Re-imagining the formal garden

Visitors to Ham in the 17^th century would have been in no doubt that their hosts were people of great wealth and taste - from the grand front entrance to the opulent interiors, everything was designed to impress. Naturally, the gardens were no exception. After taking a moment to admire the Great Hall, visitors would have been ushered through to the mansion’s south front, the ideal vantage point to look out over Ham’s principal walled garden, complete with its (vast) expanse of perfectly-manicured lawns. To the 17^th century eye, this was a truly awe-inspiring sight, possible only through the dedication and expertise of an entire team of gardeners.

Moving forward a few hundred years, Head Gardener Rosie Fyles has made it her mission to reignite that sense of awe and wonder for today’s visitors while developing a garden area that works better for nature with her re-imagining of Ham House’s formal garden. Using modern planting techniques and design ideas, Rosie and her team will be creating a brand new display that will bring exuberant colour and lyrical shapes to this formal setting. With 500,000 bulbs and four beautiful wildflower parterres, it promises to be a fitting homage to the spirit of those 17^th century gardeners and their aim to inspire and delight, while also offering visitors ideas of what can be achieved simply at home.

Autumn planting on a grand scale

Influenced by the checkerboard marble floor of Ham House’s Great Hall, alternate 900m2 grass lawns – known as ‘plats’ - were mechanically planted with 500,000 bulbs in mid-October. Working with a team from Dutch bulb suppliers Jub, the bulbs were planted using a tractor-mounted planter over a period of a day and a half.

Spring show late February to April

Chosen for a long-flowering season and their role in attracting bees and insects, from February there will be a spring flowering sequence of early purple crocus, romantic pastel-coloured tulips and vivid muscari – together creating a vast display of intense, natural drifts of colour. We have chosen bulbs that are often not used in a formal setting, but are excellent for wildlife. By June, these plats will be returned to the 17^thcentury formality of short-mown grass, providing the perfect space to relax and enjoy the garden over the summer.

Summer meadows from June

Taking inspiration from the scroll design that features on much of the furniture in Ham’s collection, alternate grass plats are being transformed into native wildflower meadow parterres, full of colour, plant diversity and insect life. We will be using the pre-existing wildflowers in the turf and adding additional native species to encourage new diversity, vibrancy and form to take shape from May through to July. By applying meadow management techniques used at Petersham Meadows and Ham Meadow, we are seeking to increase wildflowers, insects, butterflies and birds.