Chatsworth's estate border's organic garden, a legacy owned by its successor, showcases a tranquil, natural beauty.
Nestled on the edge of the Chatsworth Estate in Derbyshire, Park Farm has undergone a remarkable transformation, turning empty dairy paddocks into a series of enchanting garden rooms. This creative renewal is the latest addition to Chatsworth's long-standing commitment to blending traditional and modern horticultural design.
In 2021, fashion consultant Laura Burlington, accompanied by designer Emily Erlam, embarked on a gardening journey at Park Farm. The vision was to create diverse and engaging spaces that would captivate visitors and celebrate horticultural artistry. Phoebe Chambers, a Chatsworth-trained gardener, joined the all-female team, bringing her expertise to the project.
The garden at Park Farm is a harmonious blend of practicality and aesthetics. Originally, the farmhouse was built for functionality, and Emily designed the garden to work seamlessly with the surrounding barns and dry-stone walls. The garden was meant to be modest, reflecting the farm's location and offering uninterrupted, wide skies.
The first area worked on was the yard outside the farmhouse. Plants were carefully chosen to attract moths, butterflies, and bees, creating a vibrant and buzzing ecosystem. The garden is less a rigid design and more an evolving work in progress, with the team continually observing what works and what doesn't.
The garden's design aims to appear as if it had always been there, spreading organically across the landscape. Trees such as amelanchier and native hawthorn have been strategically placed, contributing to this organic feel. Fruits, vegetables, herbs, and cut flowers, including sweet peas, are grown in the garden, providing a bounty of produce and a splash of colour.
One of the unique features of the garden is the previously flooded yard, now transformed into a productive garden with raised beds edged with railway sleepers. An old barn has also been converted into an outdoor entertaining area, perfect for alfresco dining and socialising.
Park Farm's garden is a sanctuary within the broader Chatsworth Estate, which boasts historic gardens spanning 105 acres and dating back 500 years in parts. These gardens, while significant, are markedly different from the wild moorland surrounding Park Farm.
During the lockdowns, Laura Burlington observed the seasonal changes on the moor and in her garden, finding solace and inspiration in the natural world. She reflects that the garden at Park Farm offers a sense of both being part of the landscape and a refuge from it.
The maintenance of the garden is light touch, with grit added to the soil for drainage and mulching in early spring. Despite its modest size, the garden at Park Farm is a testament to the power of creativity, collaboration, and a deep appreciation for the natural world. It continues to evolve, offering visitors a unique and engaging experience as it grows and changes with the seasons.
In 2021, within the ambit of Park Farm's garden renewal, fashion consultant Laura Burlington and designer Emily Erlam began a green initiative to create diverse garden spaces that harmoniously blend aesthetics and functionality. Phoebe Chambers, a trained Chatsworth gardener, joined the project, contributing her expertise in horticulture artistry.
The garden's design, a marriage of practicality and aesthetics, was intended to reflect the farmhouse's heritage while merging seamlessly with the surrounding architecture, such as barns and dry-stone walls. This harmonious blend extends to the home and garden lifestyle, with produce, including fruits, vegetables, herbs, and cut flowers like sweet peas, grown within the garden.
Moreover, garden spaces at Park Farm serve as a symphony of fashion-and-beauty, with areas like the previously flooded yard, now transformed into a vibrant, productive space filled with raised beds edged with railway sleepers, and an old barn converted into an outdoor entertaining area for alfresco dining and socialising. The garden, offering a sanctuary within the broader Chatsworth Estate, continues to evolve, reflecting the cyclic changes in the natural world and serving as a testament to the power of creative collaboration, horticultural design, and a deep appreciation for nature.
