Description
REVIEW OF FULLERS MILL GARDEN—A JEWEL IN THE FOREST by Kenneth Carlisle, owner of Wyken Hall Garden, near Burty St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK.
In “The Horticulturist”. The Journal of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, Vol. 34 No. 3 Autumn 2025, page 22.
“This book will be enjoyed by all who have a love of plants and gardens. Fullers Mill is a magical place created by Bernard and Bess Tickner over decades and now nurtured by the charity Perennial. The Tickners collected plants for years and brought them back to the paradise they were creating on the banks of the River Lark, close to Bury St Edmunds. Now the Iceni Botanical Artists have produced a book that brings to life the garden and its plants.
The Iceni Botanical Artists was formed in 2010 and the 29 members, all living in Suffolk, Norfolk or Cambridgeshire, draw or paint the flora here. The reader of this book will see at once the skill and perception of their art.
This book is a delight to read and to linger over the work created by 25 of the IBA members. They chose the plants they wish[ed] to portray and there is a freshness and zest in their work. A clear and succinct account of the plant is easy to read. Bernard would be delighted that both rare and common species are included. The white Judas tree is very special, but he would find the more common witch hazel just as lovely.
The book is well-produced with a simple introduction to the garden. The reader can enjoy the writing (foreword by Jim Buttress, VMH, Vice-President of Perennial, main text by Rod Leeds and vista and fauna text by Tina Bone) and the well-produced illustrations of the work. There is nothing heavy about the book, and it is fitting that as fine a garden as Fullers Mill should be honoured in this way.
Bernard, a great horticulturist with an endearing mischievous streak, would be thrilled by it. He would love the range of plants chosen and would have had much to say on each one.”
A wonderful 200-page hardback book with over 160 illustrations painted by 25 members of the Iceni Botanical Artists Group, and culmination of a 2.5 year project in collaboration with Perennial Charity and Fullers Mill Garden itself. The book is dedicated to all Botanical Artists everywhere who diligently promote the art of Botanical Illustration and to all those who work in our lovely gardens and with nature to provide us with the most beautiful plants—and in memory of BERNARD OLIVER TICKNER MBE (May 1924–November 2017) creator of Fullers Mill Garden who was a man with a special vision.
The book measures 8.5 x 11 inches (216 x 279mm). The contents give the story of flora and fauna in the garden over 2.5 years (2021 to 2024). A list of plants and animals to be included was originally drawn up by Garden Manager, Annie Delbridge, and was added to during the project. Some plants were removed because they sadly died, but true to the vision of Bernard Tickner, the garden continues to morph following his initial guidelines: “If something dies, it needs to be replaced quickly…”
IBA “Fullers Mill Garden-A Jewel in the Forest”
Book launch 6th June 2025
A report by IBA Member Doreen Taylor
…It is a chilly, damp evening but thankfully it is not raining. Everything all around us is green and bright and lovely. From his treetop perch a Blackbird is shouting instructions and, with the help of Iceni Botanical Artists, Bernard Tickner’s garden steps confidently into the pages of a book:
“Fullers Mill Garden—A Jewel in the Forest”
After nearly three years of careful and dedicated work by twenty five IBA artists our amazing project is at last complete. Our members, along with guests and gardeners from Fullers Mill and representatives of the horticultural charity Perennial, gathered together for our book launch.
Most of us were seeing the finished book for the first time and it is stunning. A true work of art in itself. A good solid “Coffee Table” book, printed on silky smooth paper, thread-sewn with head and tail bands, and a marker ribbon. The pleasing font of the type script and the quality of the illustrations themselves, the general layout, and of course the highly professional text written by Rod Leeds, produced a beautiful volume. It is a fine tribute to Bernard Tickner’s vision, skill and dedication in designing a garden that has given, and will always give, such uplifting pleasure to all who come here to see it.
Bernard gifted the garden to Perennial for its future care. Perennial Vice President Jim Buttress, who was to have opened the event, was sadly unable to attend due to illness, and so we welcomed in his stead Perennial’s CEO, James Gault, who spoke about their support for our project and about the fine work the Charity does supporting those who work in the world of horticulture when they find themselves in need of help.
We also heard from Laura, who mentioned IBA’s list of painted plants, linking them with Bernard’s favourites, and spoke of their delight in having the garden represented in such a beautiful book and how it compliments the work they do in every way.
IBA’s President, Isobel Bartholomew, then thanked the Gardeners for “putting up with us constantly turning up and mooching about with our cameras, notebooks, rulers, pencils and paint boxes”. Isobel also spoke about the loss of our dear IBA member, Rob Dyke, who had passed away earlier in the year and the sadness we all felt that he wasn’t here with us to see and enjoy our “mission accomplished”. Rob contributed twenty artworks to the project.
As well as the speeches (accompanied throughout by said Blackbird) and a glass of something bubbly, there was also a small exhibition of twenty five paintings inside the Cottage, one painting from every artist who had worked on the project, and the pre-sale of our special Exhibition Catalogue. The painting display was a foretaste of our main exhibition at the Guildhall Bury St Edmunds from Saturday June 28th to Sunday July 12th of the 165 paintings completed for the project to illustrate Bernard Tickner’s beautiful achievement, that most certainly is “The Jewel in the Forest”
And from all my fellow artists and myself to our project manager, Tina Bone, and the committee, for all your hard work behind the scenes pulling this project together and for turning all our work into such a brilliantly beautiful book, a very big, warm, thank you.
