Octavia Hill’s 'vision for society'

This month, Duck Island Cottage has been absorbed and fascinated by the life and work of Octavia Hill (1838-1912). Red Cross Garden, near Borough High Street, bears testimony to her campaigns and causes. On the long list of her achievements is co-founding the National Trust, (with Sir Robert Hunter and Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley), in 1895. Octavia was concerned by the impact of uncontrolled development and industrialisation; and the Trust was set up to act as guardian for the nation in the acquisition and protection of threatened coastline, buildings and countryside. 100 years on from Octavia’s death, it’s highly appropriate that in 2012 Open Garden Squares Weekend is being held in association with the National Trust. It’s also a great opportunity to re-consider the work of this campaigner for open spaces, par excellence.


Octavia Hill’s blue plaque on Bishop’s Hall overlooks her Red Cross Garden
(photo: Lucinda Blythe)

The first thing that strikes one is the scale of the garden. In the gloom of the densely packed streets of 19th-century Southwark, this would have been a spacious, green oasis, but it’s truly compact. Duck Island Cottage wonders what the residents of the 1880s would have made of the Shard, the garden’s towering neighbour, and the soaring heights of the City skyline just over the river.

Red Cross Garden is one element, along with Bishop’s Hall and six cottages (on the same site), in what is considered to be one of Octavia Hill’s finest environmental and social schemes. The Garden was laid out in 1887 and, along with paths, flowers, trees and a pond and a bandstand, it hosted the annual Southwark Flower Show, as well as numerous fetes and celebrations, including maypole dancing. The Hall likewise bustled with activities: it was the venue for working men’s clubs, women’s groups, concerts and plays, and the Army Cadets – the movement was founded here by Octavia. The cottages border the eastern flank of the garden, and provided an alternative to the cramped tenement buildings, which, at the time, stood across the road. 

The Cottages with their view of Red Cross Garden
(photo: Lucinda Blythe)

The original garden layout was lost to a simplistic design after World War II, but a restoration programme, with Heritage Lottery Fund and Southwark council backing, commenced in 1997 and was completed in 2005. The new design is true to the original, but is also a delightful community space. In a nod to Octavia’s own principles, recycled materials were used and the pond, originally designed only for fish, was excavated and is now both ornamental and a haven for wildlife.

Red Cross Garden is as relevant today as when created by Octavia Hill. Duck Island Cottage urges you to add it to your itinerary this June.

A mosaic with designs based on local schoolchildrens’ sketches created for the new garden
(photo: Lucinda Blythe)

Behind the Black Door

Behind the black door lies the splendid Crescent Garden…
(photo: Lucinda Blythe)

At Duck Island Cottage we love London’s secret green spaces. And, if we asked our Open Garden Squares Weekend visitors to imagine a hidden, private garden, we feel sure they would describe Crescent Garden, in Maida Vale.

On a bright, sunny February morning, with snow still on the ground, Duck Island Cottage was allowed through the black door and into Crescent Garden, in the company of Virginia de Vaal, who has been involved with the development and design of the garden since the early 90s. When Virginia moved to Randolph Crescent, this three-acre space was full of diseased trees and contained only three small ‘sausage-shaped’ flower beds - photographs from the time show a very large stretch of lawn peppered with just a handful of trees and not much else to engage one’s gaze. Virginia is keen to point out that the stunning garden we’re walking through today is very much the result of team work, with planning and planting overseen by a head gardener; but the fact that it is, as she says now, in ‘maintenance mode’ is credit to her steady persistence and dedication and some gardening ‘by stealth’ – whereby new plants are introduced to just one or two beds, in the first instance, to preserve an overall harmony.

As with so many of London’s gardens, Crescent Garden has a fascinating history. Before the elegant stucco-fronted houses which border the garden were built, in the mid-19th century, watercress was grown in this area. And, during the First World War, four houses on the bordering Warrington Crescent were destroyed, with many fatalities, when a German bomber pilot mistook the canals of Little Venice for the Thames. Today, at ground level there is evidence of just one air raid shelter, its circular shape protruding from the lawn and studded with crocuses in a ying-yang design; but the garden holds many others, long since buried and filled in. Crescent Garden is now the venue for many events throughout the year organised by the residents, from summer parties, to Bonfire Night and carol singing.

As we crunched over persistent patches of snow, there was the strong sense that this garden is resting and biding its time until the summer. We can’t wait to explore its plants and trees in full bloom and also to see our Weekend visitors enjoying this majestic, tranquil space, when the black door is unlocked for one very special day this June.

Crescent Garden in its summer splendour (photo: Sarah Jackson)

A Medicinal Garden

The Medicinal Garden at the Royal College of Physicians, close to Regent's Park, has to be one of the world’s most interesting and intriguing cultivated spaces. Recently, on a bright winter morning, Duck Island Cottage was very lucky to have been given a tour by the college’s Garden Fellow, Dr Henry Oakeley and the Head Gardener, Jane Knowles.

The College building itself is the RCP’s fifth home, and was completed in 1965. It is still thrillingly modern and provides a brilliant contrast with the nearby formal Regency terrace of St Andrew’s Place. The Garden is not one single space, rather a collection of growing areas: each of the eight Regency houses has its own small garden square, there is another garden at the end of the terrace and more flower beds lie close to the College buildings.



One of the small gardens on St Andrew’s Place 
photo: Sarah Jackson 



The Medicinal Garden in full bloom

during Open Garden Squares Weekend 2010

Photo: Gavin Gardiner

 The Garden’s focus is on its individual plants, around 1,280 different species in total, all of which have been used in medicine over the past two thousand years or still are, and plants named after physicians. The fascination here lies in the plants’ uses and dangers, the history and the folklore surrounding them and the influence they have had on the English language.

The eight small and beautifully laid-out terrace gardens each contain plants from the writings of Nicholas Culpeper (1616-1654); for example, the seed heads of the English corn poppy were brewed in a tea as a sedative for children, its effectiveness due to its opiate content. And carnation flowers were used against the plague, and also to ‘strengthen the heart, liver and stomach’.

It would take many years as well as a lot of care and passion to match Dr Oakeley’s great understanding and knowledge of medicinal plants. However, in a few minutes he opened my eyes to the dual nature of medicine, that it can be potentially poisonous and also curative. He stressed that herbs can contain useful chemicals for science, but they are just one of many medical resources, and they invariably have to be toned down and adapted.

At this time of the year, the Garden is at its most quiet, but, come early June, it will be full and rich with its varied and fascinating medicinal plants and herbs. There will be tours over the weekend, and for me this is one garden I cannot wait to see again.

Duck Island Cottage will be back next month with another one of our super gardens!

A Unique London Village

Open Garden Squares Weekend is all about opening up London’s private, secret gardens and Garden Barge Square, near Tower Bridge, is a wonderfully quirky and imaginative living space. The barge development feels thoroughly contemporary, yet there have been moorings on this site for over 200 years.

The secluded setting of Garden Barge Square, in the shadow of Tower Bridge and the London skyline

We were lucky to be shown around on a beautiful bright and warm November morning by Nick Lacey. Nick devised the gardens in the mid-1990s and his architectural practice is based in a nearby wharf building overlooking the Square.  This village of converted barge vessels, linked by bridges and walkways, is home for nearly 100 people, and also houses businesses and artists’ studios.

Low lying, hardy silver-leafed plants
are a particular feature of the gardens

And, between and atop the barges there are individually planted gardens, each with its own identity. They were still incredibly green, and featured a variety of evergreen and silver-leafed plants – ideally suited to the dry and windy conditions on the Thames - bordered by box hedges and swaying grasses. Mains water keeps the gardens looking spruce, but in times of shortage the Thames itself – barely saline on this stretch - can be used. The gardens are managed organically to attract wildlife interest and are fed with home made fertilisers. There is a zero toleration policy for invasive weeds and chemicals.

We were also delighted to see rarely-cultivated medlar trees with their petite proportions working so well in the available space. Nick shared with us his recipe for medlar jelly, a lovely bronze-coloured preserve which is super with cold roast meat. Both bletted (dark brown in appearance and squashy to the touch) and firm medlars are required for the jelly, the majority should be bletted combined with a few that are still firm. 

An unbletted medlar

Medlar Jelly

Simmer the medlars in a small quantity of water, sufficient just to stop the fruits from sticking. Strain the cooked fruit through muslin and gently boil the resultant juice with an equal amount of sugar. The jelly is ready when a small quantity sets on a cold plate. Bottle the jelly in clean jars and seal once cooled.

We’ll be back in a month’s time with another exciting and unique London garden!  

A special open space in East London

Here at Duck Island Cottage we’re working on our programme for Open Garden Squares Weekend, 9-10 June 2012, and we’re very excited about the forthcoming event. We’ve just come back from a visit to Abbey Gardens, in East London – a truly inspirational location.

Harvesting at Abbey Gardens

Four years ago, two artists, Karen Guthrie and Nina Pope, designed the unique open-access Harvest Garden on neglected wasteland. The ruins of a 12th-century abbey gave the Gardens its name as well as protection from development. Karen and Nina were influenced by the idea of returning the land to production and today everyone can participate in the communal growing and harvesting of vegetables and herbs. Free garden club sessions take place three times a week, from March to October. There are no individual plots – produce is split between regular gardeners and is sold on site.

We love the positive and welcoming atmosphere at Abbey Gardens.

At Duck Island Cottage we’re also passionate about fresh, natural produce. In June 2012, at Abbey Gardens, the first of the season’s vegetables will be ready for harvesting, including our early summer favourites: peas, broad beans, new potatoes and young salad leaves. The following recipe makes the most of this early crop - and mint and parsley, also in season:

Salad of Broad Beans, Peas and New Potatoes in a lemon and mint dressing

A mix of the following vegetables:

fresh peas, broad beans, new potatoes and salad leaves

For the dressing:

light olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper, mint and parsley

Make a dressing by combining three parts olive oil to one part lemon juice, seasoning with salt and pepper. Finely chop a combined handful of mint leaves and parsley, avoid using the thicker parts of the parsley stalks, and add these to the dressing.

Fresh Mint

Cook the peas and broad beans until just tender, and the new potoates until cooked through. Combine the cooked vegetables and whilst still warm, pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix well together. Allow to cool, to room temperature. Line a salad bowl with the salad leaves and pile in the salad. Just before serving chop the remainder of the mint and parsley and scatter over the salad.

We’ll be back next month with a preview of another one of our exclusive Gardens for June 2012!