Lily Hill Park Water Feature

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A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog about Lily Hill Park at the bottom of my road. Once a Victorian gentleman’s residence, it is now owned by the Council and has recently been restored with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Last time I showed you the important collection of rhododendrons there; this blog is about another ornamental feature, created around the same time in the early 1920’s.

The water feature was made from a natural spring that rises in the park. The stone sides were rebuilt during the restoration and it was then planted with moisture-loving plants as the soil here is always damp. Unfortunately the contractors were supposed to maintain it for twelve months and didn’t – they also put in material that either died with the first frost or was so rampant, it overran anything in its path. Coupled with a year’s worth of weeds (and their seeds), it has been a long battle to get this area back under control.

This is the current view down the water feature – you can just see the head of the stream at the bottom of the photo.

This is the view from the other end. Here, the stream dives into a pipe under the path and empties into a ditch under a bridge. Originally the ditch would have contained waste water from the house and passed through three reed beds (which purified it) before joining a local watercourse on the park boundary.

Finally a view across the water feature. The seat is very popular for local office workers to sit with their lunch or other users of the park. We have planted a large variety of plants to give a long season of interest from marsh marigolds in March to schizostylis in October or even November. Candelabra primulas self sow abundantly beside the water, purple loosestrife has appeared from elsewhere in the park, while hellebores, astrantias and day lilies are among the plants that love the position.

There is still some clearance work to be done on the side opposite the seat which we plan to plant for winter interest – various dogwoods with coloured stems, underplanted with snowdrops, crocus, bergenias and more hellebores.

If you are ever in the Bracknell area with time to spare, come and explore Lily Hill Park. There are many events in the park and features are being added all the time.

• 22 Jul, 2011
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