A Wiltshire Field turned Garden
Words And Pictures By Dominic Weston
When is the term “passion project” not nearly enough to capture the vision, determination and sheer effort to create a garden from nothing? When you’re referring to Janet and Marc Berlin’s extraordinary transformation of the field behind Duck Pond Barn, in the tiny hamlet of Wingfield, Wiltshire.
Passion is an overused word these days, and in the case of the Berlins, who moved from London to Wingfield in 2015, an entirely inadequate one. In just one year they had already transformed their long and exposed strip of farmland enough to open the new garden under the NGS scheme.
But they were not newbies to gardening, Janet had form… an experienced plantswoman who won a gold medal for her London garden, and when they moved, they brought an articulated lorry load of plants with them. Even so, the scale of the transformation is extraordinary, and it’s aided by the garden’s deceptive layout.
Close to the barn, which sits alongside the duck pond – big enough for a boat and jetty – there is a terrace and a lovely lawned area, where we were spoiled with tea and cakes. We also learned about the charity the Berlins support, Wiltshire Portage, which helps local children with educational needs and disabilities in their own homes, before they start school.
It’s a lovely space, with plenty of established trees and borders of beautiful day lilies, but it seems a bit straightforward for an NGS garden. But we’ve barely begun. The new garden takes up 1.6 acres of the whole 2-acre plot, and our group divided into two to tour it with Marc and Janet. As we moved through, we saw how spoil heaps from levelling one area were transformed into steps and new features in another.
We moved into an orchard with stunning blood-red apples, and then into woodland with swaying tall grasses. Throughout, there were thoughtfully placed sculptures and objects to let your eye settle on a new point of interest.
Hedging planted along the long, straight fence helps keep the wind from whistling across the flat land into the garden, and stops the cows beyond from browsing on the trees and shrubs. Seeing these surrounding fields brings real context to the transformation that has taken place.
In the heart of the garden are the fruit cages, vegetable gardens and some more formal terraces, with wonderful clematis on trellis spilling over boisterous, brightly-coloured nasturtiums at ground level. But the crown jewel is a beautiful timber greenhouse, surrounded by and filled with pot after pot of Marc’s succulents – so many forms and colours in his collection, just joyful, and enough to warrant a visit in its own right.
And the great thing is, the Berlins sell plants they’ve propagated and divided, and seeds they’ve collected, in aid of Wiltshire Portage. Many of us came away with real treasure that sunny July evening, as well as unforgettable memories and stunning photos.
Links:
Duck Pond Barn, NGS https://ngs.org.uk/gardens/duck-pond-barn-ba1/
Wiltshire Portage https://wiltshireportage.org.uk/
