The Iris Garden at Nunnington Hall is officially open!
- Harriet Roberts Collins
- Jun 20
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 24
Kristina was recently invited to the opening ceremony of the historic Iris Garden at Nunnington Hall. The event was attended by National Trust employees and volunteers, horticultural personnel from nearby gardens and members of the local press. The weather was very much on our side and as the sun blazed down on the newly planted Iris Garden the atmosphere was one of satisfaction for a job very well done.
Having just arrived by train from London Kristina, who led on the design for the garden, was ushered straight off for a photo call and reunion with Nick Fraser, Head Gardener at Nunnington and Caroline Bosher, Iris Garden Project Manager. There was then time for a quick tour and inspection of the plants that had only been in the ground a few weeks. We were pleased to see that most of them appeared to be thriving despite the unseasonal warm and dry weather.
After a welcome cup of tea and slice of National Trust Victoria sponge, Head Gardener, Nick Fraser said a few words about the project and working with Kristina:
“The plantspersonship that Kristina has is so obvious - the first time we met her she was like a waterfall, with plants coming out of her mouth! When she started talking about the project she zoned out and we could tell she was actually imaging the plants as she was talking because they were just flowing so freely from her.”
The garden was then officially opened by Barbara Potter, a long term garden volunteer at Nunnington Hall. Barbara is delighted with the new appearance of the Iris Garden, as are the rest of the team and it was so lovely to meet so many of them. Kristina says:
“As a designer from far out of town I wasn’t sure whether my design would be welcomed by everyone but I have been delighted by the response and pride in the garden shown by the local team. I know the garden is in very safe hands and will be nurtured by those tending to it.”
It was then time for people to explore the garden which they did with alacrity and it was lovely to be there to answer questions and hear people’s stories of the garden. We were delighted to meet the very talented Ruth Moilliet who is the first artist to display sculpture in the dedicated spaces in the garden. Ruth’s partner, James Heron of Carriage Return Media Services, was also present and busy taking videos of the space so we hope to share that with you soon.
Although the opening marks the official end to the project we look forward to watching the garden develop and will be back in the Autumn for bulb planting. As with all newly planted gardens this is really just the beginning!
The Iris Garden is open daily as part of the wider garden at Nunnington Hall - use the link to plan your visit and let us know what you think!
