We met after a glorious day of unusually warm sunshine when members had been busy in their gardens. Lesley and Steve Cuneen gave us a talk on Norwich's well loved secret garden, the Plantation Garden, which lies between the Roman Catholic Cathedral and the Beeches Hotel on Earlham Road. Most of our members have visited this garden at one time or another, and we were eager to learn of the recent work of the Preservation Society. Lesley is a garden historian and she illustrated her enthralling talk with slides of the garden in its heyday, its decline and its current restoration.
She told us the garden was originally an old chalk quarry of three acres, leased in 1856 by Henry Trevor, a prosperous Norwich upholsterer and cabinet maker. He designed an up to date Victorian garden with a fountain, terraces, a Palm House and a rustic bridge. He planted trees and shrubs and included carpet bedding all among twisting paths. Visitors were welcomed and his garden was often used for charitable events.
After the 1939-45 war the garden was abandoned. Ivy, brambles and self seeded sycamores hid its splendour and few knew of its existence. The Plantation Garden Preservation Trust was set up in 1980 and since then the garden has been restored considerably by enthusiastic volunteers. Work is still ongoing and the Charity holds open days and Sunday afternoon teas in spring and summer to help fund the work. A number of Norwich firms provide support too.
It is open throughout the year and is well worth a visit for its peaceful atmosphere so close to the centre of the city.
Our next meeting is on March 11th when Jan Hunt will tell us about wormeries. Sounds fascinating, especially for boys and girls of a certain age!