| "When I'm out there
tending my garden I feel utterly wrapped up in it
- I think gardening can be quite obsessional. I
may not know all the Latin names and I don't find
designing easy, but none of that matters. As long
as you get on and have a go, you soon learn
through your mistakes - that's the fun of it. I always tackle a problem straight on,
and if I really don't know how to do something, I
look it up in a book. I'm very practical and I've
developed a strong idea of what I like and don't
like, which is the most important place to start.
I'm a great one for tying in and cutting back. I
don't know whether it's because I'm small (I'm 5ft)
but I never want to feel overwhelmed by plants,
especially the common garden shrubs. I like to
see everything in its place, so I make sure the
plants know who's in control!
The garden at
our house on the River Avon in Worcestershire is
blissful. It was landscaped and planted before we
bought the house, so it's well established and I
hardly want to change a thing. I first spotted
the For Sale sign last year when I was out
boating with my dad. I phoned my husband (guitarist
Robert Fripp of King Crimson) in great excitement
and told him we had to go and have a look. When
we walked in, I burst into tears and Robert went
really quiet because we both knew it was perfect.
The garden has
five 'rooms' and the first is just behind the
house - a stone terrace enclosed by yew hedging.
Living alfresco is important to me and this is
the perfect place to do it. We have a big table
where we lunch with friends or sit around reading
the papers. We both travel a lot and work hard -
Robert's been working on a new album in America
and I'm either presenting, singing, writing, or
acting. I've been touring in Calamity Jane this
year, so we both value the time we have together
to relax and reflect, or to paint or read.
Next comes a
circular pool garden bordered by roses and tulips
(luckily mostly yellow, my favourite flower
colour) and edged by curved box hedging. On a
summer's day, this part of the garden is os hot
and voluptuous it feels like a Sicilian courtyard.
There are one or two stone benches, so it's a
good place to sit quietly when you have niggles
or worries. It's important to get outside and see
how nature deals with things. It helps to put
everything into context.
This and all
the neighbouring gardens were originally orchards
that ran down to the River Avon and we still have
a small section of orchard with two rows of
cherry trees. They're so perfectly spaced I find
it quite surreal. Here, as elsewhere in the
garden, we've put in sculptures by Althea Wynne,
who's become a friend. I'm very good at finding
artists and I love the idea of commissioning
someone to make a piece for a specific space.
|
Beyond the orchard are
two large lawned areas, bordered with shrubs and
perennials and divided by a classical ironwork
pergola. Our gardener John comes twice a week and
keeps everything immaculate, which makes a big
difference to me as I'm in London a lot when I'm
working so wouldn't have the time to look after
this garden on my own - but in my tiny London
garden I do everything myself. I can see us living here for years,
having summer parties where friends can lose
themselves in the garden, play boules or croquet
or take a boat trip down the river. Each part of
the garden has its own mood and sounds - it's
wonderful to escape into.
For me, a
garden is spiritual: there's nothing more moving
than seeing a favourite plant flowering - it's
like a new beginning. Consciously tending a plant
and wanting its life cycle to be as healthy as
possible is a very respectful thing to do. A
garden can be a huge emotional and spiritual
investment but if you get it right it gives you a
lifelong return.
Toyah's
Favourite Plants:
•
Passionflowers
•
Foxgloves
• Love-in-a-mist
•
Forget -me-nots
•
Fremontodendron
•
Camelias
•
Cacti
Toyah's
Mantras For The Garden:
• Visit as
many gardens as possible to glean ideas you can
adapt for your own garden. Use the National
Gardens Scheme Yellow Book (£5) to see what's
open in your area.
• Keep a
sense of scale and don't allow large plants to
take over and swamp the space.
• Make
sure the edges of your lawn are well kept.
They'll make everything else look neat even if it
isn't.
•
Introduce some moving water with a fountain - the
sound is very relaxing.
• Design
your garden according to the amount of time you
want to spend tending it. That way it will always
be a joy and never a chore.
|
From Queen Of Punk To Devoted Gardener
FAR LEFT:
As you look back to the house, built around 1750,
you can see how the long garden is divided up
into rooms, each with its own character. 