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  • The English Garden

    FINAL FLOURISH

    Oct 09, 2019 4 minutes
    WORDS VIVIENNE HAMBLY
    PHOTOGRAPHS
    CLIVE NICHOLS

    Life slows down in the gardens at Forde Abbey, near Chard in Somerset at this time of year. After the spring rush and industry of summer, autumn offers the gardeners here a chance to reflect on the passing year and to prepare for the next year’s display. For head gardener Joshua Sparkes and his team, this is the chance to take stock of the year’s achievements and prepare for the spring and summer planting that lie ahead.

    “I like the end of the year,” Joshua explains. “Other times of the year can be quite stressful but in early winter you can get ready to do something new and improve on what you’ve created. It’s good to have an

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