Lucy Redman Garden

The Lucy Redman Garden

A Brief history of the garden

Dominic moved to Rushbrooke, just outside Bury St Edmunds in 1983. The 1930's thatched cottage is surrounded by a garden of 0.75 acres. The garden consisted of a row of poplars, a beech hedge, some climbing roses, an old apple tree and a walnut. We started creating the garden in March 1999 by removing some of the poplars and transplanting part of the beech hedge which now forms the Cloister. This opened up the view of the paddock. We dug out the pond in April 1999 and planted the rear garden borders. Front garden Long Borders were planted in early 2001.

Click here to jump to the KEY TO GARDEN LAYOUT

In October 2002 we planted the purple hazels and Tilly and I created the Stone Parterre while I was pregnant with Flori. The parterre here is shown in both summer and winter.

The Pavilion was completed in November 2003 and that winter I planted the curvaceous grass borders opposite and we put in the willow tunnel. The Copper Beech Spiral was mainly planted in November 2005. In March 2007 we put in the trampoline beds. There is always lots to do and lots to weed but its getting there!

Thanks to Zara Knapiers lovely photos we were featured in Country Homes and Interiors Oct 2006
Marcus Harpur has also been photographing the garden since 2005 and as a result the garden has been featured in the May 2007 edition of The English Garden Magazine and Homes and Gardens, Nov 07. It was front cover of the Society of Garden Designers magazine .We have also been featured in two articles in the Japanese magazine "Bises". A group of Japanese readers of this magazine will be visiting the garden in June 2009. We are also grateful to Marcus for allowing us to use his fantastic photos on this website.
We are pleased to be in the Good Gardens Guide.
On May 12th 2008 we were delighted to show Beth Chatto around the garden. She wrote in our visitors book
‘Simply delighted to see a garden designed for children of all ages – quite apart from the serious plantsmanship!’


Recycled, galvanised metal collection	Willow Tunnel leading to Basket	Pebblework and Willow Igloo

The Lucy Redman Garden is open every Friday
from April – September 10.00am - 5pm

We welcome garden clubs, WI groups, U3A and other groups and individuals to the garden,
please call to arrange
Admission £2 (children free) Tea/coffee/cake plants and postcards for sale

The garden is open to visitors every Friday, from Easter Friday to the end of September, 10am - 5pm.

GARDENER'S FRIDAY - Looking for an inspirational day out? The Lucy Redman Garden has joined with three exceptional local gardens for a great day out. Download our Gardener's Friday leaflet here.

It is also open for the National Garden Scheme on Sunday 23rd May 2010, along with Home Farm which has spectacular Victorian Greenhouses.

The Lucy Redman garden is also open for the Red Cross on Sunday 27th June, 2010, 2pm - 5pm both days.

Parking is available for cars and larger vehicles, please continue past the house and park on the right, on the grass meadow overlooking the reservoir.

"Plenty of ideas, and an enthusiasm for plants. This is a plantswomans garden"
Flemish Garden Association


Woven metal tree seat - in summer	Woven metal tree seat - in winter

"An evening to remember, individual and inspiring"
Ellesmere Gardening Club


Chickens Free Ranging in the Garden	Pod by Cary Norman	The Walking Man by Maryanne Nichols

Lucy and Dominic welcomed readers from Bises magazine, Japan, in June 2009.

"Lots of lovely ideas, wonderful tour - you are a fountain of knowledge."
Teddington Ladies

KEY TO GARDEN LAYOUT
1. Plants of Asian Origin border. Plants mainly chosen from Roy Lancaster’s book Travels through China and sourced by Rupert Eley of The Place for Plants [01206 299224]. Included are Lindera obtusiloba, a fastigiated Koelreuteria and Disporopsis. The central 10 ft sculpture is called The Vessel and sculpted by Maryanne Nicholls [01473 830241 or www.maryannenicholls.co.uk]. Michael Heseltine has a smaller version in his sculpture garden! It is subtly spot lit at night, as is The Walking Man in the rear garden.
2. Long Borders planted with purple, red, lime green and white plants. So thus plenty of Heuchera Chocolate Ruffles, Cryptotaenia japonica atropurpurea, Ribes speciosum, Daylilies, Trifolium ochlueum and Hydrangea quercifolia Snow Queen and Miscanthus fountains. These borders run up to the woven metal turf tree seat, which with Dominic’s quality welding, will out live the apple tree it surrounds!
3. Breast Sculpture created by Lucy from plough breasts found in the farm skip. Grasses such as Arundo donax Variegata and Spartinia look graceful and sculptural along with Eryngium Miss Willmotts Ghost , which pops up to give a prickly element. The Holy Screen backs it, designed by Lucy and made by Nigel of NHWeldfab 01284 724504
4. Woodland Border featuring 3 multi stemmed Silver birch surrounded by dogwoods, Trillium, Phlomis tuberosa ‘Amazone’ and Chiastophyllum oppositifolium. The girls love the log disc stepping-stones.
5. Beech hedge Cloister. Leads up to a Morrocan style gate. (salvaged greenhouse grills)
6. Willow Igloo. A den you step down into where the seat is decorated with pebbles depicting our four childrens names.
7. Wild flower meadow. Dennis the Lawnmower nestles amongst the wildflowers
8. Copper Beech Spiral, underplanted with double snowdrops, snowflakes, purple and white alliums, Ophiopogon and a variegated Holcus
9. Butterfly Walk. Varying coloured Buddlejas keep the butterflies happy.
10. Trampoline Beds. 6 Miscanthus Cosmopolitan cascade in front of a black wall as a backdrop. Balch and yellow-stemmed Bamboos screen the raised walkway to the trampoline.
11. Sedum roofed Garden Pavilion, within which our courses are held, built by Colin Lomax [01359 24186].Sedum supplied by Q Lawns [01842 828266]. The Pavilion looks onto a curvaceous border planted with drifts of Calamogrostis x acutiflora ‘Overdam’, Cirsium ruviulare ‘Atropurpureum’, purple cow parsley, Cortaderia richardii and Polygonum scoparium. Hopefully my proposed ducks won’t eat the Butumus.
12. Celtic Race Track. Proposed woven metal , sedum topped sculpture/toy!
13. Falkland Islands Beds, planted in June 2007 to commemorate 25th Anniversary of the Falklands war in which my uncle Nick Barker who was Captain of HMS Endurance, played a major role. He sadly died 10 years ago so I am sourcing plants originating from the Falklands. The un-named grey leafed Leymus I have planted is similar to L.araenarieus, but less invasive. According to Tim Fuller of the Plantsman’s Preference its seed was collected in the Falklands. Dom and I slogged over creating the Daisy Path, which is made from marble and pebbles.
14. Willow Tunnel leading up to the willow urn also viewed through Holy Screen and Portugese Laurel Porthole (No.13). Willow supplied by Crawford Balch [01728 860266]
15. Stone Parterre design taken from mirrored gate, which is roughly the age of the house, (1930s). Leaves planted with snowdrops, snakes head fritillaries and purple Ajuga. The design looks superb on a frosty morning viewed from upstairs. The sunsets onto the Sunset Border, where the orange leaved Libertia peregrinans runs through yellow Carex and the deep red velvety flowers of Rosa Dusky Maiden continue all summer. In March the scented Azara microphylla fills the air. The Pink, Purple and White Border opposite reflects the colours of our kitchen from which it is viewed. Maryannne Nicholls sculpture of the Walking Man strides through masses of Alliums, Sedum matrona and Sesleria. This border is backed with a post and wire fence, which support fan and espalier trained apples and pears. The path is flanked in summer by rhubarb and in winter by Cary Normans Copper Spirals [01473 328834].Growing near the french windows is Acca sellowiana (Pineapple Guava), an exquisite plant when in flower. Jasminum mesneyi thrives against the wall.
16. Unusual Bulb and Rhizome Garden. The four beds have a central Whirligigianum Obeliskii designed by Lucy but made by Nigel (See No 13). These support various clematis and are surrounded by tall bearded Irises from Woottens [01502 478258] As well as Eucomis, Galtonia and Tigridia. The arbour is flanked by Cardoons and supports Rosa Pauls Himalayan Musk and Aristolochia.
17. Shaded seating area. Surrounded by scented Narcissus and Alliums, covered in wisteria and passion flower.
18. Cedar Greenhouse supplied by Regal Greenhouses. We love eating fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. It is also great bringing on cuttings and seedlings – its Lucy’s playroom.
19. Palais de poulet. Reclaimed gates and hen house, painted in aubergine (egg plant). Francine Raymond of the Kitchen Garden cut the ribbon to declare it open in 2007 We have 7 pure breed, big fat friendly girls who strut around the garden gobbling the worms I dig up and wallow in dust baths!
20. Redmanii’s Rare Plant Nursery. Small selection of plants that can be seen around the garden.
21. Dominics Potager. With roller coaster hedge and curved beds for his orgainically grown fruit and vegetables. Central copper Pod by Cary Norman [01473 830 241]
22. Scented corridor - with Viburnums, Choisya and Ptelea trifoliata (Hop Tree)

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The garden before work began:

6 The Village, Rushbrooke, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP30 0ER lucy@lucyredman.co.uk Tel: 01284 386250