Autumn Flowers at Parham House

Parham House and Gardens in West Sussex plans to mark the end of its visitor season this year with a fortnight of flower arrangements showcasing the traditions and aesthetic sensibilities of this beautiful country house.

Working within the long established traditions at Parham, the Flower Team will furnish the rooms of the house with additional arrangements of fresh and dried flowers and foliage, all grown in Parham’s own Walled Garden. Visitors will be able to explore the spectacular borders before entering the House in the afternoon to see how the flowers grown there have been arranged to complement this finest of Elizabethan homes.

Lady Emma Barnard, the chatelaine of Parham House, writes:-

My great-grandparents Clive and Alicia Pearson opened Parham to visitors just after the Second World War, and Alicia felt strongly that there should always be flower arrangements (which she did herself, helped by her secretary and, later, her daughter my great-aunt Veronica) in every room for people to enjoy. This is a cherished Parham tradition; each week during the open season we bring many buckets of flowers from the Garden into the House to be arranged by our flower team on Tuesdays and topped up on Fridays.

We still follow Alicia’s directions. We never buy flowers and never use artificial foam. Chicken wire and pinholders support the arrangements. We put arrangements in the places they have always been. The vases (most of which were chosen by her for each room and have always been used) sit on pewter plates, on top of needlework mats stitched by Alicia and Veronica to protect the furniture. The mats are always changed according to the colour of the flowers. If, in the “shoulder months”, flowers are scarce, we put objects or potted plants in their place.

The Garden and Flower teams plan and work very closely together throughout the open season. We grow plants and flowers specially for the House and we use all sorts of things – we have been known to use bolted vegetables and, on occasion, weeds! There is a “Parham style” – hard to explain, but perhaps the best description would be loose, imaginative and very colourful. Everyone loves the flowers. They bring the Garden into the House, bringing life and colour to both and joy to all.

Whether you are drawn to the rich hues of the seasonal blooms or to the ambience of the historic setting, Parham is the perfect place to mark the changing of the seasons and celebrate this beautiful time of year. Tickets can be purchased from Parham’s website, www.parhaminsussex.co.uk, or upon arrival. There is no additional charge to attend the Autumn Flowers fortnight, and normal admission conditions will apply. Please see the website for details.