The nuttery …
The first half of August has had a distinct family favour. For a few days all three of our sons were on Australian soil again and while we only got to see two of them, Cath and I certainly felt a warm glow of contentment. We indulged ourselves a little by eating out and visiting a few places close by that were on our radar but which we hadn’t yet had time to see. One of these was a highland cattle retreat where guests can get up-close and personal with gorgeous shaggy highland cows and calves who just love to be brushed.
Back at the farm we have just completed another project. In 1930 Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicholson purchased Sissinghurst Castle, a dilapidated Elizabethan mansion surrounded by a neglected estate. They were captivated by the ruins and saw the potential to transform the property into a place of beauty. Out of Vita's passion for gardening and Harold's love for historical preservation the remarkable garden at Sissinghurst emerged, a garden which is now widely recognized as one of the most famous and influential gardens in the world. Legend has it that it was a grove of hazelnut trees at Sissinghurst that first captured their interest. Harold’s diary entry of the day he and Vita decided to buy Sissinghurst reads: “We come suddenly upon the nutwalk… and that settles it.”
Now I must be quick to point out that Cath and I do not see ourselves as latter-day Vita and Harold. Nevertheless, the pictures of the current nut walk at Sissinghurst and the under planting of the trees with meadow-like flowers gave us the idea for what we have labelled “the nuttery”. We have started with 12 hazelnut trees that we will try to turn into a shady meadow garden. The hazelnut trees are all very small and vulnerable and a far cry from what we imagine they’ll become. Our neighbour was right on the money when he remarked to me rather drily – “Aaaah in about 100 years you’ll have created Sissinghurst Mark II!”.
Until such time, it is pleasant enough to dream and reflect on the ancient and rather fascinating history of the not-so-humble hazelnut. In ancient Egypt, they were considered a symbol of fertility and were often buried alongside the deceased. In ancient Greece, they were associated with divine wisdom and were believed to have medicinal properties. In the medieval period, monastic gardens in Europe often included hazelnut trees. Not only were they always a sought-after commodity but they also provided the inspiration for literary works such as Hoffmann's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King which spurred the creation of Tchaikovsky’s magical ballet, The Nutcracker.
Hazelnuts also pose a fascinating intellectual problem. Although they are monoecious (there are male and female flowers on the same tree) they are self-incompatible, meaning a tree can’t set nuts with its own pollen. Some varieties are cross-incompatible, and this together with the fact that are wind- rather than insect-pollinated makes the situation even more complex. The varieties we have were chosen by our supplier to aide cross pollination and maximise the potential for setting fruit. One variety, Cosford (of which we have two specimens) is a universal pollinator in the sense that it pollinates all other varieties. The problem is that Cosfords are quite difficult to pollinate in return and often do not crop. This is something we will need to monitor.
The garden is now showing distinct signs of the approaching spring with some beautiful pops of colour here and there. But for the moment our attention is firmly back on the veggie patch and yet more fencing as we race to get ready for planting …
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