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On Top But Never in Control

(3 April 2005)

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Tim Walker returned to Cookham for the third time on 31st March 2005, last year he came to talk to the South Chilterns Group of Gardening Which and earlier this year he talked to the Cookham and Cookham Dean Horticultural Society. Due to his popularity people flocked to the Community Room in High Road and panic ensued when it was found that there were not enough chairs. Some of the tables had to improvise as seats, although there were some complaints about their hardness! 

The Hall Fills Up

Tim Gardener runs the Oxford Botanic Gardens, but in fact his talk was about his own garden or his wife's as he called it.  This is the garden of the house that is supplied for him as part of his job and is about a sixth of an acre. He has lived there for around twelve years and has the major problem of a plane tree which is actually not on his property, but sheds leaves continuously, unfortunately it is laden with TPOs and so looks like it will have to stay where it is.

Wisteria on Tim's House

Tim had a very laid back attitude to gardening and feels that if something is not happy in your garden then don't grow it. Also if you find you have made a mistake or it is too much work dig it up and start again. He also decided that rather than building up high borders around the house, having being forced to chop down some trees, he discovered that a lovely view to Christchurch was more than compensation for the many thousands of people who could then look into his garden. 

A Myriad of Colours

Tim's garden seemed to have plants everywhere, although great thought had been put into everything that had been planted. He pointed out that cutting back so other plants could then be seen was a good idea. The title, On Top but Never in Control, was chosen because he felt that one could get on top of a garden but gardens changed from minute to minute with the plants, the weather and the light, so you could never be in control of your garden.

Helen Turner and a Raffle Prize

After the talk there was a raffle and also refreshments, so people could have a chat about their plans for their gardens in the coming year.  It was agreed that he would come back next year for another talk.

Information on the South Chilterns Group of Gardening Which? can be seen at www.gogardening.org.uk .

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