It has taken garden designer Arne Maynard 14 years to turn five derelict Lincolnshire acres into a series of classic ‘rooms’ with a few original twists, says Andrea Wulf
Arne Maynard is laden with plant pots, wooden crates and bits of metal from ancient agricultural machinery and gardening tools — he and some friends are emptying the potting shed so they can hold a dinner party there that evening. I have arrived at a convenient time, Maynard says, as he puts a broom in my hand. Minutes later I am standing on a sturdy oak table scraping enormous cobwebs off the shed’s ceiling.
Maynard whizzes in and out, giving instructions, decorating the shelves and walls with whatever he finds in the garden. At the same time he assists the “kitchen crew” by making an apple strudel. After I have completed the dusting and helped to hang a chandelier (which was used to light up Stoneleigh Abbey for a visit by Queen Victoria), I am given a tour of the garden.