Quaker Meeting Place Garden: Diary of the build
This year at the Malvern Spring Gardening show (Malvern Showground, from 6 to 9 May), Quakers who like gardens (or indeed gardeners who like Quakers) are in for a treat. This year a garden is being built to represent Quaker values and worship. Matt Jackman, inspired by his Quaker family and education at Leighton Park School has designed a garden to reflect how Quakers meet for worship and quiet meditation. The design is circular to represent the inclusive nature of Quakerism where everyone is treated equally. Four paths will lead to a central seating area where four simple benches face each other across a pool.
Matt Jackman was an RHS silver medal winner at Malvern in 2009.
Please return to this page to see how the build progresses over the next few weeks. If you know someone who is interested in gardening, Quakerism, or both, please send them a link to www.quaker.org.uk/garden.
Updated: 20 May (Reflections on the finished garden and the final week)
Week 1
Day One - Tuesday
We arrived on a dry day to find our space marked out and the turf removed. Fortunately the weather was dry, but wool hats were required as any wind tends to fly up the Severn valley and leave the whole team freezing! Even when this cold you can never fail to have your breath taken away by the beauty of the setting in the shadow of the Malvern hills. We set to work marking out only to find that the diameter of the garden was 8m rather than the intended 10m. Fortunately there is always a bit of extra room around the gardens at the Malvern Spring Gardening Show, so it was not a problem to slightly extend our space.
Day Two - Wednesday
We managed to get the base in for the central seating area and the paths before setting the rills up to the central pool. First problem! One of the metal rills had slightly twisted when being put together by the Blacksmith, and in order to get an even spread of water flowing down to the pool it would not be level with the paving. Quick decision was taken to remove the rill and will return it to the Blacksmith to correct it. Check that the pump works for the rills.
Day Three - Thursday
Continue to lay the granite setts in the circular seating area, leaving alternate gaps for the white contrasting pebbles. Rill at the Blacksmith. Pick up the bespoke metal arches from the Blacksmith – very pleased with the final design! Dig holes for the Birch trees.
Day Four - Friday
Final day of the week. Reposition the missing rill and check that the problem has been resolved. Finish laying the granite setts on the central circle and start laying the granite paving. Confirm delivery of the oak bench tops for early the following week. Overall we have made good progress and despite the freezing wind it has been a good week.
Week 2
Day Five – Monday
Started on the four paths laying the silver granite paving outwards away from the central seating area. Completed the sample panel for the contrasting white marble pebbles that are going to be set into the central seating area and down the paths – it looks good so we will start on that tomorrow.
Day Six - Tuesday
Started to set the marble pebbles into the ‘ripples’ of the central seating area that eminate outwards from the central pool. They are designed to replicate the sharing of ideas between Friends at Meeting for Worship. They work well and I am pleased with the finish, but the proof will be when the pointing mix dries.
Day Seven - Wednesday
Have checked the effect of the pebbles contrasting with the granite setts and we are really pleased with it. Installed the first of the bespoke metalwork arches. Visited the stone mason who is engraving four pieces of York stone with the words ‘Peace’, ‘Truth’, ‘Equality’ and ‘Simplicity’ to state the four key testimonies of Quakerism. They are all looking good, but there is a lot of work to do.
Day Eight - Thursday
Left the guys to crack on with the hard landscaping so that I could go and check how the plants are coming on at the Nursery. Given the cold winter we have had they are looking good, but it is still a nerve racking time not knowing whether they are going to be ready or not. I am also a little worried about whether the four Himalayan Birch are going to come into leaf in time for the show. At least the beautiful weather this week is helping!
Day Nine – Friday
The end is in site for the hard landscaping team. Still hundreds of pebbles and setts to be put into place, but we should be ready to plant by the middle of the next week. The metal edging has arrived and looks like it will tie in well with the calm silver tones of the granite. All of the arches are in position and the oak tops to the benches have been delivered. We are into the home stretch.
Day Ten – Monday
Finishing touches on the hard landscaping. We pick up the engraved pieces of stone – they look superb! They are now positioned into the paths and pointed in.
Day Eleven – Tuesday
The final bits of pointing are completed! The metal edging is installed and the surrounding edge of the garden has been turfed for a superb final finish. The plants arrive and are looking great! Just got to start planting now. The guys have done a great job on the hard landscaping and I have to make sure the planting is equally as good. Many days of hard graft ahead!
Reflections
It is now a week since the Malvern Spring Gardening Show 2010 finished and after three weeks of non stop hard work, it took just over a day to take it apart and move it to the local Malvern Youth Centre where the Malvern Quaker Meeting has arranged for it to be rebuilt.
The final week
Never have I experienced such an exhausting eight day period, as the enormity of the planting of the garden became clear. In all we used over 1500 plants, and between the laying out of the planting combinations and the eventual planting, it took about 18 working days between me and members of my family to get the garden finished in time for judging on the Wednesday. The late spring did not help as a number of the plants that I had ordered were not available and we had to trawl the wholesale nurseries of the area just trying to find any possible replacements. In the end we had the garden finished by 7:30pm on the Tuesday ready to be judged on the Wednesday.
The Show
We were very pleased to find out on the Thursday that we had been awarded an RHS Silver medal. Now it was my favourite time, as we got the feedback from the public! Fortunately it was very positive, and I was so chuffed to find that so many Quakers had come to the show especially to see the garden! It truly was amazing support, particularly given the unseasonably cold weather that blighted the first three days of the show, and it was hugely appreciated. I was also pleased to see that we got some coverage for the garden on BBC Gardeners’ World on the Friday night. Fortunately the sun came out on the Sunday and the whole show was absolutely packed for the final day.
Finally
I would like to say a huge thank you to Gillian Ashmore, Godric & Anne Bader and the Quaker Outreach team for there amazingly generous contributions, without which I would not have been able to build this garden.
It has certainly been an exhausting process and a massive challenge, but I am very proud of the Quaker Meeting Place Garden, and if just one of the 100,000 plus visitors to the show now have a greater insight into Quakerism then it has been worth it. Now we have just got to build it again!
Matt Jackman
