Great Dixter Garden
Like many of you probably are, I’ve been counting down the days until spring. Lighter, warmer mornings aren’t too far away and I’m especially looking forward to the 30th of March, which is when the Great Dixter Gardens in Kent will reopen. After being introduced to the wonders of the house and gardens by my previous boss, Alison ‘Ally’ Lloyd and hearing so much about it from friends I just knew I had to go. One weekend last year I gathered my sketch book and film camera plus some tunes for the drive and drove out of the smoke to visit for the first time.
The wobbly hedges, huts, open fields and secret trails inside the bedded plants are just perfect, not too tidy and not to neat but organized - which reminded me a bit of myself! Having now visited a few times I’ve learnt to time my visits perfectly for when the tulips are in full bloom as they are beyond any tulips I had ever seen! The popping colour, form and pattern really blew my mind - I’d become far too used to the genetic tulips you might find in Tescos.
Great Dixter was founded by gardener and gardening writer Christopher Lloyd (1921 - 2006) The garden host workshops, lectures and courses, keeping Lloyds teaching alive today. I take my hat off to him for creating such a place to visit.
https://www.greatdixter.co.uk/learning/symposia/
https://www.greatdixter.co.uk/learning/workshops/
As you can probably tell I’ve become a very enthusiastic visitor; especially knowing each visit was going to be different so I’m just as excited each time. I’ve drawn, photographed and sat very content in that garden many of times now. I grew up with the Secret Garden as my childhood movie and found it has always influenced me one way or another, to my hair, having my old little garden at my parents to the way I dress. I was subconsciously released during my MA how it was influencing my work and during this time I did try to stir away from plants but found I was constantly drawn back! Great Dixter got the tulip out of me and I ended up developing a print for the Ariane dress printed on silk bamboo keeping it super soft and elegant.
Thank you so much to Great Dixter Garden for influencing me during every visit. If you get a chance, I would highly recommend visiting. You no longer have to wait till March the 30th they have amended their new opening hours in 2020 means they are open from the 6th of January, woo hoo.
