Because I'm really interested, and because bad plans are way more instructive than good ones, I have watched the entire video of Davy's plan for the garden.
First, the drawings are concept drawings, as he calls them, amenable to micro and macro change, not detailed architectural landscape plans. Some are his 7th or 8th iteration of a plan.
This is a good and wise move. To criticize him for not producing action plans is not appreciating a good strategy. I'd wager what he has done is like what politicians do, convening a commission to study the problem. Until it goes away.
Overall, pleasantly surprised. It is what it is: Very good indeed. And certainly not the demento Marie Antoinette fake shepherdess garden I imagined. Back on the Davy train.
Area 1: Potager:
He advocates calling in an expert to care for the old fruit trees, to restore them to the espalier state they were planted for. Of all the universally neglected and abused beings at the chateau, for me, the fruit trees were right up there with the chickens, pea chicks, Ruby et al. That shot of decades of lichen growing on them like yak hair haunts me to this moment. Davy FTW
He avers the irrigation system will last for decades. He does not say if Matt's new pipeline will supply sufficient water pressure to use the irrigation system.
No chicken house location or chicken protection fencing plan.
Stephanie suggests installing fridge, sink and kettle -- but no loo or shower -- in gardener's tea room. Again, I'd be very very careful about those chocolate pies The Help are serving.
Area 2: Two main courtyards:
Working courtyard:
Introducing the first of several oval-shaped beds planned for throughout the garden. Easy to mow around. Davy suggests each could be planted with a theme, including Asian/Moorish/African/paradise garden. This is a good anti-Versailles idea.
Extending the hedge across from the front of the chateau, including niches in the hedge for benches.
Maintaining its rural, livestock and farm machinery [camper?] character.
Subterranean ancient moat can't be restored, but is to be commemorated with bluestone paving, and planters with blue flowers, atop its length. My idea exactly, therefore A plus.
Entrance courtyard:
Safety measures:
Parenthesis of oblong-trimmed pleached lime trees around fountain box hedging: Adds structure and formality. Light, not too pretentious, not so symmetrically laid out as to call attention to the asymmetry of chateau front, see through. Another subtle anti-Versailles idea. Also, all the corners of the box hedges have been driven over by cars.
Installation of metal edging between gravel and lawn, to protect mower and driver from pinging shooting stones.
Area 3: Parterre garden:
Davy has done his homework, as no one else has, and notes the origin of the pre-Renaissance jardin a la francaise in Moorish, north African, Alhambra gardens of paradise. Good one. Excellent.
The gardens of the Alhambra are probably the best place I ever visited, and the most influential. Anybody who knows that is OK with me.
The lion fountain in the Alhambra may be one of my all-time favorite works of medieval art. I'll tell you why in this post. (For Part 1 of this discussion, click here.)The Patio of the Lions originally featured a stunning garden, divided into four corners, to represent the four corners of the...
Gothic architecture itself is based on Islamic. As such, it is the anti-Versailles. If not the actual revenge of Bobadil and Atahualpa.
Its location appears to be outside the old part of the chateau. It is small and simple, definitely not the OTT fountain of Apollo Versailles thing I was expecting. (Although I love the fountain of Apollo and nearly passed out when I saw it. Lots of money and the best artists and fascist art, oooohhh grrrl. Fascists do have great art.)
Davy points out the chateau is simple and not over-ornamented, and so his design for the
jardin a la francaise isn't either. "It would look weird and it's an enormous amount of upkeep."
SJ seems to concur. In discussing a simplified plan of planting ornamental grasses around the box triangles, Davy says it simplifies upkeep -- over bedding plants -- and SJ says, that's good for any future financial scenario. Ornamental grasses are beautiful in the wind, more anti-Versailles natural motion.
Its triangular lines will not be demarcated in disease-prone box. SJ brings it up, Davy says in Flanders, where he lives, nothing is planted with box anymore.
I feared total delusion here and a plantation for box disease like the unvaxxed of Missouri are the font of all U.S. Delta variation COVID infections. Lalande-centered pandemic avoided.
New oval beds to be installed between the parterre and the front hedge/wall, extending the theme begun in the working courtyard. Simple, not pretentious, more anti-Versailles.
Area 4: Swimming pond:
T
his is Potts' desideratum, along with the tandoori oven.
Please note neither adds value to the property as a less grotty swimming pool adjacent to a hideous suburban BBQ and fire pit station would. This whole thing is pure folly, even though a good farm pond is my preferred style of swimming and this restoration sounds environmentally respectful of the former fishery pond, and appropriate. I'd go with Potts and restore this first if I were spending the money.
Requires a bespoke metal bridge from parterre, across the moat, to pond. Potty could use a walk around the long way.
Repair of lime render stone walls, and installation of capstones to repair decades of water damage
Tree removal.
Installation water plants, frog friendly riparian areas, respectful of historical intake and outtake systems.
Area 5: Landscape garden, right side of rear garden leading to the lake:
In discussing tree removal, Davy brings up trees in the lake and says he's leaving them for now, because there's so much they don't know about how the lake is to be restored.
Let the grass grow a little taller to appear like a meadow, and mow in a semi-circular grass path, along the moat to the lake bank. Natural wind motion, anti-Versailles.
Regrade the entire lawn, which has a hump in the middle, so it slopes evenly toward the lake. This hump foreshortens the view. This would drive some people crazy, but I'd put my money in restoring the lake first. As promised.
Decorative edging plants along the dry moat, the edge of which is dangerous to mow.
Area 6: Back yard, left side of rear garden, including chapel and amphitheater:
Davy once again goes for financial prudence and simplicity. But for the proposed chapel wall and OTT amphitheater.
He says he could design a very elaborate garden for this space, but the upkeep would be disastrous.
Her weenie box parade is to be demolished and the poormouth plantlings, Davy says diplomatically, "used elsewhere" which I suspect is a euphemism. Quite right too. He still is the only person who says no to her. To be replaced with a "more impressive" rank of clipped, non-disease prone, yews. Planted farther apart as they recede in the distance toward the lake to increase the elongation of the view.
Parterre-like geometric beds paralllel to terrace to be delineated with sheared box-like plants.
No plantings against old walls, which Davy says are to be repointed.
Terrace to be extended, levelled, surfaced with water tight pavement, keeping the renovated walls stable for the next two centuries. Emphasis on restoration, good. SJ appears to agree.
Extends wall from edge of terrace all the way to the chapel. This is his big move and I'd call it a qualified success, about visually levelling the view of the chateau and chapel from a distance. Nothing I care about. Could be done with planting.
Installs steps on chapel incline to lawn.
Paint the pergola white or dark because the present preservative green is hideous. He has a way of pointing out her errors of taste in the nicest but most pointed way.
Installation of horizontal and vertical sunshades on terrace pergola. Adds value
Visually where the lawn dips into the forest, jars the view. Davy installs more steps here, which bisect the upcoming....
.....amphitheater. Spare me.
Night-blooming moonlight white flower garden around the chapel. Stephanie says the moonlight hits the chapel and for the after-party glass of wine she wants a white garden. Davy handles this stoner vampire idea rather well.
Clipped non-box cubes of hedge material to match terrace parterres.
Maze garden behind the chapel -- beautifully executed for the site, which is not level, but slants upward toward the forest. Thus it could not accommodate the too-high-maintenance, disease-prone clipped box maze SJ had in mind. For me this transition from lawn to forest was the most problematic aesthetic issue of the garden. Well played, Davy.
Davy has just explained the area behind the chapel slopes and can't be used for a traditional Maze. PJ says, well what about this part, can't you put the maze in here? Davy quietly says this is for the clothesline. Washing hidden by hedges as planned by Davy. PJ's impertinence skewered by yet another expert. Well played, Davy.
PJ's dickless one-upsmanship game foiled again.
The installation of the swimming pool where the tennis court is makes sense. While this and its accompanying hideous suburban BBQ set up adds value, I personally like it least. Except perhaps for the amphitheater.
Area 7: Island in the lake
I love this.
Dream big. This posits the restoration of the lake, and also a place to stack excavated swimming pool soil.