On a cool Saturday morning about 25 members met at How Hill Farm to be greeted by Peter Boardman, the owner and host. Peter explained briefly the history of the garden - it is mainly three gardens of about 10 acres in total; the farmhouse garden; the water garden and the retirement garden. He has a holly and tree collection of about 60 different varieties and species.

The front garden has been there for a long time. His mother lived there for 30 years. Peter dug the pond about 15 years ago. The water garden was started in 1968 which leads to a three acre Broad dug in 1978 with views over the River Ant and Turf Fen Mill.

Puya chilensis        Taxodium distichum         Black stump

Duly wrapped up against the cold Peter kindly led us round the farmhouse and pointed out a Puya chilensis from the Scilly Isles. It had deadly barbs and actually produced an emerald green flower last year, having taken two or three years to flower. Beside this was a Fascicularia bicolour originating from Chile which had been there for 20 years and came from the Savill Garden Rare Plants Section. We were then led across the road through a gate in a Holly hedge for a tour of the water garden. The holly hedge had been planted with about 40 chance seedlings - half each of male and female. We meandered through winding paths of rare conifers, rhododendrons, azaleas, ornamental trees, shrubs, bamboos and herbaceous plants and water. We came to the site of an old Broad, about 100 years old, with 5ft high Tussock sedges which were used for seats in cottages and Church hassocks. We passed many clumps of bamboos. One so-called clump forming bamboo had actually travelled 18ft under a lawn! Moving along we passed a tall Mahonia 'Charity' with densely clustered, upright then spreading racemes. Peter buys some of his trees from Bluebell Nurseries and one such was Taxodium distichum (Swamp cypress) looking wonderful with its autumn foliage. Peter is an honoury member of the flower arrangers at the church as he provides greenery and foliage for the arrangers. He had recently cut pieces from a Podocarpus salignus, originating from Chile, for the flower arrangers. Gill found a remnant on the ground which she was allowed to keep, so who knows, a cutting might eventually find its way to one of our plant sales.

Phormium tenax            View of lake                    Betula pendula

Following in crocodile fashion we passed through a 1 acre area of indigenous ferns under oak and alder. Osmunda regalis (Royal fern) was in abundance. An amazing black root was exposed of a tree which had come down during the 1987 storm - someone commented that Prince Charles would have loved it for his stumpery! Once through here we crossed a bridge and walked round a large pond with a centre island planted with singled-stemmed birches. These had had the lower branches removed to show off the stems. Because of erosion the islands had been piled, a messy and expensive job but well worth it. We came across our first grouping of hollies. The birds, especially pigeons and fieldfares, love to eat the berries. We moved along around the pond which is bounded by the Broads. It was rather sureal to see a boat cruising along yards from us. Skirting further round we climbed a small hill. Peter pointed out an oak planted from an acorn from Capital Hill in Washington. Near this was a large piece of bog oak which had been dug out and was about 1,200 years old. In his conservatory there was a piece of Scots pine which was 4,050 years old! We passed a weeping birch, Betula pendula, and then a pine on a root stock of Abies concolor. Throughout the garden are large pieces of church architectural masonry. One such piece was from Norwich Cathedral dating back to Saxon times. Another curiousity was a thatch roof above some hung doors - the enscription was advocating and promoting master builders, particularly thatchers. Before leaving this area Peter pointed out a specimen of Liquidambar grown from a seed from America. The flower arrangers love it because the leaves are still on it in January.

Crossing the road again to the farmhouse we were told that the house originally extended further. This is now a courtyard with original dairy wall with niches for storing produce. Still skirting the house was another garden with formal pond and further old architectural masonry. Against another outbuilding wall was a Pseudopanax crassifolius originating from New Zealand. This flowers and fruits and a cutting from this specimen is at RHS Wisley. In a small conservatory against the house was a specimen of Alana Zerwrest var.

Following our leader we were led up what Peter called "the motorway". This is the Millennium Avenue planted with hollies. Planting started in May and September 1998 and finished in May 1999. The easiest way was a JCB dug a hole, the bucket went under the holly, put it in the hole and jammed the soil down. The hollies had grown well until last year when five died. Peter said with hindsight they should have cut them hard back when planted - they had probably overcropped and suffered for it. We then went into rows and rows of hollies. I quickly scribbled down some of the names:- American holly Ilex opaca from the east coast; American hybrid 'Nelly Stephens' a heavy cropper with orange berries; another American selection was 'Firecracker' with large red berries used for the Christmas trade and one of Peter's favourites; Golden and Silver 'Ferox' (Hedgehog holly) a large upright male shrub with purple stems; 'Golden van Tol' a broad upright female shrub bearing purple branches and ovate, puckered, dully green leaves with golden yellow margins; 'J C van Tol' a broad female tree with purple stems and large bright red berries which is self-fertile; 'Golden King' which is a compact female shrub with oblong to ovate spine-toothed or entire leaves; 'Handsworth New Silver' - a dense columnar female shrub with bright red berries; 'Amber' a female tree with mid-green stems which bears bright green leaves and amber-yellow fruit. Peter said that in western Canada, the Vancouver area, hollies grow better there than in England!

                  Ilex 'Argentea van Tol'              Pseudopanax crassifolius

Leaving the holly rows we passed another structure - a seating/viewing area set on about 10ft high posts - where a Viburnum opulus 'Xanthocarpum' with bright yellow fruit was highlighted by the sunlight. Having spent a couple of hours in the gardens it was time for refreshments and we weren't disappointed with delicious home-made scones topped with home-made plum jam and a hot drink, all served in the large conservatory, where we all soon warmed up. In the midst of this room was a marble 18th century pulpit. Peter explained this was in 130 bits and pieces and in boxes on two farms when he bought it, took about 4 days to assemble and is held together with dental cement! Peter was certainly a very generous and hospitable host and we thank him for the time he devoted to us.

ILEX  'Golden King'