The Pleasure Gardens at Trentham Hall

We are back at the gardens of Trentham in Stoke-on-Trent.  This is our 4th or 5th visit.  This huge estate has many things to do and is geared toward family visits but has many elements of a true Pleasure Gardens.  Lots for the kids but even more for the gardener.   With big names like Piet Oudolf, Tom Stuart-Smith, Nigel Dunnett,...Capability Brown lake and old trees. We enjoy seeing this garden at different times of the year.  This time it is June.

Wollerton Old Hall Garden - A Third Visit

Here we are again at the Old Hall in Wollerton and their bountiful garden.   A small garden that is greatly loved by the community.  I don't think you can arrive in a large tour bus.   This year they remade the Well Garden.   This space with sixteen pyramidal yews cut into quarters has been a favorite of mine.  I was shocked to see its remake.   I will compare below and announce my judgement.

Peaks District - England

We drove by this peak a few times during our week stay in Buxton.  We stopped on the way home this evening to check out some of the local flora.

Biddulph Grange Gardens

 I love Biddulph's compact size full of all the England Garden themes.  I particularly love the use of follies to move in space to the next theme.  The Egyptian Pyramid to the Chestershire Cottage.  

Chatsworth House

 One of the great English country houses.   It is posh.

The Garden of Pooled Talents - Sheffield

Evening after dinner, we stopped by this small but delightful garden in the middle of three large university buildings.  

We are at the peak of June.   To see more of the structure of this garden, look at my post for 2023:  The Garden of Pooled Talents

Sheffield - Grey to Green Revisited

We are back to the inner part of Sheffield which is undergoing a years long process to plant out underutilized concrete areas in the form of unused traffic lanes.   After a by-pass was built, the inner ring road no longer required four lanes of vehicular traffic.   A year later but almost six weeks earlier in June the beds look vibrate with recent rain.   

Wentworth Woodhouse

Once cited as the largest private residence in the United Kingdom, it a huge house with lots of bad history, i.e. slaves and coal. It is also in a very precarious state. Many of the interior rooms are in a state of decay.

Plus a newly restored Camellia house and a very pleasant long border.  

Trentham - Midlands

 July 30th

bees on echinops

piet oudolf perennial border

artimesia and stipa

layers on layers of color and texture

agapanthus and knautia

oregano

dino ballotia?

fun to walk maze of trails through out the parterre

slight rain

stachyes and artemesia

allie of weeping elm?

truely a pleasure garden

piet oudolf floral labyrinth

extremely large sweet chestnut planted by Cap Brown

big golden yew

knautia avernes

nigel dunnett

Wollerton Old Hall - Midlands

 July 30th

English weather? Partly Sunny with chance of rain
driveway conifer specimens
Agapanthus’African Skies’
Salvia yangii ‘Bkue Steel’
white agapanthus
small rooms of all sorts of themes
who’s the driving force behind garden

Dahlia NoID
seating in every room showing off views lile this white garden on display.
two square pyramid yews
garden growing wilder moving away from the house.
birch and maple
simple stake and rope plant support
candy content goes up as you walk to the house.
purple and red clematis, rose and buddlejia
plenty of seating
locerna honeysuckle
this is a good garden to bring people.
cute lavender geraniums
yellow clematis
more seating and formal.
yew dots!
heliopsis ‘bleading heart’ looks like dahlia
the plant of the week.

Sheffield Botanical Gardens - Midlands

 July 27th

botanical gatdens july 27

garden of pooled talents

sheffield botanical garden

city park feel used by neighbors 

long row of glass houses sorted by exotic places. 

plant labels

175 yo? sequoia g. 

petrified stump

prairie garden 

squirrels all running towards me. 

Agapanthus coddii 

fuchsia pink

healthy red maple

shard sink for watering 

double central flower border. 

cast iron water fountain 

The Garden of Pooled Talents - Sheffield

 July 27

Sheffield Botanical Gardens

July 27, 2023

city park feel used by neighbors 

long row of glass houses sorted by exotic places. 

plant labels

175 yo? sequoia g. 

petrified stump

prairie garden 

squirrels all running towards me. 

Agapanthus coddii 

fuchsia pink

healthy red maple

shard sink for watering 

double central flower border. 

cast iron water fountain 

Sheffield - Grey to Green

 

Part storm water and pollution mitigation and removal of impermeable concrete areas and plant out with shrubs, trees and flowering perennials.

Trentham Gardens

Wollerton Old Hall Garden

 

Biddulph Grange Garden

 

Trentham Gardens

 

Chatsworth House and Gardens - England

 

Trentham Estate Gardens

The Trentham Estate in Staffordshire is a formal garden set along the River Stoke.   Recently renovated from the designs of Piet Oudolf and Tom Stuart-Smith, this is a contemporary formal garden. 

The Victorian Garden in the front with the Italian Garden and lake beyond.