TERRACOTTA TALES: ARABELLA LENNOX-BOYD

We return to the subject of landscape architecture and terracotta with one of the most prominent garden designers on the modern landscape scene.

The Tales of Terracotta continue and this time the person who talks to us about her vision and vast knowledge of greenery is Arabella Lennox-Boyd, the Italian-English landscape gardener who for fifty years has been creating, imagining and revisiting the most beautiful gardens in the UK and beyond, and who has always loved Poggi Ugo’s handmade terracotta so much that she has designed a vase for us, christened after her name: Vaso Arabella.

The original designs that gave birth to the Arabella Vase, available in two versions: the Snake Pot , decorated with handmade snakes and a special saucer with hemispheres, and the Terracota Tub, which is instead more linear, both characterised by perfect proportions and unparalleled elegance. Both bear the signature of Mrs. Arabella Lennox-Boyd.

• – First of all, we would like to talk a little about your history: can you introduce yourself and tell us how you got into this profession?

I started in the profession in the late 1960s when I moved to London and began studying landscape architecture at Thames Polytechnic – now Greenwich University – in 1969. Arabella Lennox-Boyd Landscape & Architectural Design was established in 1975. Since then I have designed over 800 gardens around the world.

• During your prestigious career, when and how did you get to know the Ugo Poggi furnace?

Being Italian, I have always been familiar with Poggi Ugo vases. Poggi’s excellence lies not only in design, but also in the production of durable, high quality pots that we can use in northern climates such as my home, Gresgarth, in Lancashire. Being Italian, I grew up with terracotta pots: they are part of my childhood memories and my ideal of a garden. Throughout my life as a designer I have used them in many different ways.

Two beautiful images of the garden at Gresgarth Hall, a project begun by Arabella Lennox-Boyd in 1980, where she combined her love of symmetry with the striking landscape and wilderness that characterise the property. The landscape designer used many terracotta pots, such as the Due Orli, which fit perfectly into the harmony of the design. Today Gresgarth Garden is open to the public and can be visited.

• – How does a garden or green space project usually come about?

My approach to design is based on the importance of relating the garden not only to the landscape but also to the spirit of the house and the individuality of the owner. Each garden is unique, a world of its own, and must take into account the owner’s wishes and constraints, including the workforce that can support a given project. Observation and garden walks are an essential part of the initial design phase, as is thinking outside the box to overcome difficulties. Over the years I have found that my first instinct is what I carry through the various stages of designing a garden and I always check that when it is finished it still has the integrity of my first reaction.

Arabella Lennox-Boyd’s designs relate the garden to the surrounding landscape and to the individuality of the clients. The terracotta pots and basins fit in as important elements to accommodate seasonal flowers.

• – Let’s be specific: can you tell us about a particular project in which you have used Poggi Ugo terracotta pots?

Everywhere there is a patio or garden that needs pots. They can provide a finish, a frame, a break or simply an attractive addition to the view. They can form an avenue, add height to formal or informal borders, provide extra space for plants where space is limited and add colour at times of year when colour is scarce. In other words, pots are an essential part of many gardens. For me, pots need to be an integral part of the design, not just randomly placed. They may look informal, but they are not, because when we place pots in the garden, we always make a careful arrangement.

In Arabella Lennox-Boyd’s signature gardens, vases are filled with vibrant colours and seasonal flowers. In these two photos, the ‘Due Orli‘ vase is the undisputed star of the scene, filled with a multitude of colourful flowers.

• – What have been the best projects in which you have used Poggi Ugo terracotta pots to perfection?

I have used the pots in both city and country gardens.

1. Urban gardens: In urban gardens, pots have an even more important function than in country gardens. Here, where space is limited, pots add another dimension to the garden, providing the necessary space for plants, seasonal plants or additional architectural elements.

Arabella’ pots were selected for the décor of a very elegant hotel in the centre of Madrid, where terracotta pots provide extra space for greenery, especially in city settings where space can be more limited.

Spring gardens: Tulips, narcissi, muscari, forget-me-nots and violets are just a few of my favourite spring plants, and in almost every garden I design I have pots filled with vibrant spring colours that are best brought into the garden in a terracotta pot rather than planted directly in the beds. Even tulips, for example, which make a mess in beds, are much easier and more beautiful when planted in pots.

Terracotta pots can be used to enhance green spaces and gardens in all seasons. The ‘Camellia with Fruit‘ pots are filled with tulips and spring flowers, adding colour and movement without disrupting the garden design. Terracotta pots make it easier to manage and move seasonal plants and flowers.

Mediterranean gardens: In the Mediterranean I like pots to create a sense of order and sometimes even formality. In hot weather, simplicity is key – in summer it is too hot to be bothered with too much gardening! – Or maybe it is just my Italian blood that drives me to use pots, as they have always been used historically as accents, staples, architectural elements, whether in a formal parterre with orange trees, or as colour around the pool.

Classic vases, but with a simple, linear style such as the Due Orli or the Camelia adorn various areas of the summer garden with linearity and elegance.

Summer pots in England: Summer pots are all about colour, abundance and celebrating the season. There are so many wonderful plants now, in so many colours, that it is fun to experiment with your own pots and planters. Every year at Gresgarth (Lancashire property of Arabella Lennox Boyd, nda) I get to experiment, try new patterns, new annuals, new climbers, new varieties and I find that my pots make the summer so much more exciting.

Summer experiments in which Poggi Ugo terracotta pots become cradles for a variety of flowers. Here we see how the love of geometry, typical of Arabella Lennox-Boyd’s gardens, is combined with the lushness of the natural environment. The garden designer’s favourite terracotta vases from Impruneta always have a classic appeal: in the photo on the right, the Vaso Festonato with octagonal base holds a blooming, fragrant jasmine.

• What does terracotta represent for you?

Terracotta represents my country, Italy.

Your love of terracotta and your historic collaboration with our ancient kiln has even resulted in a vase that we have named after you: how did the inspiration for the ‘Arabella’ vase come about?

The Arabella vase  is a shape and size that Poggi did not have and that I have often had to use when designing gardens; I like it because it has an elegant, simple and modern touch.  

For our part, we can say that the pots designed by Arabella Lennox-Boyd are so elegant that they almost overturn the utilitarian concept of ‘pot per plant’: both the Terracotta Tub , the Arabella and the Snake Pot are so aesthetically perfect that it is the plant that complements the pot, not vice versa.

The Snake pot (insert link   ) is one of the pots designed by Arabella Lennox-Boyd for Poggi Ugo terrecotte. Clean and elegant lines characterise this pot, with the addition of the original snake-shaped decoration that replaces the classic rivet.

  For this interview with Arabella Lennox-Boyd, we followed the creation of a ‘Terracotta Tub‘ vase created by the skilful hands of Paolo, one of our experienced master craftsmen.

As with most of the Poggi Ugo terracotta collections of vases, the ‘Arabella’ vases are also available in both terracotta and GrigioLava version.

All vases designed by Arabella Lennox-Boyd bear her unmistakable signature: here the Arabella Vase is in the GrigioLava version.

After this very interesting and enjoyable conversation with landscape architect Arabella Lennox-Boyd, we realised that terracotta pots from Impruneta are important both from a design and structural point of view in the garden: a space can have a basic geometric and formal design, but then with the addition of pots with flowering plants, it can change its appearance throughout the seasons.

Terracotta pots make it easier to move plants from one area to another, or even from one season to another. Not only that, but pots made from Impruneta clay – known for its frost resistance – can withstand the harsh winter temperatures typical of northern European countries such as England; on the other hand, the typical characteristics of terracotta – such as breathability and the slow release of moisture to the plant roots – make pots made from this material perfect for the hot summer months that characterise Mediterranean countries.

Last but not least, the aesthetic touch that terracotta gives to any green space – garden, patio or terrace – is incomparable and, as Arabella Lennox-Boyd told us, immediately brings us back to Italy and our artisan tradition.

The elegant and unmistakable design of Poggi Ugo’s terracotta pots, and the fact that they are made in accordance with the ancient tradition of working with Impruneta clay, make them a choice of refinement and high quality: whether for those who prefer a more classic style, like Arabella Lennox-Boyd, or for those who prefer simple and contemporary lines, Poggi Ugo pots will remain an integral part of your green spaces.

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