Lingen

GARDENING CLUB -- Dr Katherine Swift, from the Dower House, Morville Hall, near Bridgnorth was the speaker when the members of Lingen Gardening Club met for the start of their new season last week. Dr Swift and her husband had leased the Dower House from the National Trust 15 years ago, with the intention of creating an historical garden in the neglected garden and paddock adjacent to the house. In the event Dr Swift created several separate gardens reflecting the development of Morville Hall from medieval times to the twentieth century. Together with her 'before and after' slides, Dr Swift gave a fascinating account of the establishment of her early Cloister Garden, with its turf seats, mille fleurs planting, and trellis work, on through the Tudor period, with a herb-based knot garden, to the water gardens and box-edged plates-bandes of later Stuart times. Dr Swift has a particular interest in old fashioned roses which, from the early, striped 'Rosa Mundi' and 'Apothecary's Rose' of the Middle Ages to the heavily scented Bourbons and Musk Roses of the 19th century are featured throughout her garden. Together with a fruit and vegetable garden, wild garden, orchard and turf maze - based on pre-historic drawings - the Dower House gardens are obviously a labour of love for Dr Swift. Her lease expires in five years time, so she is keeping her fingers crossed for the future. Apart from actually getting her hands dirty Dr Swift is the weekend gardening correspondent for 'The Times'. Her illustrated lecture was much appreciated by the Gardening Club members. The next meeting of the club will be on Tuesday, March 4, when Christopher Lloyd's gardener, Fergus Garrett, will be talking about 'The Gardens at Great Dixter'. Admission for visitors is £2 per meeting, and they are most welcome.