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The Forge Garden

This garden features a thatched forge, inspired by a National Trust owned 15 century forge in Branscombe, Devon, which has been in constant use since it was built. At the 2021 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the ‘Forge Garden’ won a Silver Medal and best Artisan Garden.

A natural woodland setting provides the background for the Forge, with fruit trees including, Mespilus germanica, the common medlar and Malus Wintergold, a crab apple, providing autumnal produce for the smithy. Climbers and foliage soften the edge of structure, so the forge almost becomes one with nature. Metal work structures, created by the smithy and inspired by nature, feature in the garden, for example Typha angustifolia , Narrow Leaf Cat Tail, which the blacksmith used as inspiration for plant supports.

Highlights

Our Garden Designers recommend you look out for these stunning plants In the midst of the informal wild/cottage planting, are bursts of oranges and reds, that echo fire and embers, with plants used such Helenium ‘ Sepetember Gold’, Helenium ‘Kleine Aprikose’ , Persicaria ‘ Blackfield’ and Sanguisorba ‘Red Thunder’. Black foliage or black flowers are used to represent smoke and soot, for example Actaea simplex Atropurpurea, with its striking architectural black leaves .These colours, although subtle, reflect the working forge. Many of the wildflowers are edible and contain medicinal qualities that aid ailments commonly associated with blacksmithing. Medicinal plants such as Hypericum perforatum, St Johns Wort, which contains anti bacterial and anti inflammatory properties and Chamomile, which is traditionally used for soothing and healing skin and wounds. Also Pulmonaria officinalis, a very useful wildflower whose medicinal properties are used to treat lung conditions. These have been mixed with wild flowers such as Cymbalaria muralis, Ivy- leaved Toadflax and Geranium robertianum, Herb Robert. The planting scheme is one which encourages pollinators and uses heritage varieties therefore promoting sustainability of rarer plants. Health warning: do not consume these plants without medical advice!

Plants to look out for...

Click on a plant to find out more:

Crocosmia ‘ George Davison’

Common name: Monbretia
An herbaceous perennial which forms clumps of upright foliage and grows up to 1m. It carries brightly coloured, golden yellow, freesia-like flowers from late summer until the autumn.

Persicaria ‘ Blackfield’

Common name: Red Bistort
A clump-forming perennial which grows to 80cm. It has large, dark green, oval shaped leaves. Long narrow spikes of dark red flowers open from black buds, from mid-summer to mid-autumn.

Echinacea ‘Salsa Red’

Common name: Coneflower
A compact, bushy, clump-forming perennial, which grows to 60cm tall. It has oval hairy leaves and produces large red-orange flowers from the summer into autumn, the petals of which surround an orange- brown central cone.

Mespilus germanica

Common Name: Medlar
A small tree or large shrub growing between 4-8m. It has oblong leaves which turn yellow-brown in autumn. In the spring it produces white flowers followed by fruit.