Wednesday 18 July 2012

10 Years in the Gardens


This is John Wainwright, he is no ordinary man. He's the Head Gardener at Holdsworth House.

Central to the maintenance team, John has worked tirelessly for over 10 years to preserve the historic gardens at the hotel for everyone to enjoy. Without doubt he's an important part of why many brides choose Holdsworth House for their wedding day, why businesses enjoy holding their events here and why sitting out front sipping afternoon tea (or a G&T) is so wonderful.

Demonstrating a wealth of knowledge, John has creatively conserved the character and history of Holdsworth House and its walled gardens through creative planting and careful restoration and maintenance.

From Hoe to Mow

The truly delightful aspect of the garden is its variety. There are around 2 acres for John to tend, wonderfully divided between wide lawns, deep borders, shady walkways, huge screening trees and sunny seating areas.
 

You'll find something for every season, from the confetti-like pink cherry blossom and the angelic climbing clematis to the die-hard winter holly or the summer bedding plants, whose annual colour must be from where fashionistas take their inspiration!  But its not just planting, there are ancient stone walls and steps to preserve, including the immense gateway, which leads from the gravel driveway to the old manor entrance.

Around every twist and turn there are little gems to discover and much of the beauty of Holdsworth House is in the detail: a hidden urn, a moss covered wall, a lamp post taken straight from the stories of Narnia.

Land Before Time

The gardens have been here long before John of course! Holdsworth House was a former private manor, owned in the 19th Century by the Wadsworth family, whom we feel sure must have been contemporaries of the Brontes in nearby Haworth.

The two weeping ash willow trees on the main lawn are fine examples of the historic planting that are now under John's wing. Planted by the Wadsworths, these rare trees thrive in the Halifax climate. When the manor house was purchased by Freddie and Rita Pearson in the 1960s a third weeping ash willow was imported exclusively from Italy and planted in line with the original two in a 20th Century nod to our predecessors.

For Better For Worse


Whilst history is preserved wherever possible and every plant, shrub and tree receives the tender 'John treatment', not everything is as it seems. The Valerian hedge, which forms geometric shapes in the sunken Parterre Garden, is commonly mistaken for a Box hedge. This unruly herb prefers to run a little wild and can't be closely pruned like Box, so takes much more effort to keep 'in trim'. Valerian was used in past times as a herbal supplement and even as a perfume extract and so reflects the history of the house and bygone times - so despite John's protests - it has to stay!

When we asked John to tell us his favourite plant in the garden, his answer was swift  - the traditional geraniums. The Johnson's Blue variety simply loves the conditions created by John in the borders - and he's not their only fan. The geraniums have attracted bees searching for nectar and they seem to find it in abundance here.  Along with the bees come the birds; stand for a moment in the pretty Courtyard with your eyes closed and you'll be treated to a chorus from a variety of species.

Many of the plants you can see in our gardens began life as seedlings or cuttings from John's own garden, sharing what he can to add new colour and shape to this ever transforming landscape.

New for Old

Some fascinating varieties are introduced by John when he feels they add particular interest to the Holdsworth House story. We were pleased to hear that the Bronte Garden by Welcome to Yorkshire, which won a gold award at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year, incorporated the Heartsease Pansy. This dainty wild flower was captured by Charlotte Bronte in her diaries and paintings and would have been found growing freely in the countryside near Holdsworth House in the early 1800s when the Brontes lived. So now John's on the hunt in local nurseries for this delicate flower to add to our gardens too.

We're lucky that to have a dedicated team that know the house and gardens so intricately. We urge all our guests to take time out of busy schedules to enjoy what Mother Nature and 'Our John' have created.






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