The peak of the traditional English gardening style remains as elegant today as it was a hundred years back
Charles Quest-Ritson's Encounter with Great Dixter
Charles Quest-Ritson, a renowned historian and writer on plants and gardens, has had a long-standing admiration for Great Dixter, a garden in East Sussex that has been inspiring visitors for over a century. His fascination with the garden was first kindled by Christopher Lloyd's book, The Well-Tempered Garden.
In 1970, Quest-Ritson visited the house at Great Dixter, but the Long Border did not leave as lasting an impression as it would in later years. The garden, then, was not as grand as it is today under Fergus Garrett's guidance.
The Long Border at Great Dixter is now considered by Quest-Ritson to be the best planting he has ever seen. He was particularly moved during his latest visit, which he described as the high point of his garden-visiting for a long time.
The garden, first laid out by Nathaniel Lloyd, the father of Christopher Lloyd, before the First World War, has undergone some changes since the time of Christopher Lloyd. The most notable alteration is the replacement of the traditional flat lawn that once framed the clipped yews with an area of meadow grass. This "rewilding" has introduced a wilder, less formal context around the topiary, creating a wilderness that some consider inappropriate for the topiaries. It has been suggested that this shift might be viewed in the future as a trendy mistake and that the elegant lawns may be restored to better complement the topiary shapes and the house.
Despite these changes, Great Dixter remains a living experiment in horticulture, ecology, and design rooted in Lloyd’s legacy. Quest-Ritson recommends Great Dixter highly to anyone who wants to learn how to garden in the English style.
Quest-Ritson's extensive knowledge of roses led him to spend five years writing his definitive Climbing Roses of the World, a comprehensive guide that describes 1,600 varieties. He is also the co-author of the RHS Encyclopedia of Roses with his wife, Brigid.
Throughout his career, Quest-Ritson has lectured in five languages and in all six continents except Antarctica. He is not only a passionate gardener but also an olive oil taster, having been the first Englishman to qualify in accordance with EU norms.
References:
[1] The Guardian, "Great Dixter: the garden that's lost its way?" (2018) [4] Great Dixter, "Great Dixter: A Living Legacy" (2021)
Charles Quest-Ritson's appreciation for home-and-garden aesthetics, particularly gardening, was solidified by his encounter with Great Dixter's home-and-garden, a testament to the English lifestyle that continues to inspire visitors today. In his latest visit, the Long Border at Great Dixter, a marvel of gardening, left a profound impact on him, further fueling his admiration for the gardening lifestyle.
