might have ‘Victoria’s Secret’, ‘Queen of Night’, ‘Havran’ and they’ll all be that same colour spectrum, but different tones.” One scheme – described by Arthur as “flamingo crimson” – goes like this: “if you imagine a flamingo’s wing spread out, you go from bright burned red, to almost flushed purple, and then candy pink.” I glance around the garden and the dahlias, cosmos and gladioli pop out at me.
In among the flowers are Plectranthus, red millet, and grasses Hordeum jubatum and Panicum, described by Arthur as supporting actresses to his cast of leading plants. They catch the morning light beautifully and add gentle texture and movement to his displays. These will be cut and dried to use in Christmas wreath workshops, a reminder of just how closely the garden is connected to the factory. It was during visits to Chatsworth House that Arthur noticed how the shop, farm and garden were all interlinked through postcards, signage and floristry. “It’s not just about having a garden,” he says. “This garden has to be open six months of the year, and it has to echo what we’re doing inside.”
“This garden has to be open six months of the year, and it has to echo what we’re doing inside”