Unique artwork on display during Barnham open gardens event

Avid gardeners Peter and Alexandra Vining are opening their garden at The Old Rectory alongside The Shrubbery – the garden of John and Ros Woodhead – on May 31 and June 1, as part of the National Garden Scheme.

Peter volunteers at the Pallant Gallery in Chichester where, last year, artist Phoebe Cummings exhibited an installation/sculpture specially constructed with ‘raw’ clay in situ for the summer exhibition.

“At the end of the exhibition, Phoebe deconstructs the work and re-cycles the clay for another future artwork,” said Peter.

"The twisted steel tube supporting structure inside the clay was put aside.

“I gained permission to take this tubing. I had the idea to form a different style of sculpture, recycling it to another ‘organic’ form.”

His creation is still a work in progress - but will be finished and on display in his garden during the open days.

“The piece is mainly all ‘found objects’ - the steel tubing, old CDs, old snooker balls. It’s a bit of fun and added interest to our garden. I title the work ‘iterum vivere’ – to live again,” he said.

Peter and Alexandra are illustrators/ designers by profession. They completely renovated and redesigned their garden at The Old Rectory after they moved to Barnham in 2018. Work included removing huge amounts of building rubble, adding top soil, returfing and planting. The now beautifully matured garden has a wide range of colourful plants and trees including salvias, lilies, roses, acers, cypresses and boxes.

In contrast to The Old Rectory John and Ros Woodhead have lived in The Shrubbery for 45 years. The quarter acre garden has seen many changes in design and style over the years from a Good Life style all vegetable garden complete with a chicken coup and greenhouse to its present design with mature trees, shrubs and colourful borders of mixed perennials.

The gardens are open for the National Garden Scheme on Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1, from 10am to 4pm. Combined admission for the two gardens is £6, children free. children free. Tea/Coffee, home made cakes and plant sale - wheel-chair access. Sorry no dogs.

Groups of six to 20 by appointment between June 2 and 6.

Gardens will be sign posted. Parking limited.

Peter & Alexandra Vining - [email protected]/garden/42294/the_old_rectory

John & Ros Woodhead [email protected]/garden/43319/the_shrubbery

Founded in 1927 by The Queen’s Nursing Institute to support district nurses, the NGS has since given annual donations to nursing and health charities totalling over £67 million. The charity gives visitors unique, affordable access to over 3,500 exceptional private gardens in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, raising impressive amounts through admission charges, plant sales and refreshments. As well as The Queen’s Nursing Institute, beneficiaries include Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and Parkinson’s UK, making the NGS the most significant charitable funder of nursing in the UK.

The Pallant Gallery is opening its new summer exhibition 'Seeing Each Other - Portraits of Artists' on May 17.