'Versailles' border 1984

It's difficult to say which part of the garden is the oldest as plants from the original Barnsdale were planted about and the woodland area is predominantly planted with trees moved from there. However, it was the part of the garden called Versailles that was first developed where the beech hedge was used to blank off the rest of the wasteland. Geoff would then either develop an area specifically for use on television or build a garden because he thought it was a good idea and then persuade his producer that it was of interest to the viewers - he wasn't often wrong!

Known for building often small, but individual gardens that so many people could relate to started in 1984 with the, 'Garden from Scratch'. As with so many of the small gardens hecreated the area was redesigned. It became the Budget Garden in 1986, in 1992 the Living Garden. This garden was created within the fencing erected for the Garden from Scratch. Since redesigned by Adam Frost, who was our chief designer and builder. Although nothing like the garden created for the series it has been built using the same principles.

The allotment area was put into production very early as Geoff developed down the West side of the garden first. The vegetable pieces in the programme were always very successful and Geoff was always at the forefront testing new varieties, but nobody could ever get out of him why he grew enough produce to feed most of Rutland! The shed and paved area around it were built much later for a piece on Gardeners' World about 'Dig for Victory', during the VE Day celebrations. That's what everybody was told, but he was unable to explain away the armchair, two bottles of Ruddles beer and a copy of Sporting Life.

Geoff in Sri Lanka raking out coco-fibre

As you will all know Geoff was a keen organic gardener and championed the peat-free cause to the extent that we have not used any peat based composts in the gardens or nursery since 1991. It was coir that Geoff turned to in his quest to find an alternative to peat and trialed the different products on the market and even researched it to the extent that he ended up checking it at source in Sri Lanka.

The Ornamental Kitchen Garden was built for the series of the same name and screened during 1990, as with the Artisan's Cottage Garden there was a duplicate built to show how things were done. This series was not promoting any new ideas as the growing of flowers, fruit and vegetables all mixed up together was a tried and tested method, but it was the first time it had been brought to such prominence on television. It is a garden that always generates a lot of interest with many people finding it hard to separate some of the vegetables from the flowers! This was a credit to the producer Mark Kershaw and a great favourite of Geoff's and really set the standard for the series to follow.

Rose Garden

An area that had been left to nettles and many other types of weed for many years was the Rose Garden, until Geoff decided it was time to try and bury the myth that the way to grow roses is in rectangular borders all on their own. This not only looked out of place in many cases but also gave a limited period of interest. The idea was that this garden has interest in it all year round but all through their season the roses are given the priority they deserve.

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