Watering plans
Country Life UK|April 20, 2022
TURN on the fountains!' exclaimed the head gardener of a country house to his gardeners when he realised that an unexpected visitor was none other than the eminent Victorian rose grower and Dean of Rochester Samuel Reynolds Hole.
Alan Titchmarsh
Watering plans

It reminds us that 'water features' were not invented by television makeover programmes, but, indeed, have their roots in antiquity. Today, they vary in nature from limpid pools to impatient streams; burbling urns that tip their contents into bowl-shaped ponds, and modern stainless-steel blades that can produce unbroken sheets of diamond-clear water to soothe the troubled soul or stimulate the senses, depending on their speed, the lofty heights from which they emerge and the sound they make on reaching their destination.

I am told that, in Japan, there are skilled aquatic engineers whose sole occupation is to tune waterfalls so that they produce a euphonious sound, rather than emulating that of a robust Clydesdale stallion relieving itself and sending those of a certain age rushing for the facilities.

This story is from the April 20, 2022 edition of Country Life UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the April 20, 2022 edition of Country Life UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM COUNTRY LIFE UKView All
Every picture tells a story
Country Life UK

Every picture tells a story

As the National Gallery prepares to celebrate its 200th anniversary in May, Carla Passino delves into the fascinating history of 10 of its paintings, from artistic triumphs to ugly ducklings and a clever fake

time-read
10+ mins  |
April 24, 2024
Flying between extremes
Country Life UK

Flying between extremes

Revisiting the Norfolk of his childhood bright, but not as early as planned on an April morning, John Lewis-Stempel is entranced by the wildlife of the Broads and spots a crane so large it renders his binoculars redundant Illustration by Michael Frith

time-read
4 mins  |
April 24, 2024
Satan on six legs
Country Life UK

Satan on six legs

The prowling embodiment of Beelzebub, the Devil's coach horse beetle could absolve you of all your sins, says Ian Morton

time-read
3 mins  |
April 24, 2024
Sometimes, less is more
Country Life UK

Sometimes, less is more

FASHIONS in gardening come and go like those on the catwalk, they simply take a lot longer doing so: sometimes decades.

time-read
3 mins  |
April 24, 2024
Dropping down to Derwentwater
Country Life UK

Dropping down to Derwentwater

The gardens of High Moss, Portinscale, Cumbria The home of Peter and Christine Hughes Non Morris visits a much-loved, Historically fascinating Arts-andCrafts garden, which has been imaginatively brought back to life

time-read
3 mins  |
April 24, 2024
A Georgian legacy
Country Life UK

A Georgian legacy

Down in Wiltshire and Somerset, two country houses and estates have been well tended by their owners

time-read
5 mins  |
April 24, 2024
Processions, proclamations and punishment
Country Life UK

Processions, proclamations and punishment

The wayside crosses that were once beacons in the British landscape have seldom survived the forces of Nature and iconoclasm. Lucien de Guise follows a trail of destruction

time-read
4 mins  |
April 24, 2024
A sparkling collection
Country Life UK

A sparkling collection

Guided by the nose of wine expert Harry Eyres, the COUNTRY LIFE team tasted some of England's finest sparkling wines and found elegance and finesse, with notes of hedgerows and seaside air, to compete with any fizz from across the Channel-surely, this is what we should be drinking now Qu

time-read
6 mins  |
April 24, 2024
Hampering after summer
Country Life UK

Hampering after summer

Lifting the lid on a sturdy hamper to find cold ham and ginger beer is a summer joy. Julie Harding meets the wicker weavers who make the dream come true

time-read
4 mins  |
April 24, 2024
Life's a picnic
Country Life UK

Life's a picnic

With picnic season fast approaching, it's time to elevate your alfresco feast to Michelin-star levels of deliciousness. Here, Paul Henderson asks a selection of the finest chefs to open up their picnic baskets and share some of their top tips for culinary success

time-read
5 mins  |
April 24, 2024