June 2025 - Magazine - Page 28
B
lue skies and sunshine graced our visit to Tonbridge School Gardens on the
afternoon of Thursday 29th May. Even on arrival at the Quad carpark, the
immaculate lawns and playing fields impressed us, a reminder that we were at one
of the country's leading boys' boarding schools, founded in 1553.
We gathered in the Smythe Library Garden, an abundance of cat mint and roses,
to meet our guide, Head Gardener, Stephen Harmer. Stephen joined the school
in 2018, having lectured at Hadlow College for many years, and was tasked with
renovating tired flowerbeds and health-checking several thousand trees on site.
Since then, he and his team of nine have replanted borders with perennials, shrubs
and bulbs to dazzling effect, bringing colour and form throughout the seasons but
especially in spring and summer when weddings and special events are held to
raise funds for the school. Everything must look tip-top on Skinners' Day in early
July, when boys and parents celebrate the end of the school year.
Answering questions on the hoof, Stephen led us to the Garden of Remembrance
below the imposing Chapel, bigger than many parish churches and the venue for
three public choral concerts at Christmas. Here, Old Tonbridgians lost in the Great
War are honoured, and an immense ribbon of lavender, creeping thymes and sages
felt both tranquil and life-affirming. Next year, a leaking ornamental pool that is
part of the scheme will become a sunken garden for contemplation, and the yew
hedge beside it cut back – evidently, yews are the only conifer that can grow afresh
from old wood, unlike leylandii. Beside the Chapel was another innovation, an
avenue of cherry and apple trees, punctuated by giant terracotta pots of bright
annuals and bulbs that change with the seasons to soften the building's exterior.
Next stop was the medicinal garden by the Barton Science Centre, awash with
useful herbs such as rosemary and angelica. The star plant was the mandrake, as
seen in the Harry Potter films. According to Stephen, when uprooted they really do
look like little people with legs and 'dangly bits'! Nearby, three rare and expensive
Ginkgo biloba trees leant unhappily in a windy corner, awaiting transplantation to a
more sheltered spot. It was reassuring to discover that Head Gardeners sometimes
make mistakes too.
The tour finished at the front of the school, a peaceful area of striped lawns and
flowerbeds, and home to a huge cherry tree, reputed to be the oldest in town. In
the winter, sweet box scents the air, while a large myrtle stays aromatic year-round
– just a sprig or two in a vase will perfume a room we discover. Stephen proudly
showed off long flowerbeds planted with a mix of white and red dahlias that will
grow tall and strong thanks to a weekly feed of diluted liquid seaweed. Inspired
in lots of different ways, we returned to the Smythe Library Garden for slices of
home-baked lemon drizzle and carrot cake, served with steaming mugs of tea and
coffee. What a treat, and what a great afternoon.
Caroline & Phil Wheater
Our next event is the Summer Flower Show at Matfield Village Fete on Saturday
12th July, open to all. See our website for more info, bmhortsoc.co.uk
New Members welcome. Annual membership is £10 Individual / £15 Family.
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