As part of St Michael’s Hospice Open Garden Scheme, Mountsfield House and The Stables showed us outstanding gardens on Tuesday, May 17. Although almost in the centre of Rye, the impression from walking up the gravelled drive of the former is of a gracious house set in the countryside, surrounded by mature trees. In front of the house are four elegant, cubic, lead containers, holding rounded pyramid box. These perfectly compliment the shape of the 1776 house.
The whole garden is set into the slope of Rye Hill. The changing levels add to the interest throughout. On the other side of the house is a walled garden with an Italianate theme. In the centre is a beautiful urn, decorated with rams’ heads from which water trickles, emphasizing the tranquillity of this space. There are topiaried bay and box trees, alchemilla mollis filling spaces, and lavender in urns. The alliums are ready to burst into full flower but the structure and greenery of this space almost render colour redundant. This garden is overlooked by a lovely deep purple lilac and this leads us into the next section – another sweeping, sloping lawn. The main interest here is the circular rose garden – one or two Margaret Merrils out – with an armillary in the centre. The perfume from these plants should be very powerful in two or three weeks time.
As well as the large garden around Mountsfield House there is an exquisite jewel of a garden in front of the stables. Cornelia and Hartmut Steffen have over 200 plants, many in containers. Even those plants waiting to flower, like lilies and euphorbia mellifera, add a rich texture and varying shades of green – the most important garden colour. Rampant climbers like clematis armandii are kept within bounds, just hinting at their potential for getting out of hand. Plants of different continents – such as box and phormium – combine to produce a density to rival a well tended botanical garden glasshouse. Although the area is small, the amount of work required to keep this garden must be extensive.
The St Michael’s Hospice Open Gardens programme raises £45,000 a year through 52 gardens throughout Hastings and Rother. Mountsfield House and The Stables are superb illustrations of the quality of these gardens, well worth any future possible visit.
Photo:Linda Harland