McLaren Fellowship Summary Report

Passed along to us from Ann Hoefer

McLaren Fellowship Summary Report
Andrew Sundling, 2007 Fellow

Words from our McLaren Fellow, early in his fellowship in Great Britian, to members of the Scholarship Committee:

Walking down the long United Airlines raised terminal corridor, I felt a sense of liberation, a kind of freedom altogether different from what I had experienced before. It was exhilarating and frightening at the same time! Stepping out from the crowded tunnel where families were meeting loved ones, and sprucely dressed taxi drivers held provisiolnal signs with scribbled surnames, I wandered deliberately, slowly taking it all in. I remember saying to myself “I’m here!” yet in some strange way on a more subconscious level of expression, I think what I really meant was, “I’m home.”

As many of you already know, or have read in my essays, my family life wasn’t exactly wholesome. My only true sense of home was with my grandmother, yet I still yearned for a “place of one’s own” where I could create and establish a new origin. For the next year, England is going to be my new home, but I already feel perhaps in the same way Christopher Jordan did, that this is mjjmore than just a fellowship, it’s an opportunity to explore new beginnings.

So far most of my experiences in England have been wonderful! The Earl Grey skies and erratic weather patterns have not deterred me from visiting new places and especially new gardens. In fact, my first meeting with Mrs. McLaren was met with tumultuous rain and as I ascended up through the tube station and onto the streets of central London, I realized that all excursions in the future will require a “brolly.” Arriving at Mrs. McLaren’s door step sodden with rain was not a part of my plan; however, I was quickly relieved by Nancy’s warm gentle smile. With my coat drying by the fire, we say for a delicious cup of Lapsang tea and got to know one another. She is absolutely delightful and has requested that I help her with her garden at her country cottage in Combe, on September 28th and 29th. I can hardly wait to see her again!

Sir Kenneth and his wife Carla were equally welcoming as they had me stay with them in their country estate in Suffolk. Kenneth gave me a personal tour of the gardens explaining its design intent and rich history. l was particularly fascinated by the way many of the garden elements reflected the architecture and style of the house. And of course Kenneth’s “poor man’s Ha Ha fence” was classic. It was the first time I’d ever seen one in person, and I understood instantly why they had been so popular and important in maintaining the integrity of the picturesque view. After the tour, I sat staring out into the open pasture, beyond the Ha Ha, and watched the fading light move through the branches of an English oak in the distance. I felt humbled.

My program at Kew began on the 3rd of September and has been coming along nicely, though I’ve made some adjustments. Initially my first placement was to be in the Temperate House, working with plant species from South Africa, New Zealand and South America, but this month the glass house was a bit overstaffed and I found myself going stir crazy as I looked for something to do. I spoke with my advisors and for the rest of September, I will be visiting gardens in the National Trust, before they close their doors for the winter. So far, I’ve been able to see Stowe, Sissinghurst, Wakehurst Place, Clivendon, Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, and a few residential gardens recommended to me by friends. I loved the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst place, the walled garden rooms at Sissinghurst, and of course the parterre garden in back of the house at Clivedin!

I feel so lucky to have been selected for this fellowship and wake up every morning with a grin stretched from ear to ear, knowing that I finally have the time and resources to travel and see some of the most beautiful gardens in the world! Words don’t describe how grateful I am. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Andrew Sundling