A Dorset garden – Q, 113 Bridport Road
Susy and Colin Varndell visit a small town garden that punches above its weight
Published in March ’19
The Japanese tea house with the netted pond in the foreground to foil the intentions of herons
Q at 113 Bridport Road, Dorchester is, as the NGS Yellow Book points out, ‘jam-packed’ with an amazing variety of rooms or areas to wander through, as well as with an abundance of plants to admire. Visitors to this garden will most likely take a circular journey, following a one-way route as there is not a lot of room to manoeuvre past other people admiring the garden.
The garden is ‘jam packed’ with interest
As you go through the entrance, you will be surrounded by a wealth of flowering camellias showing off their glossy green foliage as well as their colourful blooms, carefully arranged on each tendril. This entrance leads to the lawn at the back of the house which has an island bed full of spring bulbs. There is a mature pulmonaria here, covered with large, pinky-mauve flowers full of pollen for the bees. This is also where the birds can feast and entertain the residents in their conservatory.
The island bed
The Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Tom Thumb’ by the house is a lovely shaped shrub with glossy, deep purple leaves and the Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca shines brightly in a darkened, shrubby corner. Indeed, as one meanders through the garden one can observe a plethora of planters with plenty of spring bulbs lighting any dark corners.
Although the plot is small, visitors need to put aside a generous amount of time to explore the garden as there are so many cosy corners with comfy seats waiting to entrap you, encouraging you to linger longer. The Japanese Tea House, where the sound of gently tinkling water soothes your soul, is a major feature of this garden.
One of the flowering camellias set against glossy, dark green foliage greets visitors in spring
Hellebores, which flower at this time of year, are dotted around the garden
The owner is particularly pleased with this venture as old bamboo was used for constructing the house; indeed, most of the project used materials that were otherwise going to be thrown away, thus constructing a very satisfying creation. With a couple of doors fitted to the tea house, it can then also be used for storing plants in the colder months.
In spring, an abundance of flowering bulbs are sprinkled around the garden in pots, planters and borders
The freestanding moongate, in the same area of the garden, is a beautiful circular construction. Originally, the purpose of these gates was to serve as a very inviting entrance into gardens of wealthy Chinese nobles, the rich upper class. However, over time their significance has developed and it is now considered good luck for newly-weds to step through these gates. Indeed, legend says that if newly-weds step through a moongate hand-in-hand, happiness will endure. In addition, amongst Chinese nobles, closed doors were considered discourteous since they implied exclusion, and moongates were used as a means of enhancing views and welcoming neighbours and therefore meant inclusion.
A grass path beckons the visitor to explore deeper into this busy setting
Wandering along the many paths in the garden, the sense of humour that these gardeners have becomes evident. Signs adorn various doorways and statues hide amongst the plants to enchant the journey through colourful rooms. It can be fun, searching for the hedgehog, the heron and at least two frogs, one of which is happily sitting on a barrel enjoying the view from his perch! And don’t be fooled by the plaque ‘Hard work never killed anyone, but why take a chance?’ This garden has obviously had an awful lot of hard work spent on it and maybe the sign proclaiming ‘All men are grumpy, I married their king’ refers to the person who is responsible for all the grafting that has gone into creating the structures of this garden!
A drinking frog, one of the many amusing statues
In addition to all the clematis climbing through the trees (indeed anything vertical) and over the arches, and the Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’ tucked away at the far end of the garden, and the marvellous Magnolia stellata in the front garden, the question you will be burning to ask is – how have all these incredible structures and ideas come about? The answer is that if you have come away wishing to emulate this style and creation, then the first rule must be to get to know your local garden centres, building sites, recycling centres and timber merchants! Let them know that you are interested in any materials that are being thrown away and one day you may get lucky, just like these gardeners have. You will then be able to build your own marble palace or granite grotto in your garden!
The bright yellow blooms of coronilla valentina subsp. glauca also known as glaucous scorpion-vetch
www.ngs.org.uk/find-a-garden/garden/21241/
