Thank you .. ‘Dirt du Jour’ for the glowing review! "Go ask Alice ... where all the best vineyard gardens are. She's an erudite charmer; you'll have fun!"
|
England 
Monk’s House Roses and Clematis © Alice Joyce
When I first read The Waves by Virginia Woolf, the novel’s captivating, modern prose swept me away. At times, I reread it for an infusion of inspiration, being carried away by the rhythmic language. The same force colors my relationship with Woolf’s nonfiction account, A Room of One’s One. Thus, my pilgrimage to Monk’s House became the realization of a long overdue dream to see the 18th century East Sussex country home where Virginia wrote most of her oeuvre, in the house she shared with her husband, Leonard – a property now cared for by The National Trust.
Surprisingly, while the gardens of Virginia’s sister – Vanessa Bell’s Charleston Farmhouse – are widely written about in association with the over-the-top decoration of the house’s every surface and object, I happened upon an unexpectedly heavenly landscape at Monk’s House. A pleasure garden I could not have imagined. I viewed a few rooms in the house, which is occupied by tenant caretakers, and saw Virginia’s bedroom, opening out onto the garden. Here, as at Charleston, members of the Bloomsbury group gathered from 1919, when Monk’s House was purchased, and over the decades that followed.
The garden’s layout is enticingly intimate, informal, lushly planted, and larger than I had expected if I had thought about it at all. Wisteria was abloom outside the door to Virginia’s bedroom, and a beguiling tangle of Clematis montana, brilliant tulips, and Euphorbias managed to brighten the cloudy atmosphere during my visit.
 Monk’s House Wisteria © Alice Joyce Paved walkways and patios, grassy paths, high boundary hedging, and aged brick walls set off one area from another, drawing you through the landscape from discrete enclosed spaces to the breathtakingly airy, blossoming orchard, where the steeple of St. Peter’s Church emerges as an angular focal point. Sculpture and statuary arise amid the dense greenery, with the strong shapes of large urns placed to punctuate terraces. “The garden falls into four .. sections. The formal walled area behind the house, the orchard to the south, the large open lawn to the east and the kitchen garden beyond.”
 Monk’s House Euphorbia Bloom ~ Photo Copyright Alice Joyce … UNDER CONSTRUCTION …
Water features take in a small square pond set within a swath of lawn; rectangular pool surrounded by paving; and a circular pond in a clearing. A joyful character throughout the gardens surprised me perhaps most of all, thinking about Virginia’s battles with depression. The garden’s statuary is said to have come from a general store in Barcombe. And although they both gardened, Virginia is quoted as saying, Leonard became “garden proud.” In the garden you’ll discover the writing lodge where Virginia worked. It now houses an exhibition of photographs of life at Rodmell.
England  Charleston House Pool © Alice Joyce Charleston House Gardens – Undeniably I’m a devotee of all-things Bloomsbury; an admirer of Virginia Woolf’s writing, and an aficionado of the overall aesthetic of Vanessa Bell, Virginia’s sister – a painter known for decorating most every aspect of Charleston, the home she shared with artist Duncan Grant (among other inhabitants, at various times during the early 20th century). Having toured myriad English gardens over the years, a distinct focus emerged on my recent itinerary: To visit Charleston, Vanessa’s countryside retreat in Sussex, and gain entree to Monk’s House, the home Virginia shared with her husband Leonard Woolf. At Monk’s House I encountered gardens as lovely as those at Charleston: But more on Virginia’s garden in another feature.
Charleston House Levitating Damsel © Alice Joyce
Whimsy & An Unusual Approach to Romance at Charleston Farmhouse
The eccentricities of the literary and artistic figures of the Bloomsbury set are documented widely in biographies, scholarly works, and fictional renderings. To a degree, the unconventional lifestyles of Virginia and Vanessa, Clive Bell and Duncan Grant, Lytton Strachey and Roger Fry – a few well-known members of the group, are reflected to this day in the character of Charleston’s gardens, and certainly in the house’s richly decorated interiors, which I could not photograph.
 Charleston Gardens – Early Spring © Alice Joyce Located in England’s South Downs, Charleston satisfied every expectation. I encountered a heady mix of blooms during my early spring sojourn; a bounty of vividly colorful flowers in small spaces, where focal points were sited for maximum emphasis. Roses clambered up the house’s facade, and familiar old-fashioned perennials and self-sown annuals overflowed along the pathways.
The walled garden continues to work its magic on visitors: An exuberant informality displayed in plantings that combine enchantingly with hardscape elements like gravel paths, mosaic paving and abundant sculptural works. One can easily imagine the sounds of Vanessa’s children frolicking in the pond or running amidst the flower beds, while the adults enjoyed the pleasures of the garden; the ravishing fragrance of Choisya and roses accompanying the lively conversation.
 Charleston Mosaic Piazza Patio © Alice Joyce I’ll attempt to quote a Charleston docent, quoting Dorothy Parker: “Bloomsbury paints in circles, lives in squares, and loves in triangles.”
 Charleston House Garden Gate © Alice Joyce While the bohemian antics associated with Charleston’s residents may have raised eyebrows, they achieved a verdant landscape, finely tuned to the artistic vision of its creators, yet one that flows smoothly through time, merging in its own way with a 21st century mindset.
 Charleston House Sculpture © Alice Joyce Lush displays of spring bulbs cavorted with bleeding hearts, forget-me-nots, and fluffy double-yellow Kerria blossoms.
 Charleston Garden Small Pond © Alice Joyce  Charleston House © Alice Joyce
England
 Kensington Roof Gardens Wisteria
In the very heart of London, the 1.5-acre Kensington Roof Gardens opens to the public when a private event is not taking place. Gardens are located on the 7th floor, 99 Kensington High Street at Derry Street. Note: Do check the web site, and be sure to phone before planning a visit. Update 2018 ~ the Roof Gardens are permanently closed.
What an enticement! To savor lunch, dinner or cocktails at Babylon Restaurant, while taking advantage of the opportunity to stroll through the 1.5 acre landscape of the Roof Gardens.
While dodging raindrops, I serendipitously encountered head gardener, David Lewis, meeting with the project’s current landscape architect, Thea Thompson, and arboricultural consultant, Amelia Williams. They kindly answered questions and provided insight into the gardens. I was amazed to learn of the gardens’ 70-year history, originally designed by Ralph Hancock, creator of New York’s Rockefeller Center roof gardens – circa 1940.
 Kensington Roof Gardens Woodland Bridge Photo © Alice Joyce Over the past 2 years, an ongoing process of restoration has brought new life to the gardens, rejuvenating the plantings and hardscape of three distinctive areas:
A Tudor Garden boasts a predominately black and white scheme: dark tulips and white peonies; new cultivars with dramatic foliage like Sambucus ‘Black Lace’, Cotinus varieties, and Anthriscus ‘Ravenswing. My timing couldn’t have been more perfect, as I luxuriated in the spring display of a Wisteria draped archway, pictured above.
In the English Woodland Garden, brilliant fresh foliage and flowers enlivened the setting; home to wildlife that includes ducks, and flamingos. Not sure if the pictured guy is Bill, Ben, Splosh or Pecks! A colored glass and steel abstract form adorns the shady woodland, along with the stark yet sparkling metal tree with its rusted patina.
 Meandering Stream Photo © Alice Joyce  Kensington Roof Gardens- Spring Photo © Alice Joyce  Kensington Roof Gardens: Rill The Spanish Garden showcases the Moorish elements of the Alhambra. During my visit, the fine light played off the colorful Spanish-influenced landscape; Trompe l’eoil murals, decorative ironwork, and patterned tiles setting off the design.
 Kensington Roof Garden Vignette
|
Best 100 Travel Blogs 'Alice's Garden Travel Buzz'
* * Washington Flyer's * *
Best 100 Travel Blogs
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Member:
TRAVEL WRITERS ASSOCIATION
facebook.com/alicesgardentravelbuzz
Contact Alice: Talks & Topics Need Information?
Leave a comment!
Presentation Topics:
Secret GardenWalks: Europe
Wine Country Gardens
21st Century Gardens
Great Gardens/Great Plants
|
Comments