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About Waterend House
Waterend Garden is made of so many different parts, some wild, some very formal and a little twist in places to keep you smiling. (Please note that it is a hilly garden so the upper levels are not suitable for wheelchair access.)
We hope all your senses will be titillated here to some degree.
Sight : you can see so many tones of greens and then the bulbs….
Scent: you can smell the roses, lavenders, winter honeysuckle,….
Touch: you can caress the raised moss bed and the lovely bark of the silver birch or the acer griseum.
Sound: you can hear the gurgle of the fountains and the ponds, and the chatter of the chicken, a lot of bird song from blackbirds to overhead migratory geese and exotic squawking of green parakeet , and the importance of silence.
and you can Taste our delicious homemade cakes.
We are on a typical Hertfordshire soil – which means we have a little of everything in our garden, from flints to chalk to heavy clay. In some areas there are Victorian rubbish pits, with all their hidden treasures and we even find portions of ancient walls – remnants of the time the garden was part of a farm.
We have large deep formal borders which we try to keep filled with succession planting. We are blessed with many mature trees and have not stopped planting trees in the last 20 years. We have a lot of colour in the garden and use colour a little as though it were paint, in groupings or specific areas which are carefully thought out, as if applied with a paintbrush. The structure and texture of the plants in the garden are really important to us, and we always strive to contrast textures.
This year we found we had more wildlife than ever, from slugs to frogs to hummingbird moths and butterflies and so many birds and the odd mole – a true haven, and we also have our own bees and a wonderful variety of bumble bees and leaf cutting bees.
Climate is a constant consideration in the garden. We are very careful with our watering and only water about a quarter of the garden. Nearly all our plants are perennials. We try hard to use very little pesticide, and reuse everything we can in the garden. We make our own compost and often move plants and even small trees if they are not happy where they are. We also like to experiment with ideas.
I enjoy getting lost in the garden, with dogs running around. We have some lovely views from the top of the hill which are forever changing.
It can be the light or the clouds, the fog or the sunshine at dawn or dusk, haw frost or snow but it is always different. The changes we made in the garden when we first started working here are now an integral part of the scenery, and it is a joy to be able to appreciate them. I always hope visitors will get a moment to enjoy the quiet of the garden and its history, and the wonderful variety of plants and trees. There are always a few quirky elements dotted around to surprise them!
The National Garden Scheme is a unique institution, and we are very proud to be part of it. It is such a remarkable British organisation and you will not find it in many other countries. You have the chance to visit private gardens, from the tiniest town gardens to community projects, beautiful traditional cottage gardens, tropical plantations, rock gardens and grand historical gardens, all for a very small fee (you may speak to the owner or gardeners and ask all sorts of questions) and at the same time you are helping to raise enormous amounts for important charities.
Most of the chosen charities are ones which you or your loved ones might need at any point in your lives. What a wonderful way to give and to enjoy at the same time. I have so much respect for all the other gardeners who open their gardens as we know first-hand how much work is involved, but such a worthwhile cause.
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