Video transcript
As the dawn of a new millennium approached, I decided that it was time for a new
chapter in my life and I started applying for new jobs to develop the skills I had learnt
as an education assistant. I sent for details on all sorts of jobs, the one that caught
my eye came back with a leaflet with a stunning photo on. A large, French, Chateau
set in the countryside of the North East of England with acres of land and formal
gardens. It looked too good to be true and I hadn't even seen the treasures within.
Two months later a letter appeared on the door mat inviting me to interview. I
attended and much to my relief got the job.
During my first year at the Museum I admired the garden but didn't really understand
the skill and design required in producing these. I appreciated the architecture but
had studied architecture as part of one of the units of my degree which made the
difference. In 2001, having been made permanent at the Museum, I bought a house,
the scariest thing I have ever committed to in my life. The plot I picked was at the
end of a cul-de-sac and therefore had a large garden. I now needed to understand
about gardening and gardening design.
Straight away I started to see parallels between my garden project and that of the
Bowes. The first feature that I noticed was an established tree, mine was a
mountain ash, positioned at the bottom corner of the garden, the Bowes tree was the
monkey puzzle tree purchased for £200 when the Museum was being built,
expensive for the time.
There were other parallels too although it took me longer to see these. One was a
considerable drop in height from the building to the end of the garden. This
presented me with my biggest dilemma. The cheapest option seemed to be decking
and pallets of gravel leading onto the lawn below. The height drops still needed
building up in order to make the garden work and I needed soil from somewhere
else.
With the help of my Dad I decided to build a pond which gave me the soil I needed.
This resulted in another similarity with the gardens of the Bowes. Unlike the Bowes,
I didn't want a fountain as I didn't want to hear a constant trickle of water. I decided
that I would like to use the pebbles that I had purchased to create a beach effect
leading into the pond. My parents warned me that a lack of fountain would result in
my pond becoming a haven for frogs and other jumping wildlife. They were right but
I'm glad I'm doing my bit for the environment. Perhaps John and Josephine would
have done the same if they had been alive today. It took 3 years to finish the garden
and its now grown into itself as have I. The gardens of the Bowes have been
established for over 100 years and have some amazing features. I wonder what my
garden will look like after such a time?
