Genius REVISITED
The original Piet Oudolf design in the walled garden of North Yorkshire’s Scampston Hall had lost its definition over the past quarter of a century, but head gardener Andy Karavics and his team have just completed a revamp that has restored it to its former glory
Sweeps of typically Oudolfian naturalised planting in Scampston’s Perennial Meadow, drenched in sun and a haven for pollinators.
Jewel of the NORTH
Belying its Greater Manchester location, RHS Garden Bridgewater is a vibrant garden of delights that’s positively exotic in places and far-reaching in terms of its multifaceted planting and design and its epic 150-acre scale
WORDS JACKY HOBBS PHOTOGRAPHS JOE WAINWRIGHT
This image Pleached Parrotia persica around a raised pool in the Paradise Garden.
Opposite The immersive Entrance Garden.
Mauve Symphyotrichum
‘Primrose Path’ with Euonymus fortunei
‘Emerald ’n’ Gold’; on the left, pale-berried Sorbus pseudohupehensis
A SPELL UNBROKEN
The magic of Beth Chatto’s condition-specific gardens in Essex still enthrals head gardener Åsa Gregers-Warg some 23 years after she arrived, as she strives to both maintain and refresh Chatto’s enchanting legacy WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS NICOLA STOCKEN
2 Allium cristophii
Not a native, but the large round flower of this reliable bulb adds drama and elegance to borders and becomes a striking seedhead after flowering. “As an architectural plant, it offers shape and structure,” says Natan. “Visitors frequently express amazement upon spotting it and will ask, ‘What is this incredible plant?’”
4 Scilla siberica
This bulbous perennial is great for pots, resistant to large animal pests and good for naturalising in semi-shade. “Scilla look amazing interplanted with miniature narcissus – the blues and yellows cheerfully complement each other,” says Natan. “You will find them in Polesden Lacey’s Courtyard borders.”
3 Convallaria majalis
“This native bulb, loved by Margaret Greville, the heiress who bequeathed Polesden Lacey to the National Trust in 1942, graces the Edwardian Rose Garden,” Natan explains. “Its delicate white flowers spread like carpets under the old roses. Records indicate that Mrs Greville frequently gathered them for indoor displays.”
5 Eranthis hyemalis
Winter aconites are usually the earliest bulb to flower in gardens, and their cup-shaped, sunshine-yellow flowers are a tonic on a grey day. “They’re wonderful under deciduous trees and even better under a flowering witch hazel,” Natan enthuses. “We have planted hundreds of these across the gardens in the past few years.”
6 Gladiolus communis subsp. byzantinus
This magenta-pink gladiolus is grown by the team for floral displays in the house. “It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil,” Natan explains, “and when planted in a meadow-style setting with other bright colours, it creates a striking impact.”
Flowers of Cyclamen hederifolium ‘Rosenteppich’ can be variable but the best plants have deep crimson-pink blooms.
Catch the Drift
They’re spectacular when grown en masse, carpeting the ground in late summer and early autumn, but the intricate beauty of the flowers and foliage of individual cyclamen species deserves much closer examination
WORDS GEOFF STEBBINGS PHOTOGRAPHS ANNAÏCK GUITTENY
