Oxfordshire’s horologist Steve Fletcher is a familiar face for fans of BBC TV’s award-winning show, The Repair Shop, which regularly attracts an average of 6-7 million viewers per episode. When Steve is not filming down in West Sussex, he spends his time with his family, running his Witney-based business, the Clock Workshop. However, when he is not working, Steve spends every available moment out in the garden he has created behind his house in Witney.
Back in 2017, when Steve first saw the house and garden, it looked vastly different than it does today. The location was perfect but along with work required inside the house, the garden was just an outdoor space with little appeal. However, Steve was undeterred as he saw the possibilities of what could be done both inside and out.
Although the property has a Cotswold stone wall surrounding it, the garden was very overlooked so Steve added adjustable louvre fencing to provide additional privacy. As the house had been built on a former commercial carpark, it was impossible to consider planting into the ground with its considerable depth of rubble and concrete below ground surface. Whilst such restrictions may have been off-putting for some, for Steve – who has loved gardening and everything to do with wildlife since he was a small boy – it was a creative opportunity.
With a love of ferns, particularly tree ferns, Steve started developing a tropical, almost rainforest-like, garden sanctuary. He formed concrete raised beds to contain the roots of clump forming Golden Bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea) which can grow up to six meters tall. He then went on to place his precious tree ferns (Dicksonia) which are all planted in pots. These magnificent plants require shelter and need to be planted in rich organic matter which is slightly acidic. They also need to be in part shade, and during summer months their crown and trunk must be kept well-watered. As tree ferns are slow growing, Steve has raised the height of some of the pots and underplanted with various other attractive foliage plants. Not all the ferns and tree ferns which Steve buys are large and healthy plants – he will often find bargains at garden centres which require bringing back to life.
“Nurturing plants back to health by feeding and watering and giving them care, is remarkably similar to my day job when I am bringing clocks back to life. Gardening, like horology, requires patience and a love of what you are doing. Many of the plants in my garden have cost me next to nothing financially but have required my time to bring them on.”
The plants which Steve has used have been selected for their leaf colour and texture. Some are evergreen, others are dark leaf foliage such as Acer palmatum, Cotinus (smoke bush) and dark leaf Phormium to contrast against the various greens. Although all the plants are put into pots of varying sizes, trees have also been included. Using an old metal water storage tank, placed against one corner of the property, a statuesque Magnolia grows happily up the side of the house. On the opposite side of the patio area, is a Cercis canadensis (American judas tree) which has heart shaped, purple-tinged leaves. Additional colour has been added with a pot of vibrant blue Agapanthus, blooms of various Hostas and Cranesbill (hardy geraniums).
Other spectacular plants include a Gunnera which Steve planted beside his small pond some years ago (before this plant was banned). Other large leaf plants which he loves include Tetrapanax papyrifer, or Chinese rice paper plant, and variegated Fatsia japonica (castor oil plant) both of which add to the overall jungle effect.
“I love foliage plants,” says Steve. “However, I add splashes of colour to please my partner, Mel. But I am careful when I choose flowering plants as I dislike strong oranges and reds and prefer cool blues and purples. I have recently bought an Hedychium (ginger lily) which is yet to flower and I am hoping I didn’t end up with one with orange blossoms”.
With careful placement of his pots, Steve has achieved layers of contrasting foliage which can be moved around the garden as he adds other plants into the mix. He is a recognised ‘plant-aholic’ and struggles not to be tempted when visiting a garden show, plant nursery, or garden centre.
The water feature, which has a rill running from it to the rear boundary wall, adds a delightful sound which makes this stunning garden an even nicer place to spend time – especially on a hot summer’s afternoon. With his love of wildlife, Steve enjoys watching frogs jumping around the area, and he encourages wildlife into his garden whenever possible. No chemicals are used and to prevent slugs destroying his Hostas and other foliage plants. Instead, he carefully twines copper wire around pots and puts copper powder on the soil.
Spending time away from home while filming during the summer months has required Steve to install a highly effective automatic watering system which, when it goes on, gives the feeling of sitting in a tropical rain forest.
“Although my garden is relatively small, it does contain hundreds of plants, all of which need care throughout the year. When it comes to the colder months, my tree ferns are carefully wrapped, and their crowns are stuffed with barley straw to protect them over winter. When we had the ‘beast from the east’ in early March 2018, I had not long started this garden, and I learned a lot about the need to give winter protection to my beloved plants. When I’ve been away filming, once I have said hello to my family I am outside in my special place, checking on my plants and giving them care. This garden is certainly not low maintenance! Planting in pots requires a careful mix of suitable soil mixed with horticultural grit or perlite and the plants all need regular feeding”.
Apart from his love of all things horticultural, Steve also has a passion for creating stunning items of sculpture. The piece he has chosen for his garden is made of aluminium and was inspired by the leaf shape of Arum maculatum (known as cuckoo pint or Lords and Ladies). First inspired by sculptures displayed at a modern art exhibition which he visited when he was much younger, Steve has long been inspired by unusual art which makes you think. Some years ago, he took time out for a few months, spending his time creating over 30 sculptures. When time permits, it is something he loves to do – and is another way of fulfilling his creative drive. During Covid lockdown, he created a balsawood model of a chimenea which he had now made in metal. This sits happily as a focal point in the courtyard area in front of the garden room.
“For me, there is nothing I enjoy more than coming into my garden in the evening with a glass of wine and sitting listening to the wildlife and the water trickling away; it is one of the most relaxing places I know in the whole world and it’s really good for the soul. My garden is a special place for me and my own mental health. It’s so important to have a space like this where you can just loose yourself – and it is hard to imagine, I only live just a few minutes’ walk from the centre of Witney”.
As a visitor to Steve Fletcher’s garden, I would concur it is indeed a special place and, in my opinion, one of the nicest gardens I have ever seen anywhere in the world.
