Summer 2024 in the Parsonage Garden

“It is not so buried in trees ... and it is not quite so large, but you can see the country beautifully all round; and the air is healthier for you – fresher and drier” 

(Emily Brontë: Wuthering Heights)

Recently, during our gardening session, we happened to notice we could see the clear landscape beyond the church to the lush rolling hills beyond Haworth. We realised that the council-led felling of some of the trees in the graveyard has provided a serendipitous insight into a view that the Brontës might have had from the garden before these trees had such a large canopy. 

The summer months in the garden are such a joy, as we can allow ourselves to reflect on the beauty and splendour of the garden. We’re happy to report that the garden is looking lovely at the moment. The lawn has been ‘unwrapped’ from the ‘healing cover’ and it’s looking a lot healthier and well on the way to taking centre stage in the garden again. As a volunteer team we meet on Tuesday mornings, when the Parsonage is closed to the public. Before we get down to our various tasks of weeding, cutting back, feeding and watering, and preparing compost, we always take a few moments to reflect and notice what’s changed, sprouted, and flowered, before focusing on the areas and plants needing our attention.

Looking left from the Parsonage is a section of the garden that’s been aptly named the ‘Sunny Border’. Our activities here over the last few months have included laying a path to the back of this border, made of round tree sections, to prevent us from trampling on the delicate plants. The lilac tree that was planted this year is beginning to take shape. The plants that have been introduced and established in the garden all stem from the era during which the Brontës were living here. Efforts are continually made to secure plants that are as close to the originals as possible. 

“Within the stone wall are bushes of elder and lilac; the rest of the ground is occupied by a square grass plot ….”

(Mrs Gaskell)

 Also in the sunny border, the blackcurrant bush is fruiting generously: 

“…Emily and Anne treasured such plants as their own bit of fruit garden” 

(Ellen Nussey). 

Perhaps the star of the show in this part of the garden, however, is the large, old hebe. This is flowering profusely now, endorsing a risky decision whether to cut it back hard last winter. Hebes can be resilient souls and they don’t always survive prolonged freezing spells, but the hebe in the Brontë garden has shrugged off quite a few sub-zero nights, as well as a hard cut back: maybe due to the protection of the wall on Church Street, it’s now resplendent in its summer glory. 

Opposite the sunny border, in the shady bed, the garden continues to surprise us with lovely pinks and purples. The red elderberry loves being here and, along with the other trees, forms a canopy to protect plants that can shine and do their thing, safely protected from the harsh sun. Interspersed with these pinks and greens are two roses, providing a splash of yellow: the ‘Country Parson’ rose and the rose ‘Tottering Gently By’, the latter also named ‘Margery’s Rose’. Margery was a faithful Custodian for the Brontë Parsonage, who passed away last year, and this rose has been planted in her memory. In fact, all the roses are doing very well this year, from the favourite ‘Emily’ or ‘Brontë’ rose to the more established wild roses dotted around the garden.

Through to the back of the Parsonage, in Branwell’s garden, we try to keep a splash of colour in the planting and have a palette where there’s not so much a balance of the colours, but rather a ‘colour discord’, going some way towards a representation of Branwell's life. It works as a vibrant garden and it’s a lovely place to pause and rest, listening to the wildlife around. 

This year we’ve introduced a thriving Sicilian pea and some cornflowers. Both – along with all the other plants here, are thriving and enjoying their pride of place.

(Charlotte enquired of Helen Nussey):

 “Emily wishes to know if the Sicilian Pea and Crimson Cornflower are hardy flowers, or if they are delicate and should be sown in warm and sheltered situations”

We’re becoming adept at making our own compost and we’ve made a rich feed for our pots from Comfrey. Both have helped us to feed and nourish our plants to the best effect. We’re also using our compost to take cuttings of plants ready for our garden sale in the autumn. If you’re passing by in the near future, do pop in and take a look at the garden in its summer splendour and do come along to our Autumn Plant Sale (date to follow) so that you can take a little piece of the Brontë garden and plant it in your own. 

- Caroline, Brontë Parsonage Museum Gardening Volunteer