The Alcove Garden
This little area didn’t really have a name. It is a tiny courtyard with high
stone walls on 2 sides part draped in ivy. The walls have crumbled in
places and somehow it has the feel of a cloister. We named it the alcove
garden purely for identification purposes, but the name has stuck. It is
located to the left-hand side of Frosterley House if you are facing the
house.
It had at one time been paved but whatever had been there was badly
broken. There was an old seat that had seen better days.
Hanging precariously over the wall in one corner was a waste bin, the
‘overspill’ frequently ending up in the garden making the place uninviting,
not conducive to lingering. In fact, it was not a place that anyone would
choose to linger. It is also the allocated space for surrounding houses to
place their wheely bins on Tuesday mornings prior to collection.
But for some reason the place charmed us all. It seemed to be calling
out for a friendly hand to rescue it and recognise its potential.
A decision or plan was never really made – it simply evolved. The one
thing we did aim for was a sensory garden. It would be wheelchair
accessible, protected from the road, and if the ground was made safe
accessible to all. Especially with a new seat.
When Dean Henry from DCC’s find and fix team came to meet with us
we broached the subject of the paving. He said that it was outside of his
remit but promised to put a word in for us to the Council’s Community
Economic Development Department. They took it up; liaised internally to
get the plans drawn up and the funding approved.
Dean’ s team also helped with several other things around the village,
including repainting metal railings, removing, and replacing the old seat
and they also got us new seats for the Westfield Gardens and the Butts
(but that is part of another story)
I don’t think any of us were particularly optimistic with regards the
paving. Replacing paving looked like an expensive job. Frosterley is
usually a place easily overlooked when it comes to big money projects.
We had had a go at re-laying some of the stones ourselves but at best it
was a bodged job. Repeatedly we turned the waste bin to face out the
garden and each time it was turned back as though someone felt it was
all that the tiny garden deserved.
Meanwhile we planted things from our own gardens, Sensory plants,
herbs, and some scented flowers. But it needed much more than we
could provide. We were also advised to apply to DCC’s Its Your
Neighbourhood” scheme for funding. This would prove to be very good
advice.
So, it was to our real surprise when we were sent the drawings of the
plans for the paving of the two areas. Not only was it agreed to replace
the paving but in a truly beautiful manner. And so, we waited somewhat
impatiently to see the work start- it’s very easy to forget that County
Durham is a large area and we weren’t the only ones waiting for work to
be done. Some considerably more pressing.
Then one morning in March 2024, a full year after our initial meetings, a
large crane was spotted lifting thick stone pavers into the tiny garden.
This was way beyond anything we could ever have hoped for. The fact
that they had to each be lifted by crane perhaps gives an idea how thick,
heavy, durable, and beautiful these stones really are. The finished area
is stunning. And the new seat added a little later made it perfect. It has
added to our determination to make this little space somewhere people
will find peace and tranquillity.
As well as plants we brought from our own gardens, a fig tree and a
small weeping willow in large tubs have been donated by kind villagers,
which adds impact to this little garden. We planted many tete a tete
daffodils in our first year. These were bought with proceeds of our first
plant sale. They have given a stunning show for two consecutive years
now. Along with many other small bulbs, we have added more plants,
both perennials and self-seeding annuals, and this year we will be
adding even more beautiful plants to enhance what is a truly special
place.
It takes a little while for the plants to fill out and I look forward to the time
when they are fully mature. A honeysuckle beginning to climb the wall
should start to scent the evening air quite soon. Last year we had sweet
peas courtesy of Joan.
The bin was eventually properly secured by one of Dean Henry’s team
and no longer threatens the tiny sanctuary with its contents.
This is one of the gardens where we especially appreciate the support of
volunteer Alistair. Alistair is a dab hand with the secateurs and shears.
It’s down to him that the ivy is kept at bay and no longer threatens to
gobble up the garden. He takes on this role on many occasions and we
would be lost without him. (Probably lost behind a curtain of ivy. We
have a lot of it in Frosterley),
When we work on this garden, we also have kind support from Phyllis
who lives close by. She kindly allowed us to put weeds in her garden
wastebin and has watered for us. Help like this is hugely appreciated
and anyone who can offer similar support would be extremely welcome.
Watering is one of the things we find most difficult because none of us
live particularly close to the gardens. Though Linda and Kim are
regularly seen carrying huge cans of water around the village and the
gardens would be considerably poorer without them.
If anyone can pop a few cans of water onto our planting in dry weather it
would be a great help.
A little reminder.
Our annual plant sale takes place outside The Frosterley Inn at
11am on Saturday June 14 th 2025. Refreshments will be available
inside the pub. All the plants are grown by ourselves or friends and
all proceeds go back into the gardens.
If anyone has spare plants, they would like to donate we would
welcome them on the day or alternatively contact me.
