What do you think of when someone mentions an English garden?
I recently had this discussion with an American friend who had the idea that everywhere was either cottage or formal style. Baa was mightily unimpressed at the theory but it did bring to light how people from other countries might view our gardens and how staid some have become with the desperate clutching onto a Gertrude Jekyll ideal.
I heard of Biddulph Grange some years ago but even though it's in Staffordshire (the county I was born in), I'd never visited. This weekend I took the plunge and after visiting my uncle and aunt, decided to go the extra 40 miles north before coming home.
While I had an idea of what to expect, it was still a huge suprise. Initially, I was disappointed with the planting, many gaps showed through some of the borders. As I progressed through, I saw that this garden is sooo much more than plants and structures, it was a fantastic concept that was to help change the face of British gardens from the natural landscape style of Capability Brown to the Victorian garden.
The intitial view is formal and what one might expect from a garden started in the 1840's but the paths lead you on a merry dance through several compartments each with an individual style. Much of the garden is hidden from the view of the house by shrubs and trees, so it forces you to take the mystical journey of discovery along gravel paths.
I'll say no more for now, other than if you are interested in garden design or just like having a nose through other peoples gardens, this is an absolute must visit garden!
The pic is the Lime Avenue, more pics can be found in the journal entry. http://davesgarden.com/journal/sj/Baa/501/
