Julian and Isabel Bannerman, Ismay, Rex and Bertie don’t live at Hanham Court any more. When they gave their farewell party last summer the gardens for which they and Hanham have become justly famous were at their best.
Christies sold some of the posher furniture for them in 2010 but the rooms looked even better without it. The set of mid 20th century landscape gouaches were still there, having migrated from an unloved lavatory corridor to a far more arresting hang against the drab turquoise panelling in the master bedroom.
The drawing room had gone a bit oriental and the Dining room’s refectory table was unusable under this huge heap of Neolithic flints.
Outside, by the feeder pond which they re-excavated a couple of years ago, Gunnera was majestic. Jeunesse dorée were all over the lawn, Laura Ashley’s beautiful granddaughters wore their granny’s vintage frocks and the dog of choice was lurcher or whippet.
Isabel and Julian Bannerman have been creating buildings and gardens for over 25 years, including a ‘Stumpery’ for the Prince of Wales at Highgrove and the British 9/11 Memorial Gardens in Manhattan.
Isabel made this at her welding evening-class,
but mostly she takes these giant photographs, of umbellifers, ferns, mushrooms and magnolias.
tree peony
Magnolia
zucchini
[All images : copyright bibleofbritishtaste.com ]
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