Poetry, Squares and the National Trust

Since my last post Jonathan Denby has left his Cumbrian garden in Grange over Sands, travelled to Japan and built a garden for the first ever Gardening World Cup in Nagasaki. Congratulations to Jonathan on getting a Bronze medal. Jonathan was the only non-professional designer taking part alongside 11 of the world's top designers from four continents. His English garden with a white colour scheme created something of a sensation and was definitely a favourite with the public.  It was quite a challenge for Jonathan to find white flowers at this time of year for an autumn garden show and they bought what seemed to be the entire stock of white flowers for the province of Nagasaki - but the result was spectacularly beautiful. Our picture shows Jonathan talking to the crowds. British designer Andy Sturgeon won Best in Show and Gold and James Towillis a Silver so it was a good day for the British.

Gardeners' World Magazine are on the hunt for a garden poet laureate with their new poetry competition launched in the October magazine. The competition is being judged by Alan Titchmarsh and poet Roger McGough among others and Alan has written a special poem himself. There is also tips for would-be garden Wordsworth's so if you fancy having a go get this months magazine. Details of the competition are also on our Reckless Gardener website:
http://recklessgardener.com/news/291-gardeners-world-magazine-launches-search-for-the-countrys-garden-poet-laureate

The comp runs until 28th February 2011 so get out your pencils and pads and get lyrical.

The organisers of the London Squares Weekend in June are looking for new gardens to participate for the 2011 weekend. The weekend is the initiative of the London Parks & Gardens Trust and aims to raise awareness of the beauty and diversity of London's green historic and other garden spaces.

To participate the garden has to be either a community garden or allotments, gardens belonging to shops, offices, hotels etc. Public buildings, schools, hospitals or roof gardens. Gardens of historic interest are also welcome.

For more information about London Squares Weekend log onto: www.opensquares.org

I must say I was a little peeved at an article written by Stephen Bayley in The Times on 18th October about the National Trust. Stephen feels that the NT is entering a sort of Disneyfication and he is troubled that the recent charges against the Trust of "queasy voyeurism" may be true. He cites the Trust's purchase of John Lennon's auntie's semi in Liverpool as being one example of intellectual slumming. Well! I am sure to all of us brought up in the sixties that John Lennon's house is just as interesting as that of Lord and Lady Egerton at Tatton Park, just across the county border. He criticises Sir Simon Jenkins, the Trust's current Chairman, for overseeing a plan to add what he (Sir Simon) calls "life" to NT properties. Stephen seems to object to the 'touchy feely' trends in some Trust houses and bemoans that the Trust is becoming an entertainment business run by Philistines.

The poor old NT just can't win. On the one hand they are accused of being an elite 'members club' with rigid ideas on property conservation and on the other they now seem to be being accused of dumbing down to such an extent that historic houses are becoming something akin to "Hello". Personally, I think Simon Jenkins is doing sterling work at the NT - he is trying to bring it into the 21st century. It's all very well keeping historic houses in aspic but the don't sneeze, talk or touch days are over. People want to feel, touch, experience the very essence of these wonderful houses and if a kindly room guide gives you the lowdown on the upstairs and downstairs goings on, so much the better!

I also think that devolving more power to property managers is no bad thing. They know their visitor profile and there is no reason why they shouldn't be given the freedom to develop the visitor experience as they feel fit. OK, we don't want to turn up at Tatton Park or Berrington Hall and find the masses being allowed to picnic in the hall on the 17th century Persian carpets. We do want to be able to enjoy a unique visitor experience and one which encourages a wider age profile and that is no bad thing.

I recently visited Waddeston Manor on a very hot Sunday afternoon. The grounds were  crowded with families who were sitting under the trees and yes they were having picnics and generally enjoying themselves. I thought this was fantastic - here is a country house being used by all kinds of people from all walks of life. It was not sitting there in isolated splendour like a fossil from a previous age. The National Trust is a British institution for the people by the people and there is nothing like it anywhere else in the world.

So, Mr Bayley, sorry if you don't want 'interactive gloss' added to heritage sites but you might need to consider that is what people might want today. Yes there is moderation in everything and I more than anyone want to see the decorum and grandness of these wonderful houses preserved in a fitting manner, but I don't want them to turn into empty dusty shells that no one wants to visit.

So keep up the good work Sir Simon - throw off the mantel of fuddy duddyism and don't be afraid of the sceptics. Let us continue to enjoy houses like Townend (above) in the Lakes, as the people who lived in them enjoyed them and if we get to touch a bit of curtain so much the better!