Tranquil pool amid feathery grasses
Under limitless skies, Ellicar Gardens lie brimful with feathery grasses and blazing colour, glinting in the autumn light around a tranquil pool, and home to an abundance of wildlife
“‘The spirits of the air live on the smells Of fruit; and Joy, with pinions light, roves round The gardens, or sits singing in the trees.’ Thus sang the jolly Autumn”
William Blake, ‘To Autumn’
AN EMPTY ROAD runs straight as an arrow towards a distant horizon, passing through a tapestry of arable fields and stubbled pastures, interwoven with the drains that were laid centuries ago to reclaim the marshy flatlands. It is here, several miles north of the village of Gringley on the Hill, that Ellicar Gardens can be found, blending seamlessly into the landscape under great, open skies.
On a cold, misty day, the windswept plain takes on a desolate air, but bathed in sunshine, it is transformed into a magical enclave, blessed with an abundance of crops that compete for space on the fertile, peaty, black fenland soil. Among this farmland, Ellicar Gardens nestle like an island, with a rich and diverse wildlife population; butterflies dancing over a sea of verbena, while the air vibrates with the drone of bumblebees. And then there is the birdsong: a full symphony at first light that fades to a gentle adieu by sunset.
This harmonious scene is almost unrecognisable from 2008, when Will, Sarah, and their five children moved to Ellicar House, a neglected 30-year-old care home for teenage offenders, with 11 acres of flat land in Nottinghamshire. “There was no garden, just a marshy field, with brambles, tussocks of grass and monstrous overgrown leylandii hedges that we removed, save a few to give the sparrows protection from sparrowhawks,” says Sarah. Of the other original plantings, an ancient Bramley apple and some weeping birches also remain. “And, bizarrely, there are Elwes’ snowdrops, which flower without fail every New Year’s Day,” she adds.
The couple both come from farming families, so were unfazed by the mammoth task ahead. “Together, we have the techniques to tackle large areas of land: we understand land management, in terms of clearing, irrigating, planting and composting,” says Sarah, who also gained a Diploma in Garden Design at KLC School of Design, London. Much of the first year was spent clearing the
land, watching where the sun rises and sets through the seasons, while all the time drawing up concept plans for the garden. “It was a painful process; I didn’t know where to start, and it’s so much harder when it’s your own garden: a blank canvas with so many possibilities,” says Sarah.
Natural pool
Finally, in 2010, work started on constructing a natural pool that is 9ft (2.75m) deep, with a concrete floor and walls, and liner. “As a family, we are keen wild swimmers, and so a natural pool combined our love of water, wildlife and landscape design,” she explains. The pool lies in the heart of the garden, some 262ft (80m) south of the house, separated by lawn that ends at a circular patio jutting out into the water: a lovely place to see the sun go down in autumn as the sky fills with a murmuration of starlings.
The patio is screened by three Sorbus aria ‘Mitchellii’, which turn gold in autumn, toning in with the reeds. “The big, felted leaves float like boats, so they are easily netted out of the pool,” adds Sarah.
The prevailing wind is harnessed to carry surface debris directly into the skimmer, and the water is kept crystal clear by special water balancing equipment and a reed bed filtration system. Deep aquatic plants, such as water lilies and pickerel plants, absorb nutrients from the water, thereby keeping algae at bay. The pool is a magnet for wildlife, with resident newts, diving beetles, water boatmen, frogs, and toads that spawn copiously in spring, but are kept in check by predators, such as hedgehogs and grass snakes. “The pool has taught me about using plants to blur the boundaries between water and land,” says Sarah, who has counted seven species of bat, visiting kingfishers and countless hovering dragonflies and damselflies.
Framework of trees
Early on, the couple also planted more than 270 specimen trees and an understorey of shrubs to delineate pathways and frame vistas. “I wanted to preserve the wild, open sense of this place when we first came, so the garden evolved with a naturalistic feel, loose planting, many grasses, and organic borders in which wild flowers are welcomed,” explains Sarah. Among her favourite specimen trees are the wedding cake tree, Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’; aspens that rustle and shimmer in the breeze; hazels for coppicing; witch hazels for winter scent; an unusual evergreen, Bhutan pine, Pinus wallichiana; and maples that shine in autumn.
Once a framework of trees and hedges was established, and the pool finished, Sarah started work in earnest on the surrounding garden. “My mother was a keen gardener, growing lovely roses, and I have fond childhood memories of making rose perfume,” she says. A small enclosed rose
“Clear and cool, clear and cool, By laughing shallow, and dreaming pool”
Charles Kingsley