A Dorset Garden – Farrs, Beaminster
Susy Varndell evokes the atmosphere at a contemporary West Dorset garden; photography by Colin Varndell
Published in July ’18
According to Pevsner: ‘the early 18th-century frontage [of Farrs] hides behind bulging yew hedges’
This garden has been created by the well-known furniture designer, John Makepeace, and his wife, Jenny. It is a delight to visit and considered to be one of the best contemporary gardens, certainly in Dorset anyway. Even though you are in the centre of the thriving town of Beaminster, you feel as if you are in the midst of the countryside with beautiful distant views and total privacy.
Iris foetidissima, also known as the roast beef plant and rather unfairly the stinking iris. One of two British native iris species.
The first thing you may notice about Farrs is the yew topiary, which borders the street, house and garden. I won’t spoil the fun, you will see it when you arrive, but it is certainly eye-catching. In the garden itself you travel from the formal grass lawns, with magnificent topiary and yew hedges – where the rose Cécile Brünner (also known as buttonhole rose) thrives by the back door, exuding its sweet fragrance – to John’s contemporary grass garden, to Jenny’s country garden and then to the geese paddock complete with wolf sculpture. The styles of the two main gardens couldn’t be more different: Jenny’s is her open invitation to the plant world, with its fruit trees, raised vegetable beds and wildlife section (which is regularly visited by hedgehogs, tawny owls and bats), and sits alongside John’s first foray into a single-species garden design.
The wolf sculpture in the orchard
John and Jenny created the garden practically from scratch, and with great difficulty, as it was originally clay with a good helping of stones and debris left over from the flood prevention culvert. John’s garden has only one type of plant – grasses. His grass garden, which he designed after much research and with the assistance of Knoll Gardens, Wimborne, was planted in spring 2008. John wanted an area with contours to give it a 3D character and to enable ‘events’ to be created within the garden. These ‘events’ include the terrace area, a bridge of tapered steps over the pond and a retreat where you can sit and enjoy the curving pathway.
Tulip fidelio with forget-me-nots
All the grasses were chosen for their individual contribution to the garden, and John specifically selected ones which would provide a long flowering season or strong winter form. Grasses are a wonderful addition to any garden as they change with the light and the seasons, transforming any garden into a magical location. Wind becomes a friend, creating a playful, rustling space where plants such as Stipa gigantea ‘Gold Fontaene’, a lofty oat grass with arching seed heads, whispers enigmatically.
A short avenue of Sorbus hupehensis, a small mountain ash which has plenty of interest from spring through to winter, creates a splendid backdrop to the grass garden.
An informal arrangement where self seeded nigella is welcome
When you progress into Jenny’s garden, you feel as if you are entering an adventure with nature being very much the centre of the experiment. It all looks exquisite, but that is probably because Jenny aims to replicate how nature arranges its plants. You get this feeling of serendipity, chance or coincidence with the planting, yet it is absolutely clear that Jenny has spent much time planning her masterpiece. Plants like Lady’s mantle, Alchemilla mollis, and Miss Willmott’s ghost, Eryngium giganteum, are allowed to self-seed. Annual poppies, sweet peas and clematis help to create this cottage-style riot of colour
and texture.
The greenhouse is surrounded with water barrels and pots of plants.
For Jenny, the favourite place in their garden is the straw bale house, which overlooks her wild and lush garden. This is such a joyful place to be, exuding fecundity and a richness all around, which contributes to the feeling of delight and pleasure.
Some examples of the impressive yew topiary
One of the clematis on the wall in Jenny’s garden, ‘Crystal Fountain,’ literally has a fountain of crystal-blue stamens glowing out of the dazzling blue blooms. This is a particularly floriferous clematis which continues to bloom throughout summer, as indeed does Clematis ‘Broughton Star’, which adorns the straw bale house. It flowers for weeks, even months, allowing the lovely dusty-pink flowers to be enjoyed throughout the summer. In addition the Rosa rubrifolia, with its arching foliage and delightful little pink flowers, adds to the pink palette.
Clematis Golden Tiara
The raised vegetable beds, filled with mushroom compost and sterilised manure, produce a wealth of vegetables: sweetcorn, pumpkins, climbing beans, peas and salad crops. Brassicas are grown in the slightly more protected cleft oak fruit cage alongside the other produce. The gorgeous old wooden whisky barrels outside the greenhouse were collected from Melksham and are used as water butts.
The back door of the house
The informal orchard, where the geese ramble, contains a variety of pear, apple, plum, fig and walnut trees. Its rural character is in stark contrast to the other more formal parts of the garden.
Houseleek, whose common name is probably less well known than its Latin name Sempervivum (forever alive)
This varied town garden cannot fail to delight. It has been created with numerous plants, which exude charm and beauty. The beautiful distant views, and the total privacy, are an extra bonus.
he unmistakable underside of Swiss chard
An additional incentive to visit is the opportunity to view the handsome historic house with its spectacular contemporary interior. The grade II listed house and garden is open during Dorset Arts Weeks. It is also open through NADFAS (National Association of Decorative & Fine Arts Societies ) and will be open until the first of this month for the Beaminster Festival.
