Arundel Castle’s noteworthy Tulip Festival was the raison d’etre for last spring’s garden trip…and today’s blog. Yes, these images may seem extravagant to most of us, but it just proves that inspiration is everywhere…even for those of us on a more limited budget. Remember, it’s the idea that counts; how you interpret it is up to you. I must say, though, it does make a difference to have a love for gardening! The next 11 points are my take on the bounty of ideas I found on this vast estate, one of the oldest titles in England. I’ve abbreviated them into pithy sound bites that have a passionate garden aficionado spirit to them.

1. If you love them, show it. Pots after pots of tulips celebrate this garden festival in West Sussex every April. And this doesn’t include the 50,000 + tulips that are planted on the grounds.

2. DIY (do it yourself) can be chic, too. The Duchess of Arundel and a friend gilded the details on these hand-carved wooden urns by the Bonnerman design duo at the entry to the Collector Earl’s garden….and yet another example of massed tulips.

3. A wooden garden bench need not to be commonplace. The same wood used for the urns (above) is seen again in seating to be found throughout Collector Earl’s garden.

5. Reimagine some ho-hum space. You’ve been thinking about doing something with that shed for years — how about turning it into a tiled and wood grotto cum folly with a central fountain.

6. Too much of a good thing is never enough… sweeping and undulating vast lawns are heavily planted with tulips and a touch of jonquils.

7. Give new meaning to a “greenhouse.” A vast arched tunnel, (in scale with the cathedral facing it) is created with hornbeams, a very British solution to hedges and espalier design work but one we Americans don’t yet seem to share with such enthusiasm.

8. Be creative with your garden’s centerpiece. Tulips massed and domed in a raised bed in Collector Earl’s English garden make a subtle but eyecatching statement.

9. Embrace asymmetry, it gets attention… Designing a garden entrance that is off-center enhances the viewing experience, providing energy and an informal note as does the asymmetrically sited Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’.

10. Don’t throw away those tree trunks and roots. “Stumperies” are enjoying a popularity as a new trend with Kings (Charles) and landed gentry alike.

11. Garden seating need not be elaborate or even expensive. In the stumpery at Arundel Castle three equilateral triangular shapes in stone await a tired visitor. (I’m thinking about adding a look-alike to my Woodland Garden.)

Join me next week for more “bright ideas” from other British Gardens (ie. Hampton Court, former home of Henry Vlll and all his unfortuante wives).