The Winter Garden at Battersea Park in London is a young garden inaugurated in 2011 in the south-western corner of the park. A group of birches welcomes at the entrance, emerging from a carpet of luzula and hellebores. On the other side of the path, thick epimediums make room to small, but significant, shrubs of crimson chaenomeles. The lawn expands and cultivations draw back as the meandering path, following the gentle slope, reaches a glade. Here, a group of mature ironwood, Parrotia persica, marks the center of the garden. Their leaves, fiery coloured just a couple of months ago, are now brownish drifts scattered on the raked gravel. Stone boulders arranged around the sculptural multi-stemmed trees enhance the oriental inspiration of this area, enclosed by two semi-circular benches. The path continues crossing the last section of the garden. Old trees breathe among new promising plants: pines, prunus, hollies, camellias, hamamelis, cornus, viburnums, daphnes, mahonias, sarococcas, too young to create an immediate visual impact, but already intriguing with their scents and colours. Established ground covers create large patches of different greens: hedera, bergenia, epimedium, hellebores, vinca, ferns, iris, and luzula. And, I guess, there will be soon plenty of elegant and perfumed bulbs among them.
Despite the natural look, London life is just beyond the railing. Cars are parked along the street that flanks the garden, people come and go. The garden is strongly connected to the local community, whose commitment was fundamental in raising funds to complete the project whose starting point was a bequest of £ 10.000 from Elaine Hodges, Founder Member and Secretary of the Friends of Battersea Park. Works to transform a neglected heather garden into a beautiful and rich winter garden, the enduring tribute to this woman, started in 2004 and progressed as money become available.
The sun lightens strips of groundcovers, warming the bare ground where signs of hidden treasures encourage further visits in the months ahead.
Do you prefer a Winter Garden or a garden in winter?
Despite the natural look, London life is just beyond the railing. Cars are parked along the street that flanks the garden, people come and go. The garden is strongly connected to the local community, whose commitment was fundamental in raising funds to complete the project whose starting point was a bequest of £ 10.000 from Elaine Hodges, Founder Member and Secretary of the Friends of Battersea Park. Works to transform a neglected heather garden into a beautiful and rich winter garden, the enduring tribute to this woman, started in 2004 and progressed as money become available.
The sun lightens strips of groundcovers, warming the bare ground where signs of hidden treasures encourage further visits in the months ahead.
Do you prefer a Winter Garden or a garden in winter?
Photos:
TravelinaGarden, Winter Garden at Battersea Park, London, December 2013.
Links:
Winter Garden, Battersea Park, London
Greater London, London SW11 4NJ
http://www.batterseapark.org/
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