Just popped into Durslade Farm, just outside Bruton in Somerset, home of the new
Hauser + Wirth gallery. The Guardian are talking about it as the
"new Guggenheim". We shall see. Whatever artworks it will host, it is a wonderful design project, with the 19th century farm buildings being lovingly and imaginatively restored to provide gallery spaces, all being done to an incredibly high standard.
Piet Oudolf is doing the planting, of a courtyard area and a field out the back which will link the gallery to the surrounding countryside via blocks of perennials. He seems very pleased with the project. A distinct feature is the elevations in each block, which don't look much now, but will probably have quite an impact on how we see the plants.
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| Jo walking down the newt fencing |
The newt fencing is a legal requirement apparently, special buckets have to be set out for them to fall into so they, and other trapped amphibians can be then removed to the safe side. All well and good, except that I don't see one of the causes of reptile/amphibian decline being dealt with anytime soon - the shooting industry and its legions of pheasants which gobble them up wholesale.
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| Jo with Alice Workman, gallery Director |
This promises to be a very exciting project, and nice to have it relatively nearby for frequent visits.
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| Sporobolus clumps escaping into the walkway |
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| Positioning artworks using 2D representations. |
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If you like my blog, why not check out my e-books, which are round-ups of some writing I did for
Hortus
magazine back in the early 2000s, along with an interview with the
amazing Beth Chatto. You can read them on Kindle, or Kindle packages for
smartphones or the computer. You can find them on
my Amazon page here. You will also find my soap opera for gardeners - currently running at eight episodes.
