Gardens of the Year – a sloping plot
Over the next few months, we visit our 2020 Gardens of the Year finalists. This month, we discover how James and Claire Eckersley’s Cornish garden on a sloping site has been crucial for their family over the past year
Frontline workers Claire and James Eckersley’s multi-level garden just outside Falmouth was a real favourite with our 2020 Gardens of the Year judges, thanks to its confident and varied planting. Claire works in end-of-life care and James has recently joined the Navy as a medical officer. Being on the front line as the country battled Covid-19 has meant the couple – and their two children – relied on their garden as a place of sanctuary.
But Claire and James have been working hard to create their beautiful garden since 2013, when they moved here from the north east – bringing lots of plants with them. They began with a blank canvas, learning how to grow more tropical plants that thrive in the Cornish climate and adding plenty of areas to relax outdoors.
What was the garden like when you first moved here?
It was actually just mud and rubble – mainly on a big slope with one level change. The builders came to lay some lawn, but they ended up having to lay it over rocks, and essentially we’ve spent the last eight years removing turf bit by bit, slowly replacing it with beds, plants and shrubs.
We brought a lot of plants with us from our last house, which we’ve done every time we’ve moved. Some of the plants have been gifts and so have memories attached to them – it makes you
think of the person every time you look at them. I do lots of home visits and often get given cuttings, too. We’ve tried to tackle it so we get one section fully finished before moving onto the next.
Did you have an overall plan for the garden?
I’m not sure we had a plan from the start – we just knew that we didn’t want to have too much grass and that we wanted to have a good variety of plants and shrubs. We are plantaholics, so we find it hard to restrict what goes in, but we’ve found having themes to the planting works well. For example, we love the tree ferns in the woodland area. As someone who comes from north-east England it was super exciting for me to have access
The view along the main path is amazing. And I have serious wall envy!
Kate Gould, competition judge
Local gardens in Cornwall have been inspirational – there’s a wide range of plants that grow well in the county
to all these new plants and to be able to grow them well.
Would it be fair to say the plants have guided the layout of the garden?
Yes, the garden has largely been created according to which plants can go where and maximising the plants that can grow in each area. We have shady areas and sunny areas; damp and dry – a bit of everything really. Many plants we put in were tiny at first. The banana was a small pot plant when it went in and is now 18ft tall!
The lower area, with the olive trees, has more of a Mediterranean theme and is an area we frequently sit in. We had to make the part along the back of the house look good all year round, as it’s in view all the time. We also have a Japanese-style area, with the acers and Hydrangea paniculata.
Local gardens in Cornwall have definitely been the main inspiration. The sub-tropical Trebah Garden is just a few miles away. But also hugely inspiring is the wide range of plants that grow well in the county.
Where does your love of gardening come from?
For me (Louise) it started when we got our first house together, which had a little cottage garden. But James grew up gardening and even had a little section of his own as a child that was planted up with rows of colourful petunias!
All our families either started off or now have a big interest in gardening – we often meet up at horticultural events or at gardens. My brother also works in healthcare and so we all find gardening a bit of an outlet. It’s so important when you get in from work to have that
transition from work mode into a more mindful state.
Have you seen benefits from gardening in both your professional and personal lives?
James: I think it’s a really good way of being in the moment – you can just be in the garden and put other things to one side really easily. Also, lugging plants around, mowing your lawn and doing all your daily tasks is excellent physical exercise.
I know it certainly works for a lot of my patients. I have quite a lot of elderly patients who, by and large, are really keen gardeners and it is often their gardens that keep them fit and active. Claire: I work in end-of-life care and find it a hugely positive thing when people can invest their time in growing things. It’s very positive for people to get up and go outside to see what’s been growing. Both for ourselves, others in healthcare and patients, it’s very important. And there’s also a whole new movement in social prescribing.
Could you explain how social prescribing works?
Yes, it’s a way of suggesting positive activities and things that can help patients, rather than just using medication, which in fact often isn’t the answer. Any activity that involves exercise, lots of fresh air and a sense of purpose is great for improving health, so gardening fits the bill.
The benefits of all this has been evident during the lockdowns we’ve had, with people being able to get out and structure their day around something like gardening.