Saturday 3 October 2015

World in a Garden - Biddulph Grange

Like many gardens created in the mid C19th, Biddulph was designed and built to show off the large variety of internationally discovered plants found by those intrepid Victorian plant hunters. However, James Bateman went one step further and incorporated into his garden a varied series of gardens within gardens to amaze, impress and delight his friends and visitors.
James Bateman was a Fellow of the Linnean and Royal Societies, Vice-President of the Royal Horticultural Society, and author of two major works on the cultivation of orchids.
The garden is a cleverly planned framework of hedges, rocky outcrops, secret tunnels, and concealed pathways which lead into a variety of distinctively themed and styled gardens


The journey begins through the Mediterranean/Italian garden
Lime tree avenue
Lake surrounded by Rhododendrons discovered and introduced from the Himalayas 
One of the many tunnels to explore!
A hidden pathway with steps emulating a Himalayan mountain walk
with rocky outcrops covered in ferns, moss and blue Gentiana asclepiadea - willow gentian
The climb continues upwards, crosses a stream, then on through a network of rocks and stone passageways
emerging into a Victorian vision of China
Ascend the Great Wall of China to the Joss House - a small Chinese temple.
James Bateman based his design for the Chinese garden on the Willow Pattern plate
but it's onwards and upwards through the garden - more will be revealed next time......

58 comments:

  1. This is an amazing garden, so full of surprises, wonderful.

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    1. It's a lovely place to explore as you never know what is round the corner or through the tunnel

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  2. What a fascinating collection of photos, thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thank you Blogoratti - glad you enjoyed seeing this unique garden

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  3. Biddulph is an incredible garden, and I really like the Chinese scene, so beautiful. It is fascinating that they have created gardens from all over the world, in the one place. England must have the perfect climate for gardening, and it is all wonderful. I look forward to the next episode of this one Rosemary, and thank you for sharing.

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    1. This garden is a bit of a curiosity and the creation of one mans vision - I am sure that he derived a lot of pleasure from it.

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  4. What an imaginative and mysterious garden. I'd really love to go there. I don't think I'll be able to go in the immediate future although actually this is probably one of the best times to go.

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    1. In some ways it is best not to look at the map of the garden, and then each new vista is a surprise. April/May would be a lovely time to visit when the Rhododendrons are in full bloom.

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  5. Looks a very nice garden but your first picture is unique and the best.

    Greetings,
    Filip

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    1. The blue and the pink make for a pretty combination

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  6. This place has been on my list for years, hopefully someday.

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    1. I hope that you get the opportunity to visit on one of your trips over, I think that you would enjoy it

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  7. Lime tree Avenue, oh my, such beautiful shades of green...the secret areas, the tunnels, the whole garden is just glorious. I can see the resemblance to the Willow Pattern in the garden to the plate..
    You photos as always are a credit to you...

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    1. It's a delight at every turn Margaret wondering what you will see next - hope you enjoy the second half too.

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  8. Hello Rosemary, Amazing is the only word for these gardens. My favorite small detail here is those chains from which the bells hang. I also favor the lime tree avenue, but really every part beckons one to explore. The tunnels, however, I could live without.
    --Jim

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    1. Hello Jim - I am pleased that you enjoyed seeing the garden - there are even more unexpected delights in store next time.

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  9. All beautiful, but my goodness... that Lime Tree avenue is just stunning. Jx

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    1. The Lime Tree Avenue appealed to me too Janice, so simple but effective

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  10. It is all just breathtaking .. I wish I could visit there today !

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  11. Dear Rosemary, I have never heard of the Biddulph Grange Garden, but it is obviously worth knowing of! Its creator has achieved his goal in creating an amazing, impressive and at the same time delightful garden, even for its today's visitors. I love the clear blue salvia and the blue Gentiana asclepiadea, which I have never seen before, is absolutely stunning. I also love the Chinese Garden, even though it might be only a Victorian fantasy of it, it is very pretty. Thanks for taking us on a tour!
    Christina

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    1. Dear Christina - I have seen the willow gentian growing in the Alps but you don't often see it growing in gardens here. It is obviously very happy in that mossy, rocky location. It is lovely when you walk through the stone passageways and suddenly find yourself in a beautifully decorated Chinese pagoda overlooking the pond.

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  12. What an amazingly beautiful garden , can imagine what it is like when those Rhododendrons are in bloom !

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    1. It must be a picture at Rhododendron time with all the pinks, reds, orange, yellow and white colours

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  13. Biddulph Grange, completely new to me but so beautiful and different. Mr. Bateman did a great job and succeeded to design an amazing and impressive garden. A garden with many different styles with lots of interesting elements. Definitely a garden we must see......sigh......
    Anyway, thank you so much for taking us on this tour.
    Janneke

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    1. I am pleased that I have introduced you to this garden Janneke and I like the fact that you may visit it one day too.
      One of the very interesting aspects of this garden are all the different levels that have been utilised within this garden creating interesting pathways and steps to explore.




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  14. Here I could walk whole a week, and not at all bored.
    Just a lovely garden, and the images are stunning, as usually.

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    1. You are correct Orvokki it takes a whole day in which to explore it - I am pleased that you enjoyed seeing it.

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  15. We were there too on our hols! I wonder how many of the same places we went to! It is lovely to see your beautiful pictures because it was pouring with rain when we went, the paths were like rivers and so I took hardly any photos. Wonderful to see it in the dry! xx

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    1. So sorry to learn that Amy, it sounds as if you were there just a few days too soon - it is a shame as I should imagine many of the pathway were rather precarious for you to negotiate.

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  16. Thanks for the photos. Another place to visit on my next trip.

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    1. Soon I shall be heading in your direction.

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  17. The lime tree avenue suits me perfectly.

    Ms Soup

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    1. The lime tree avenue seems to be a popular feature

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  18. What a beautiful, surprising garden! Happy Sunday, Rosemary!

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    1. It is a garden of surprises around every corner Satu

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  19. It must be so exciting to go through the tunnels, find hidden paths, climb stone steps, admire the beauty of various different flowers and to be surprised at the differently themed gardens. How I’d like to walk along the Lime Tree Avenue which is so inviting. Thanks for sharing, Rosemary

    Yoko

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    1. Dear Yoko - I am ashamed to say that I did not walk down the Lime Tree Avenue but just viewed it from the top. There is so much garden to visit that it is impossible to do it all in one day.
      I am pleased you enjoyed seeing it

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  20. Dear Rosemary,

    The garden is just gorgeous, and thank you for sharing it with us. In your third image, another gardener would have had the walkway lead to a long, treelined avenue (I would have been so tempted myself), but Bateman offset trees and obscured the view, making us want to know what lay beyond. That's so much more engaging.

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    1. Dear Mark - It would be very easy to miss that splendid Lime Tree walk. It is to the right of the Italian garden where the yellow yew dome sits. It is through a narrow gap in some trees, and takes you by surprise when you discover it. You are correct when saying that it is offset and obscured from view.
      Thank you visiting it is always lovely to hear from you.

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  21. It would be impossible to pick a favorite...the shots are all amazing. I have never seen that blue flower in the first shot. Love the tunnels...gee a kids would have fun playing in there!

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    1. The blue flower is called a Salvia patens gentian blue, you can get them in all shades of blue from softest blue through to one called blue/black that has flowers the colour of the one above but with a black calyx, it is very dramatic. They also come in various pinks and white.

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  22. Wow, Rosemary, your photos of this divine garden are so spectacular I barely know where to put myself! This will definitely go on my "must see" list when I am lucky enough to visit the UK again (I never say "if" as that would be unbearable!)
    In which county is this gorgeous garden?

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    1. Glad you enjoyed seeing it Wendy - the next half of the garden which I will show also has some completely different features too. Biddulph is in NW Staffordshire, belongs to the NT, and is close to the border with Derbyshire.

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  23. I particularly liked the lime tree walk and how they had shaped the plants at the base of the trees.

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    1. It is simple but very pleasing - did you see that strange advertising comment just before yours? It has been sent to spam now.

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  24. What a wonderful garden it looks as if you are wandering through several countries here! Sarah x

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    1. It's very clever, and works because it is all built on so many different levels requiring you to climb up and down to the various gardens.

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  25. Just amazing...I´m so impressed of all those English gardens and I´m so happy you are taking us with you everytime Rosemary!
    Have a happy day!
    Titti

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    1. What an unusual garden it is and it has been so cleverly created which leads the visitor through continual surprises - I am pleased that you enjoyed seeing it Titti.

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  26. I'm in awe of this gorgeous place! Your photos reveal the beauty of those spectacular gardens you are so lucky to tend in the UK.I fully enjoyed the tour you took us on Rosemary!Thank you!
    Olympia

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    1. Dear Olympia - I last visited this garden many years ago and mainly remembered the Chinese garden having never seen anything like it before, but really that is only the tip of the iceberg in this garden as there is much more to explore which I will show next time. It was lovely to hear from you

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  27. What an incredible garden! I would love to be able to wander it at will. Just beautiful! :o)

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    1. thank you for visiting - It is a gorgeous garden and there so much more of it still to show!

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  28. Oh my, what splendid gardens. They almost takes my breath away. Thank you yet again, Rosemary, for introducing me to another magical place. And what gorgeous photos!

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it Yvette - Bateman was a man of great vision in his garden.

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  29. My goodness! I wonder how many (hundreds of) people it takes to maintain a garden like this. I'm not too crazy about the golden cow/bull on the lookout, but everything else is quite magical. Were you daring enough to try out the tunnel?

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    1. Almost as soon as you enter the tunnel and go round the bend the end is in sight so not as scary as it looks!!! The 'sacred' cow looks a bit flash, I think that the gold-leaf must have been redone this year.

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