Tarvin Gardening Society – July Meeting Report

Judy Popley, our speaker at Gardening Society in July, seems to have a wonderful job which she must love as she even goes to visit gardens as a birthday treat. She founded Flower Power Fairs, which are specialist plant fairs held in glorious gardens. There are only four left for this year so keep an eye for next year's programme as at least one is held in Cheshire.

Some of the gardens she showed us and talked about are used for fairs but many are places that she found to be wonderful and wanted to share.

She started her list in Derbyshire with Chatsworth House with its many features and also recommended the estate village of Edensor close by. Her other favourites in the county were Thornbridge Hall, complete with its own brewery, but only open once a week and Melbourne Hall, situated in the small town and close to the N.T. property Calke Abbey.

Her only Lancashire example was Gresgarth Hall, nearr Lancaster with the National Collection of cornus and a pebble garden with signs of the zodiac.

In Yorkshire we were taken toNewby Hall near Ripon which has a very long herbaceous border as well as a peaceful remembrance garden and a sculpture park. Ness Hall, between Helmsley and Malton is a very natural feminine style garden whilst near York George Smith a famous flower arranger opens his house and garden to the public. Also in Yorkshire and close to Shibden Hall near Halifax is a lovely garden within Dove Cottage nursery.

Cumbria is our next destination three examples. Lowther Castle has a 21st century garden being formed. Holehird at Windermere is a Cheshire home but the garden is leased and open to view. It contains National collections of Astilbe, Ferns and Hydranga. Beatrix Potter's Hiiltop has a lovely cottage garden.

County Durham has Raby Castle at Staindrop with its park and south-facing garden.Egglestone Hall has a plant nursery and walled garden.

We move to closer home with Rode Hall, famous for its snowdrops. Its other attractions are bluebells and rhododendrons and azaleas. During summer months a Farmer's market is held monthly. Our nearest garden is Abbeywood at Delamere and is well worth a visit.Cogshall Grange at Antrobus takes part in the National Garden scheme – watch out for the open day date for 2019.

Shropshire has Wollaton Hall Gardens near Market Drayton which are highly rated as an example of an English garden.

Judy then gave us a quick look at some places in the Cotswold area before telling us of progress at the newR.H.S. Bridgewater garden for the North of England at Worsley.

This was a fascinating trip round some beautiful places and gave us inspiration to visit them.

The next meeting will be the trip to Southport Flower Show on August 16th – places are still available.

Ed: With so many gardens to choose from it would impossible to do justice with a reasonable sized gallery of photographs and so each garden has its own link for you to click through to its website to see what Judy Popley found so special about these gardens.