I recently visited Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Great Milton, Oxfordshire. Oooh! I here you cry as you raise
your imaginary handbags to your chin, but ‘hey’ how else do you celebrate your
grandmother's 90th year milestone? If you want to eat great food, it's
best done in terrific settings, I’d say. After reading and viewing images of
the gardens, I desperately wanted to take a look. The place had so much to offer, so here’s just a little snippet of
our outing.
The house approach is exactly as
you’d expect, the traditional lavender lined path, interspersed with tulips,
informal box hedging and alliums just ripening to explode, on a backdrop of
mature shrubs and occasional oxford stone walling, quite an entrance.
Just off this path is a small
orchard, with long established and beautifully pruned apple trees, traversed via a meandering lawn path through a wild flower meadow currently
being developed in consultation with Chris Beardshaw, I would love to see the final results later in the year….
Small apple orchard |
This path leads you out into the 1.5
acre certified organic vegetable and herb gardens. The latter elegantly laid
out in the Elizabethan knot style, framed with box and with larger bay hedging
partially concealing a small centralised pond and fountain. The beds contain a
diverse and abundant variety of herbs and in addition to their obvious culinary
uses are also collected for the tea infusions; the peppermint aroma was
delectable.
Herb garden |
The remainder of this area is
split into four equally large sized beds, and at this time of year, save a few
winter greens, are vigorously being prepared by the gardeners for the main growing
season. Complying with the strict organic certification requirements, chemical insecticides
are forbidden, therefore good old fashioned weeding techniques and barriers of
netting and fleece are applied to deter birds and mammals along with crop
rotation to prevent pests and diseases. Knowing that such efforts are being
made to supply the ‘as nature intended’ produce on your lunch plate certainly
enhances the whole culinary experience.
Vegetable garden |
Vegetable garden and scarecrow |
Alongside the vegetables, a valley
area has been constructed specifically for the purpose of growing mushrooms, with mentoring from Richard Edwards at Humungus Fungus, they hope to
produce up to twelve different varieties throughout the year.
La Vallee de Champignons |
On the opposing side of the vegetable
garden, secluded by hedging you are suddenly and quite unexpectedly submerged
in the sanctuary of a Japanese tea garden. Now, I’m particularly ignorant in Japanese
culture, in fact my only knowledge is entirely television based and almost exclusively from the Japanese cult TV
show ‘Monkey’, which I now discover was actually entirely filmed in China ! But
whenever I hear those two words ‘Japanese’ and ‘garden’ together it immediately conjures
up images of miniaturised plants and rock formations, almost like I've been
washed up on the island
of Lilliput !
Tea Garden of Fugetsu-An |
This Tea Garden of Fugetsu-An however is beautifully
executed and long established, incorporating Buddhist, Taoist and Shinto influences and providing
the flora and fauna expected along with single stone walkways, rock gardens, linked
ponds and babbling streams, traversed by small bridges and housing a traditional
Tea House pavilion. It is idyllic to wander through and offers contemplation locations
aplenty. Although, and it’s probably just me, but isn't placing a garden of serenity
within this whole heavenly setting akin to sedating a sloth? I guess that’s the
beauty of gardening, each design, layout, or plant offers something different
for everyone. I would think that the hardest decision Mr Blanc and his kitchen staff
have, is which delightful location to choose in the entire garden when contemplating
their next culinary delight.
Striking bronze statues are situated
throughout the garden and really draw your view to all corners of the site. We were particularly enchanted with the little boy lying on the lawn, book in hand, outside la maison des fleurs in
the center of the gardens.
The stroll back to the main house
lead us past the 17th century pond, now partly used to irrigate the garden
and through an arch back on to the main lawns. As my wife and I sat on the
terrace awaiting our family, we couldn't help feeling that something wasn't quite
right, and then both agreed that the ‘L’Orangerie’ addition to the main house is not aesthetically pleasing and feels exactly like that ‘an addition’; it’s not nearly architecturally striking
enough and sits uncomfortably against the classic splendour of the main house. It
either needs a colour to blend it or some creative planting to partially
obscure. And while we’re at it, the modern garden furniture doesn't lend itself
to the surroundings either and compromises the view of the ancient garden wall. OK, so
these are our own humble opinions and it does feel a little like we're picking
holes in a work by Millais, but we thought we’d offer them all the same.
Main lawn and La Maison Des Fleurs |
Unsurprisingly, our lunch was a
real masterpiece, and each course and meal was enjoyed by all, and delivered impeccably
by the friendly and extremely well informed staff.
I guess the clue’s in the name
and like all gardens this one needs to be viewed throughout the seasons. One
down, look forward to future outings in summer, autumn and winter. It could get
very expensive!
What a lovely blog, thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, so glad you enjoyed it.
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