Page 14 - Oundle Life May 2025

that had been put in before the First World War,
these imaginary ‘walls’ eventually resulted in a
mass of hedging using hornbeam, yew and box.
Some judicious tree planting and a new lime
avenue followed in the early 1990s.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the garden
continued to be developed. Peter Beales
designed a new rose garden using
predominantly Old Roses. The masses
of bedding plants that consumed so
much of the gardeners’ time were
removed and replaced with perennial
beds. Beds round the Lily Pond were
enlarged, enclosed with a retaining wall
and filled with herbaceous plants and
shrubs. A small shrub garden surrounded by
new hornbeam hedging was planted at the same
time. The Millennium was celebrated in 2000 by
the building an Orangery and Mediterranean
garden complete with six tall cypresses, in the
area that had once been designed as a Bowling
Green.
After 20
years, the
rose garden
succumbed to
rose sickness
The garden has finally come into its own with
mature hedging, topiary – including Bertie the
Dog, a visitor favourite - glorious herbaceous
borders, a Wilderness garden, (which can be
seen on private tours) and a small arboretum
between the front and back drives. Inevitably
there have been some changes along
the way. After 20 years, the rose garden
succumbed to rose sickness, despite
changing the soil and sterilising a large
number of areas. In 2008 it was dug it
up, 500 tonnes of new soil replaced,
and planted with large, bold herbaceous
beds around a modern fountain. In
the autumn of 2023, a new shrubbery
designed for spring interest was planted in the
top lawn which will come into its own in the
next few years. For summer 2025, plans are
underway to refresh the herbaceous borders
around the Lily Pond and in the Flower Garden.
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