PAWS June – Great Gardens
After a long and lovely day soaking up the sunshine in our gardens we spent the evening on a journey around Great Gardens of Great Britain with Andrew Babicz. With the help of superb photos, we explored some of the great and beautiful gardens of Britain.
Great Gardens are?
What makes a garden great? Is it the house, is it the landscape, e.g Stourhead, is it a quiet and contemplative place, or a place in bloom e.g. Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands? We are left to decide after looking at some stunning photos of the effects of winter frosts sparkling in the sunshine at Anglesey Abbey and by contrast the colourful herbaceous borders of Great Dixter. Levens Hall was impressive with its Topiary and, always a favourite with Andrew, the fifteen small gardens which make up Geoff Hamilton’s garden, Barnsdale in Rutland.
From Apprentice to Judge
Andrew started as an apprentice gardener at Inverewe Gardens in the North West of Scotland. He then went on to work at the RHS Garden at Wisley, spent time at Kew Gardens and Hampton Court Palace. After working for the Parks Dept. of Croydon he moved to the London Borough of Redbridge becoming the Chief Recreation Manager. He is currently the Secretary and a judge with the London Gardens Society; he counts himself so lucky to see some of the most original and exciting gardens in London.
With his long-suffering wife in tow, Andrew spends many holidays visiting as many gardens as he can possibly fit in. The results are a terrific collection of photos and memories of some of the most unusual and exciting gardens of Great Britain. I might add that his wife has also accumulated a formidable knowledge; not so much on the plants and gardens but on the considerable qualities of the tea-rooms!
Next Meeting
On Tuesday 27th July, PAWS will enjoy a Social Night dancing the night away with Esther & the Jitterbugs. Details of all meetings and speakers are on the calendar of the home page of this website. If you would like further information about PAWS please ring either of the following committee members:
- Lorraine Davies 01206 735348, or
- Jane Anderson 01206 735239.
