At our February meeting we enjoyed Jennifer Rendell’s photographic record of the Chelsea Physic Garden. The particular interest in medieval herbs was the link to Hamptonne’s herb garden where plants chosen to reflect seventeenth century householder’s needs had been planted. Two in-depth reports of the Hamptonne gardens were released by Heritage – one by Penny Anderson Associates was written after an extensive ecological and environmental survey in 2001, where a short mention is made of herbal plants. Frances Le Sueur’s book “A Natural History of Jersey” is given as reference material for their recommendations.
A second Hamptonne survey was conducted by Caryl Kemp (now CEO of Samares Manor) in 2017, with particular recommendations for the improvement of the flowerbed adjacent to the exterior wall of the courtyard. Garden History are shortly to revisit Hamptonne to meet Chris Addy, Sites Curator for Jersey Heritage.
Members of G H were given a handout – “Landscapes of the Past” by Laura Miller, which was a research paper examining Persian garden “grid” design into which herbs are planted, and which pattern is echoed at Hamptonne.
Jennifer Rendell had been in touch with Alex Morel of Jersey Trees for Life to ask about tree damage at Val de la Mare’s Nigel Moore arboretum after recent storms. He reported four trees down in one particular area. At Samares Manor tree damage is still being assessed.
