Axbridge Review: visiting open gardens in the rain

By Harry Mottram: The question I asked people traipsing around the gardens of Axbridge in the rain was why? “Because we’re mad,” came the answer, and “we’re British and we like gardens.” The rain came relentlessly down on the first day of the Axbridge Open Gardens in the first week of June event to raise cash for the Friends of Axbridge Church – a charity dedicated to preserving the town’s ancient place of worship but also as an architectural delight and a cornerstone of the community’s social history. Open gardens are about two things: one for gardeners to inspect how others plant and layout their borders and beds and two: have a nose around the gardens of others. And of course, to pick up local gossip and news. I heard about a couple moving house to be nearer the surgery from the High Street on the new estate, the death of a former church organist who moved up north and of how next year instead of open gardens the annual Church Fete will return. No murders, earth quakes or kidnappings although I heard that ACT stalwart Sarah Duncan has moved back to Axbridge. But I promise you I am not a gossip.

I spent the afternoon walking the length of the town from Barnabus Close at one end to Mornington House at Townsend at the other, mainly to see parts of Axbridge I hadn’t seen before but also to compare gardens against my own as my patch is open to the public as part of the same scheme on Sunday. With so many weeds, I was presenting our garden in Old Church Road as the scruffy garden but as Linda said, ‘let them see the garden as it is.’  I had done some cosmetic weeding and planted flowers bought in the local garden centre – planted to make our garden look respectable but in general it’s as it is – and all in a good cause.

Marking the gardens out of ten as I went from shrubbery to shrubbery, I saw what can be created in a back garden with a little imagination and a couple of vouchers from the local garden centre – and frankly they were all nines and tens. I marked mine as eleven of course. There were roses, flowering shrubs and small trees as well as all manner of potted plants in tubs but the theme that came across was the pride people put into their back gardens, borders and hanging baskets – all designed to enhance life with greenery, flowers and love. Some said their tree blossoms had been stripped by the violent winds or their roses had seen their petals scattered across their back yards as ‘rough winds had shook the darling buds of May’ – which added to the strange enjoyment of seeing gardens in British summer bashed about by the summer storms. I had hoped to see garden sheds flattened or garden furniture scattered down the road – but no.

Our neighbour’s garden was immaculate like a show garden with everything neat and tidy, while up the road there was another example of how you can pack in so much in a tiny space – which included a metal bird made out of beer cans – top work. A view of the levels and a lot of sheep was seen from a corner garden in Walnut Close while Mornington House at Townsend had views across the Levels and an exemplary compost heap – and a view of the chicken farm. By now I needed refreshment with a pint of beer in the Lamb for £5 before moving to what had been a farm in the 1990s in Jubilee Road. The walled garden in Furlong Place had some beautiful roses and climbing honeysuckles while up the road at organiser Paul Passey’s place I was impressed by a water feature – something that always has an affect on me with an urge to visit the toilet. Finally, Barnabus Close at the far end of the town in the gathering gloom showed how a garden can be designed by four pet dogs – no different from four gardeners really. The hostess kindly showed me around – so close to the bypass – but with a hedge of trees you could barely hear the traffic.

The Open Gardens continues tomorrow, Sunday June 7^th, 20026, when our own garden is open for inspection at 31 Old Church Road from 1-5pm. The weather is forecast to be better.

The main photo shows a trio of pals who hiked around the gardens – you may recognise Jo Harris centre – she’s in my book club

For details for the work of the journalist Harry Mottram visit www.harrymottram.co.uk and follow him on FaceBook, X as @HarryThe Spiv, Instagram, YouTube and God knows where else!