garden descriptions · of woodland, classical garden buildings and statuary. the earl’s garden...
TRANSCRIPT
GARDEN DESCRIPTIONS
STOURHEAD is world renowned and one of
England’s greatest 18th century landscape
gardens inspired by the works of 17th century
landscape painters. It was motivated by the
idea of garden making as a branch of landscape
painting. When the garden opened in 1740 it
was described as “a living work of art.” At its
center is a magnificent lake reflecting the
classical temples of Flora and Apollo, the
Pantheon housing statues of Hercules and other
classical figures, a 5-arched Palladian stone
bridge, grottoes and rare and exotic trees.
THE GARDEN HOUSE AT BUCKLAND MONACHORUM has a history of naturalistic and innovative cottage
drift planting. It is comprised of a flowing series of garden rooms including a Summer Garden, Cottage
Garden, Walled Garden, Quarry Garden, Birch Wood, Acer Glade, Bulb Meadow and more!
LANHYDROCK HOUSE AND GARDENS offer a prime example of the two sides of Victorian life: the
kitchens, nurseries and servants’ quarters offer a glimpse into life `below stairs’ while the luxurious
family areas reveal the comfort of life `upstairs’. The gardens offer beautiful flower framed views, a
fabulous formal parterre, unique circular herbaceous borders, a thatched gardener’s cottage and lovely
woodland walks.
PINETUM PARK AND PINE LODGE GARDENS has 10 individual gardens and offers serious plant hunters
over 6000 plants to explore, many grown from seeds collected from all over the world on specialist plant
hunting expeditions. Marvel at the Pinetum where the conifers and pines have been meticulously
graded in size to form a semi-circular amphitheater. Stroll through the more intimate Japanese Garden,
the Arboretum, the Wildflower Meadow and meander along a serpentine path between two waterfalls
cascading into a Koi pond. What a unique experience this provides to be able to see so many different
styles and types of gardens within one place.
MARSH VILLA GARDENS is a feat to behold. This magical 3 acre garden has been created on a former
tidal creek prone to severe annual flooding. Through 25 years of back breaking perseverance, Judith
Stephens and her husband Harvey have transformed this poorly drained marshy meadow into one of
the most delightful gardens in Cornwall. A hornbeam avenue forms a central axis and meandering paths
lead you to the formal enclosed garden, small wooded areas with under-plantings, the wildlife friendly
marsh and the large natural pond.
ANTONY HOUSE is an 18th century house
featuring fine collections of furniture, textiles
and portraits, including one of Charles l at his
trial. The gardens were designed by Humphry
Repton and include a formal garden with
topiary, knot garden, summer garden, the
National Collection of Daylilies, contemporary
sculpture, sweeping river views and unexpected
nooks and crannies. The magic of Antony was
captured by director Tim Burton, as a film
location for his blockbuster Alice in
Wonderland.
MOUNT EDGCUMBE was the former home of the Earls of Edgcumbe, one of the oldest of Cornwall’s
great families. It was first built in the 1500’s, restored after World War Two and is jointly owned by the
Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council. This 865 acre country park has retained a good deal of its
18th- 19th century character: gardens laid out in grand formal style, sloping lawns, majestic trees, blocks
of woodland, classical garden buildings and statuary. The Earl’s Garden lies near the 18th century Tudor
House, and the lower park has 200 year old gardens laid out in the English, French and Italianate styles.
These have recently been added to with American and New Zealand styled gardens and a Jubilee Garden
established in 2002 to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee.
THE LOST GARDENS OF HELIGAN lay buried for more than 70 years until the chance discovery 25 years
ago of a door in the ruins led to the restoration of this great estate. It was known as the largest garden
restoration project in Europe and was the subject of several popular television programs and books.
Remarkably, many of the original plant collections survived and have reached record sizes. Created by
members of the Cornish Tremayne family, the gardens are typical of the 19th century Gardenesque style
with several areas differing in character and design style. There are Victorian Pleasure Grounds,
Productive Gardens, an exuberant Sub-tropical Jungle Garden bursting with luxuriant foliage, and
Woodland Walks where you can discover the Mud Maid, Giant’s Head and Grey Lady as they emerge
from the undergrowth. The `Lost Gardens’ are lost no longer and are among the most popular gardens
in the UK.
TREWITHEN means `house of trees’ and here you will find all sorts of fascinating champion trees, rare
shrubs and exotic fern collections many a result of dangerous plant hunting expeditions between 1910
and 1932 to Asia, Australasia and North and South America. Trewithen has received the International
Camelia Garden of Excellence award, one of only 39 gardens in the world to have this honor and 1 of
only 5 in the UK. This garden features woodland glades, wildflowers, the longest lawn in Cornwall,
viewing platforms so you can get up close to the floral canopy, and a rare camera obscura.
TREBAH GARDEN is one of the Great Gardens of Cornwall and rated among the 80 finest gardens in the
world. Set in a wooded ravine and first planted over 160 years ago, it is a 25 acre sub-tropical valley
paradise. Wander through glades of champion trees, bamboos, palms, enormous tree ferns, giant
gunnera, and vibrant tunnels of color to a private beach that was used during the Second World War to
launch the assault on Omaha Beach in Normandy. This amazing garden also features cascading
waterfalls, ponds of Koi carp, exotic water gardens and two acres of blue and white hydrangeas.
MEUDON HOTEL AND GARDEN is a family owned hotel set in a 9 acre subtropical valley garden. Enjoy a
wonderful collection of rare and exotic trees and shrubs from around the world along paths which
meander down to a private beach. It has a formal garden, herbaceous borders, indigenous plants and
sunken pond area.
POPPY COTTAGE is a one acre plantsman’s paradise. Planted as a series of rooms, which are small
gardens in themselves, it is brimming with shrubs, bulbs, grasses, herbaceous plants and exotics. There
are plenty of places to sit and colorful and intriguing surprises around every corner.
ST MICHAEL’S MOUNT is an iconic rocky island
crowned by a medieval church and castle with
buildings dating from the 12th century. It has
been a fortress, priory and family home where
Bronze Age settlers, monks, pilgrims and
soldiers have all left their mark. Currently a civil
parish, it is linked to the mainland by a man-
made causeway of granite, passable between
mid-tide and low-water. Clinging to granite
slopes, the terraced garden beds tier steeply to
the ocean’s edge. Blue agapanthus, brooms,
cordylines, fuchsias, pelargoniums and many
exotics are among the thousands of plants
pushing the boundaries of what can be grown in
this windy salt-sprayed climate. Adventurous
gardening at its best!
MINACK THEATER is an open-air theater with magnificent sea views, constructed on a cliff face where
the English Channel serves as a backdrop to the stage. The exotic garden at the top of the cliff features
bold and colorful subtropical plantings of aloes, agaves, sea lavender, welsh poppies, kniphofias and
more.
LAND’S END is Britain’s most south-westerly point and one of its most famous landmarks offering stunning scenery. From the 200 foot high granite cliffs that rise out of the Atlantic Ocean, you can view the Longships Lighthouse, the Isles of Scilly and beyond that, North America.
KEN CARO is a 4 acre well designed and labeled
private garden offering a great deal of year round
interest for garden enthusiasts. Named after its
owners, Kenneth and Caroline Willcock, the gardens
began as 2 acres devoted to fruits and vegetables.
This was eventually recreated as the `secret garden’
and over the years, the garden space more than
doubled, with the addition of island beds, ponds, and
carefully arranged sculpture. Trees, shrubs and flowers
have been purposefully planted to lead your eye out
across the sweeping landscape vistas beyond.
KILLERTON is an 18th century estate that has been owned by the National Trust since 1944. Its 18 acre
garden was originally created by Scotsman John Veitch with later design influences by Victorian garden
writer William Robinson. There are wonderful herbaceous borders, terraced beds with dwarf shrubs and
rhododendrons, a Victorian laundry, ice house, bear hut and chapel. Because of its mild climate,
Killerton was used as a trial ground for plants brought back from all corners of the globe and many
plants currently in existence throughout the British Isles were first planted at Killerton.
FORDE ABBEY is a fascinating combination of
medieval monastery and family home.
Throughout the medieval period, it was known
as a center of scholarship and many of its 12th
century features are beautifully restored
including: the Cloisters, Chapel, Monks’
Dormitory and Vaulted Undercroft. After the
dissolution of the monasteries, it was
transformed into a private residence with the
addition of larger elegant staterooms. Today it
is a full-fledged working estate and home to the
Kennard family. The centerpiece of Forde
Abbey’s award winning garden is the Long Pond
which leads to a small domed temple at one
end. There is an amazing bog garden,
arboretum, rock garden, a working walled
kitchen garden, shrubbery, and a series of
cascades and canals lined with herbaceous
borders. The Centenery Fountain was built in
2005 to mark 100 years of the Roper family at
Forde. At 160 feet tall, it is the highest powered
fountain in England. Gardening journalist Alan
Titchmarsh describes Forde Abbey as, “one of
the greatest gardens in the West Country.”
BURROW FARM GARDENS is a 13 acre peaceful oasis with a variety of different naturalistic planting
designs. A thatched stone summer house faces sweeping lawns that lead between island beds of
unusual shrubs and herbaceous plants down to a lake. The Woodland garden created in a Roman clay
pit has great trees, ponds and a Bog garden. The Millenium Garden features ponds waterfalls and a
formal rill which leads your eye to the magnificent valley and hills beyond. There is also a Wildflower
Meadow and a new Grasses Garden featuring swaths
of tall waving grasses and perennials. A real gem
secluded in the beautiful Devon countryside.
LYTES CARY is the birthplace of herbalist Henry Lyte whose 1578 compendium `Lytes Herbal’ which he
dedicated to Elizabeth l, was one of the most influential books on the natural world ever printed. It was
essentially a book of medicinal remedies based on plants and herbs, and you can see an original copy of
the book on display inside the manor house. The gardens are based on some of the illustrations of `Lytes
Herbal.’ There is a path leading up to the house bordered with fine topiaries, and mixed borders
planted with shrubs, perennials and roses. Hidden paths enclosed by high hedges lead to surprise views,
and beyond a formal orchard, open lawns and statues lead to a shady tunnel of hornbeam and a secret
garden.
Bishop’s Palace and Gardens was built in medieval times and has been home to Bishops of Bath and
Wells for over 800 years. Surrounded by a breath-taking moat, with resident swans that ring a bell
when they want to be fed, you can cross a flagstone drawbridge, walk under the portcullis and walk in
the footsteps of past bishops via a number of rooms within the palace. Outside, there are 14 acres of
beautiful gardens to enjoy including, formal plantings, an arboretum, a Victorian romantic garden with
ruins, a community garden, a contemporary garden of reflection where you can rest on a 40’ stone seat
and view restful plantings of grasses and silver birch, and a wells garden where ancient springs that give
the City of Wells its name are found. This year, Bishop’s Palace was made a Royal Horticultural Society
Partner Garden which is given to gardens with “outstanding and exceptionally high standards of planting
and design.”
HISTORIC CITY OF WELLS – WELLS CATHEDRAL. The name of this city comes from 3 wells dedicated to
St. Andrew, one in the town market place and two within the grounds of the Bishop’s Place. Wells is the
smallest city in England and the only one in Somerset. It has had city status since medieval times
because of the presence of Wells Cathedral within its city center. Largely built between the 12th and
14th centuries, the Cathedral is Anglican and dedicated to St Andrew the Apostle. It is currently the seat
of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, the mother church of the diocese and contains the Bishop’s throne.
Wells Cathedral is probably the finest national example of early English architecture and is famed for its
ancient stained glass, over 300 sculpted figures and carvings, and the Gothic inverted scissor arches of
its nave.
MILTON LODGE GARDENS were begun around 1900 by Mr. Charles Tudway, the present owner’s great
grandfather. Over a period of about 10 years, he transformed a sloping hillside into a series of 4
terraces specifically to capitalize on the magnificent views of Wells, its Cathedral and the Vale of Avalon.
The Upper Terrace has the best views over the valley, trees under-planted with wildflowers and bulbs,
and 4 cannons from the Napoleonic Wars. The Central Terrace has a mixture of perennials and shrubs,
and a Lily Pond. The Sundial Terrace features a finely balanced long border of roses, lawn and yews. In
addition to the formal terraced gardens there is a Combe, an 8 acre arboretum providing an oasis of
peace and calm that borders on the city of Wells. It features a 100’ chestnut, a beech with a 14 foot
girth, a Cedar of Lebanon and a handkerchief tree brought back from China around 1900.
STONEHENGE is the world’s most famous prehistoric site and England’s greatest national icon. Its
original purpose is unknown and speculations include temple for ancient deities, astronomical
observatory and sacred burial site. The site visible today is in ruin. Its construction was in several
phases. Approximately 5000 years ago a large earthwork; a bank and ditch called a henge was
constructed by people from the late Neolithic period. Small bluestones which comprise the inner circle
were set up about 2000 BC. They weigh 4 tons each and are thought to be from the Prescelly Mountains
in Wales, 240 miles away. The giant sarsen stones, which form the outer circle, weigh 50 tons each and
come from the Marlborough Downs, 20 miles away. The construction of Stonehenge is considered a
major engineering feat and there are many theories on how
the stones were moved and placed on the site, which was
probably completed around 1500 BC.
Situated in a vast plain, surrounded by hundreds of round
barrows, or burial mounds, the Stonehenge site is truly
impressive. Some people see it as a place steeped in magic
and mystery, and others hold it to be a sacred place.
WISLEY is the flagship garden of the Royal
Horticultural Society. A gift to the RHS in 1903
the gardens have expanded to cover over 200
acres with the aim to inspire and educate.
Highlights include: the Glasshouse with its huge
cathedral-like structure equal in size to 10
tennis courts, the famous and much
photographed Mixed Borders running a massive
420 feet in length, the delightful woodland
gardens found on Battleston Hill, the
Glasshouse Borders inspired by the North
American prairie-style plantings of Piet Oudolf,
and the Demonstration and Model Gardens
reflecting changing styles and new techniques
on a realizable scale. Undoubtedly one of the
greatest gardens in the world, Wisley serves as
a working encyclopedia for gardeners of all
levels.