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  • The English Garden

    AFTER PARTY

    Sep 07, 2022 6 minutes
    WORDS BARBARA SEGALL
    PHOTOGRAPHS
    RICHARD BLOOM

    In 2023 it will be 50 years since a garden on the far side of North Norfolk began to exert its magnetic pull on domestic and foreign garden lovers alike. When Alan Gray and Graham Robeson took on the garden at East Ruston Old Vicarage, it covered just over two acres. Now it extends to 32 acres and is testament to their combined skills of plantsmanship and architectural design. They discuss the garden and their plans in a way that the late Christopher Lloyd described as ‘bat and ball’ – a regular to and fro of ideas.

    Gardeners face challenges wherever their gardens are located, but at East Ruston there is a set of particular conditions that adds a touch more jeopardy to the situation. The water table is 19-25 feet below ground level, which seems improbable given the garden’s proximity to the North Sea and the Norfolk Broads. The soil, meanwhile, is a light,

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