Author: Gary Webb

Beningbrough Hall, Gardens & Gallery

| Gary Webb

I don’t review or write about garden visits very often, but with a little time away last week I was able to explore some new gardens, and this particular property was so good I couldn’t wait to post some pictures and tell you about it!

It is of course the beautiful Beningbrough Hall in North Yorkshire, which has been cared for by the National Trust since 1958.

©️Gary Webb 2018[[[[
Beningbrough is in many ways a ‘typical’ NT historic property, if there can be such a thing, with an expanse of grazed parkland, veteran trees to die for, a garden full of delights and a very fine early Georgian mansion as its crowning jewel.

This venue goes a few steps further however, offering for our entertainment a partnership with the National Portrait Gallery no less. Continue reading →

Garden Blogging

| Gary Webb

What a weird and wonderfully trying winter and early spring season we gardeners have enjoyed, endured and experienced. I have to say that it was so good earlier this week to walk in the first real sunshine of the year and to get the first real hint of warmth from the sun.

April sunshine over the Sphinx bridge at Compton Verney, ©️Gary Webb 2018

Phone cameras Continue reading →

Rousham Park and Garden

Mercury statue, Rousham Gardens
| Gary Webb

I’d like to cast my mind back to a past visit in 2012 to Rousham Park and Garden. Such was the quality of the garden I was moved to write about it on my return home, and as the article turned out to be quite popular, I thought I’d update the article and post to my current blog – I hope you like the changes!

Mercury statue, Rousham Gardens
Statue of Mercury at Rousham. ©Gary Webb 2012

Continue reading →

Gertrude Jekyll Garden

'Bumps' Gertrude Jekyll
| Gary Webb

Last week an opportunity presented itself to visit one of those gardens that has sat on my must-see garden bucket list for a very long time. Historically speaking, it is an important garden for being planted many moons ago by none other than renowned planting designer Gertrude Jekyll. However, it’s not the garden alone that made this visit special but the location in which it was born. I shall explain…

Jekyll walled garden at Lindisfarne, in winter.
Winter structure in the walled garden at Lindisfarne. ©Gary Webb 2018

This relatively compact walled garden accompanies a castle on the tidal island of Lindisfarne, Northumberland. Continue reading →

Good Gardeners

| Gary Webb

During a sort through my gardening books recently, I couldn’t help but open up a few covers and thumb through a few pages, as you do…. Naturally, a few historic maps and illustrations caught my eye, including the Stanley Spencer image shown below. Whilst pouring over the image though, I couldn’t help but take in a few well chosen words on its opposing page – it would have been rude not to…

It is a book called Gardens of Continue reading →

Paleis Het Loo

| Gary Webb

Museums & Resilience Leadership programme

I was fortunate to have an opportunity recently to visit one of many venues on my bucket list; the Dutch Palace and Garden at Het Loo. It was an inspiring experience in so many ways, with time set aside to learn how the venue, as a museum, operates, along with time to simply experience Het Loo as a tourist.

I came away with many images and notes, such was the grandeur and content of the palace. My intention is that this article, its images and memories will act as a record of a fascinating visit and learning experience. Hopefully, it may also be of use to other readers too! Continue reading →

Capability Brown Skills Sharing Session at Wrest Park.

| Gary Webb

I’ve just returned from a fascinating and surprisingly emotional day at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire, which was the host venue for the last of several Skill Sharing Sessions arranged by the Capability Brown Festival team.

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‘Capability’ Brown monument at Wrest Park.

The sessions as always were delivered by and to a selection of people who’ve been associated with the festival at least through 2016, some even from the initial idea gathering meeting at Ampthill Park some four years ago. Continue reading →