Gardens are a proof of the axiom that ’there is no certainty but change.’ What distinguishes Great Dixter from other celebrated British gardens is the process of change inherent in creativity. Christopher Lloyd who inherited the family home from his mother Daisy Lloyd in 1972, transformed the gardens into one of the most adventurous gardens in Europe. His guiding philosophy was that gardens should be dynamic works of art rather than static museum pieces. Unlike many English gardens that preserve a single historical style, Lloyd constantly reinvented Great Dixter. Every year beds were redesigned, colours and colour combinations changed, and new plant combinations were tested.
Today under the leadership of Fergus Garrett that spirit of experimentation continues. It is a living laboratory of horticultural where design, ecology, history and artistry are seamlessly interwoven together in a way that has profoundly influenced gardening around the world. Parallels between Great Dixter and painting abound. The garden creates richly layered compositions in which hundreds of species intermingle. The borders are often described as resembling Impressionist paintings with colours flowing naturally rather than appearing rigidly organized. It is perhaps the most influential garden in the world where the emphasis is not on preserving the past, but on continually reimagining what a garden can be.
Christopher Lloyd was well-known for his 38 books on gardening including ‘The Well-Tempered Garden’, ‘The Cottage Garden’, and ‘The Year at Great Dixter’ as well as his many television appearances. Through his prolific writing and his open-door policy for international student gardeners, Lloyd established Great Dixter as a global training ground. His free-thinking philosophy continues to inspire modern naturalistic planting designers worldwide. To help protect his life’s work for future generations, Lloyd established the Great Dixter Charitable Trust in 2003, which took over the management of the estate after his passing in 2006.
Just as the garden presents intricate layerings, so too does the house, a richly romantic recreation of a medieval manor house out of two much smaller original medieval buildings. The original 15c building was acquired by Nathaniel Lloyd, Christopher’s father, a businessman, in 1909. He employed the great architect Lutyens, then renowned for his Arts and Crafts houses, to buy for £75 another medieval house, ‘The Old House at Home’ in nearby Benenden in Kent, 16 miles away, and link the two houses together as a masterpiece of oak and tile architecture.
The house was thus equipped with a beautiful open close-studded porch, one of the largest surviving great halls in the country, a parlour, a solar and yeoman’s hall. The pathways which link house and garden were built of York stone ripped up from London streets when they were tarmacked over. So enthralled was he with the project, and to satisfy his growing enthusiasm for historic buildings, Nathaniel Lloyd proceeded to train himself in architectural drawing and set up his own architectural practice. This new-found career culminated in the writing of a number of books on the subject, including the still highly respected work ‘A History of the English House’, published in 1931.
There is nothing quite like Great Dixter anywhere else in the world. Please do join us for a memorable day!
Cost: including taxis from Rye station to Great Dixter and back, private tour of Garden with leading Great Dixter gardener, entry to Great Dixter house for tour with Nicholas Friend, two-course lunch with wine in the Mermaid Inn, short architectural walkabout in Rye with Nicholas Friend, £185
Booking Information:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This study trip to Great Dixter, has been initiated, designed and developed by Louise Friend and will be presented by Nicholas Friend. Cheques are not a viable option at this time. Instead, please make your payment to Friend&Friend Ltd by bank transfer to our account with Metrobank, bank sort code 23-05-80, account number 13291721 or via PayPal to nicholas@inscapetours.co.uk, or credit/debit card by phone to Henrietta on 07940 719 397. She is available Tuesdays 2-5 pm or Thursdays 2-5 pm.
How to Set Up a PayPal account::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Click on this link: https://www.paypal.com/uk/home
In the upper right-hand corner of the screen, click “Sign up.”
On the following screen choose “Personal account” and click “Next.”
On the next page, you’ll be asked to enter your name, email address and to create and confirm a password. When finished, click “Next.”
Click “Agree and create account” and your PayPal account will be created.
How to Connect your Bank Account to your PayPal account:::::::::::::::::::::::
Log on to your account and click the “Wallet” option in the menu bar running along the top of the screen.
On the menu running down the left side of the screen, click the “Link a credit or debit card”.
Enter the card information you wish to link to your PayPal account and click “Link card” for debit card.
How to Send Money::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Log on to your account. Click Send & Request.
Enter the email address of the person you wish to send money to: nicholas@inscapetours.co.uk
Type in the amount you wish to send, click continue then press ‘Send Money Now’.
INSCAPE CULTURAL STUDY SOCIETY 