A FAMILY AFFAIR
Justine Picardie visits the glorious grounds of Bressingham Hall, whose creative custodians have spent generations lovingly shaping its plant life
Justine Picardie discovers perfect year-round planting in the grounds of Bressingham Hall in Norfolk
The Blooms of Bressingham are the aptly named family of horticulturalists whose green fingers have created a Norfolk garden that is famed around the world for its painterly beauty. First established by Alan Bloom, who bought Bressingham Hall in 1946, along with 220 acres of land, the site has been developed over time into a harmonious series of natural vistas. The son of a successful market gardener, Bloom became renowned for his skill in growing new varieties of perennials at Bressingham, where he lived and worked until his death at the age of 98 in 2005. His son Adrian has continued the family tradition (as has the next generation, including Richard Bloom, who is a celebrated garden photographer), and the innovative
planting has extended into six differently themed areas.
When I visited recently, on a glorious winter’s day, I was fortunate to have Adrian Bloom as a guide. Now 80, he has inherited his father’s legendary energy and talent, while also possessing his own distinctive creative vision. It is thanks to Adrian that Bressingham has an enchanting winter garden, with a superb array of silver birches, evergreen conifers and the flaming crimson stems of Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’. These are interspersed with a fine display of heathers, pearlescent snowdrops and a lustrous river of Bergenia ‘Bressingham Ruby’ that curves around the island beds.
There is so much to admire in this quiet corner of East Anglia – 8,000 different species have been planted in the past 50 years – and it remains attractive throughout the year, as a consequence of its guardians’ expertise. One of the many reasons that I love the landscape is that it transcends horticultural fads or fashions. Indeed, it is due to Adrian that I have overcome my previous resistance to dwarf conifers and pampas grass (once dismissed as synonymous with 1970s suburbia).
Bressingham is a place created by true enthusiasts – including the narrow-gauge steam railway that still runs through the grounds, because of Alan’s passion for rescuing vintage trains in the 1960s – and their stalwart dedication is inspiring. The Blooms have always encouraged visitors to try out their approach at home, with a range of signature flowers that are available to buy from the family-run nursery. Adrian’s advice is to plant for year-round interest, and he suggests a simple way to do so, by concentrating on four groups of three different plants. If space is limited, in a small garden, you could grow just one of each, but in a larger area, these are wonderful en masse.
Meanwhile, I’ve learnt a variety of other tips: for example, to trim conifers into shapely forms, but to resist the urge to chop down tall summer-flowering perennials in late autumn, as they look magical in the winter, sparkling in the frost. Bressingham’s herbaceous borders of hydrangeas, asters and sedums remain appealing in the darkest days of December, with their dried flower heads providing sculptural elegance. I’ve also been inspired to plant in waves, rather than straight lines, as exemplified by the graceful ornamental grasses that flow like rippling streams across the gardens. And perhaps most importantly, I am reminded to look to the future, as well as cherishing the past. One of Adrian’s many remarkable contributions to the grounds is a majestic wood of giant redwood-trees, planted from tiny seeds that he gathered as a young man in North America. Now they tower like sentinels over the gardens, as a memorable emblem of hope and patience.
Above all, Bressingham has a gentle way of putting our current troubles into perspective. Its history reaches back to the 18th century – the home at the heart of the estate is a sturdy Georgian house – and its various custodians have faced storms, floods, droughts and pandemics. But still the landscape endures and evolves, offering a reassuring sense of continuity, resurgence and renewal. For details of Bressingham Hall’s gardens and extensive online nursery, visit www.thebressinghamgardens.com.