Something new and different – Lorna Hogg meets Jimi Blake, a plantsman who has not only created his own garden – he teaches in it as well.
"Wild in plants – but not in planting" – that sums up Jimi Blake's new garden, Hunting Brook, near Blessington in Co. Wicklow. Hot colours, modern planting and natural as well as cultivated version of wildflowers – that's the plan for the man who was Head Gardener at Airfield Gardens in Dundrum. Eighteen months ago, he moved to his own spot, and aims "to create a new garden, open to the public, but also offering educational courses. It's important to teach people how to garden on the spot, rather than out of books."
The result is a sophisticated and complex creation, utilising his experienced eye for planting, plus his interest in new plants – he has travelled in China. All this is set against the backdrop of the Wicklow Mountains, next door to his family home. Understanding of the lie of the land helped him with design – a steep slope curls around a hillside, atop which he has built a wooden house. The adjoining woodland provides shade and cool, above a valley leading down to the Hunting Brook stream.
The lengthy tour starts with what Jimi calls the "see through plants" – with plenty of grasses, and you soon discover that the garden is full of them. Miscanthus sacchariflorus provides a curtain through which glimpses of scented Dianthus superbus 'Crimsonia' may be seen. The path winds to the front of the house, where Jimi's terrace looks out over the annual meadow, out to the distant mountains. Terraced sleepers provide some 'stepping' and Cornflowers, Californian Poppies, and Cosmos nestle with Euphorbia and more Miscanthus. Pansies provide spots of colour alongside Coreopsis lanceolata 'Sterntaler', and Dierama pulcherrimum wafts in the breeze.
The path then curves around to the shady Woodland Walk. Meadow grass will play a major part in the completed section. "I'm doing most of the work myself, with a helper, so I want to keep this area as natural as possible. There are 15 acres in all and I want to open up the woods," he gestures to slopes shaded by birch and larch. "In the old days, the old road made its way alongside, and I'd like to bring it back – people could walk down to the brook. I'm also creating an arboretum."
Right now rhododendrons and wild flowers flourish in the acid soil. Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora 'Anne Redetzky' (Foxglove) "is a new variety – white, with a lower lid giving the appearance of having been flicked with a paintbrush. The Ligularia japonica is also new. Ferns and hostas, including the beautiful Hosta 'Fire and Ice' lie in the shady spots, giving background to Veratrum nigrum and anemones from China. Garden furniture is supplied, courtesy of mossy trees and branches let lie where they fell. The woodland garden sports what Jimi refers to as a VIP section, where hand-dug plants enjoy the leaf mould and dappled shade – Brunnera and Hydrangea do well here, and also Anemonopsis macrophylla, "like anemones, but posher," sheltered by oaks and sycamores.
Jimi's 'fork to fork' interests means there is also a vegetable garden, intended to play a part in future courses. "I want to develop courses using vegetable cookery, and also herbs and health, plus the woods." Right now deer-fencing is necessary, allowing Clematis 'Glasnevin Dusk' and Kniphofia 'Tawny King' to flourish. Miscanthus gives height, alongside Veronica, Alliums, Daisies and medicinal plants from China.
It takes courage as well as skill and experience to include native and well-loved wildflowers within yards of exotic, contemporary and statement plants – but Jimi has succeeded well. The suntrap around the front of his house is perfect for tropical planting. The deep orange shades of Dahlia 'David Howard' live alongside Cosmos, and Kniphofia give a contemporary take on a hot border. Buddleia and Echinacea ensure that Red Admiral and Painted Lady butterflies, as well as the more familiar white Cabbage variety flit around the waving grasses.
There is yet more Miscanthus, "woven in, and dotted together to form collections." Jimi admits that he would like to develop the National Collection, and to that end has forty varieties already. Oryzopsis miliacea provides some softening for the bold palette, but the eye is drawn to the purple-red shades of splendid Gladiolus 'Blackjack' set against orange daisy style of Coreopsis 'Sterntaler'.
The main border opposite curves alongside the driveway. South facing, it also contains a strong palette, and here again oranges, red and purples predominate. Jimi has created a modern hedge with Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster', and Achillea, Sedum and Kniphofia are all here, set against the beautiful silver grey of Senecio candicans.
Overall, Jimi's garden reflects a mixture of familiar and exotic, structural and delicate. The large leaves of the Paulownia tomentosa provide background interest, along with Red Banana. New varieties of old favourites are aplenty, like the Evening Primrose 'Sunset Boulevard', and the dramatic deep purple of Antirrhinum majus 'Black Prince'. "With the herbaceous, I wanted something new and different which would stretch the imagination, with planting which could also be used on a large scale, perhaps in parks and by County Councils. It's modern and experimental with me. I'm not into hard landscaping – patios and that. I like plants which complement – here, leading off into the woods. It's about combinations and trying lots of different colours."
