A Contemporary Medicinal Garden

I'm just back from leading my garden tour Adventures in Yorkshire and the Lake District and couldn't wait to share one of my favorite gardens with you – Littlethorpe Manor. Tucked away in the rural countryside near Ripon this stately manor house sits within 11 acres. The original structure of the landscape was set out in 1985 when the owners Mr. Mrs. Thackray purchased the property, but all credit for the current design, its execution and ongoing maintenance goes to the head garden Eddie Harland and his lovely wife Michelle who have worked here since 1998.

One could – and should write a book on this manor garden as each unique space within it deserves at least a full chapter. And although each of these areas had its own personality, as a designer I was constantly impressed by the strong design principles: use of axis, focal points and an overall concept which was well thought out and beautifully implemented.

Today, however, I want to focus on the most recent installation; the Physic Garden which honestly left me at a loss for adjectives! For that reason I am going to lean heavily on the explanatory text on their website in order to due it justice.

Concept

At its heart, this garden  is 'a botanic garden devoted to the cultivation and display of medicinal plants' but this is no ordinary medicinal garden. The focus is on creating a space that promotes well-being rather than an excuse to curate an assortment of plants which have been used historically in medicine.

Inspiration

"Water flows from the bowl of the acetabular cup over a wide stainless steel skirt, cascading into a central pool. The femoral head, a heavy stainless steel sphere, floats in the center of the bowl and conveys the principle of Low Friction Torque, upon which the total hip replacement was designed".

This is where it gets really exciting. The centerpiece of this garden, literally central on the main axis, is a stainless steel fountain. This custom piece represents the Thackray/Charnley hip joint and is in commemoration of Mr. John P. Thackray, OBE and the family company – a world leader in the innovative development of the total hip joint replacement in cooperation with Sir John Charnley. Together they pioneered the development of low friction arthroplasty.

Not your typical design inspiration!

Key Design Elements

Apologies for poor cell phone snap – we were dodging rain squalls! The water wall at the head of the rill showing the engraving

At the head of the central rill (I'm a total sucker for a good rill)  is a water wall engraved with surgical implements designed by Chas. F. Thackray.

This is flanked by colorful vertical plantings that mimic the falling water and generously proportioned steps which re-enforce the 'falling' theme.

Looking down the central axis to a custom sculpture depicting the hip joint.

The rill disappears under a deck at the far end, highlighted by a stainless steel sculpture interpretation of the hip joint.

Plantings

The central axis is planted with a fragrant tapestry of herbal plants including lavender and thyme. Eddie admitted that conventional medicinal plants are not terribly attractive so this central area relies on more colorful and compact species, many of which are also evergreen,

On either side of the rill side are large Corten steel planters, each with an engraved name plate describing what those plants were traditionally used for.

Gathering Spaces

On either side of the deck are two structures: one tells the story of the development of the Thackray/Charnley jip joint and the other shows the plans of the medicinal beds and their purpose in both the modern pharmaceutical world and herbal medicine.

Why I Loved It

• The clean rectilinear design is easily understood and readable
• The crisp geometry corrals the exuberant plantings with style
• Well defined and perfectly scaled spaces
• Repetition of a simple plant palette down the central axis
• It tells a clear story
• The design is unpretentious, the details well thought out and stays true to the concept.

Join Me on my Next Adventure!

Every adventure yields ideas, inspiration, friendships, and more. I'd love you to join me next time. Upcoming tours include australia/ New Zealand, San Diego, Scotland and Buffalo NY.