Dyrham Park, Westbury Court Garden & Dutch Style Design

Anyone who has visited Dyrham Park will remember the long driveway that meanders through rolling countryside opening up to a view of the majestic house.


It wasn't always like that. This illustration of the house in the late 17th century reveals magnificent Dutch style formal gardens. But they were short lived. In the late 18th century the gardens were largely cleared as the naturalistic garden landscapes of Capability Brown and Humphrey Repton became the fashion.


To get an idea of what the formal gardens may have looked like I visited the Westbury Court Gardens, the only Dutch influenced water gardens in the country to have survived the change in fashion.

Laid out in 1696-1705 the gardens are designed with a main canal flanked by yew and holly topiary.


Running parallel to the main canal is a T-shaped canal, with a statue of Neptune serenely surveying the gardens.


Other areas of interest include a small walled garden of cottage plants.

And formally laid out symmetrical borders with box hedge edging and well spaced planting, a fashion at this time. The theory was each plant could be appreciated on its own by the viewer.



Beyond the water canals is an orchard of fruit trees surrounding a majestic Holm oak. Planted in the 1600's, the oak is claimed to be the oldest in England.

After seeing the Westbury Court Gardens I can understand why the Dutch style fell out of favour in the 18th century, mainly because of the high cost of maintaining the gardens. But I can't help thinking it is a shame that so few have survived to this day, especially as modern garden design seems so influenced by the formal structure of the Dutch style.

If you have visited either Dyrham Park or Westbury Court Gardens, I would be interested to hear what you think.

Climber Revealed As Spanish Flag

After some research I've finally discovered the climber I saw at Spetchley Park last month is Ipomoea lobata,or more commonly known as Spanish flag.

It's an unusual looking climber with the flowers arranged in a row along one side of a stalk. The small tubular flowers fade over time producing staggered colours ranging from dark red at the top to orange, light yellow and finishing with a creamy white. The vibrant, green, 3-lobed leaves further enhance the climber's appearance.

Ipomoea lobata is a tender perennial that will not survive freezing temperatures. For this reason it's often grown as an annual, with the seeds planted between March and May. The climber likes well-drained, moist, light soil and full sun, reaching a height of 3-5 metres.

With the flowers waving gently in the wind, Ipomoea lobata looks wonderful being grown up the moss covered stump at Spetchley Park, and gives the garden some fantastic eye-catching autumn colour.

If you grow this plant then please leave a comment. I'd be interested to learn more about this climber.

Wonderful Weeping Beech At Westonbirt

From a design aspect I love this weeping beech that I spotted in the Old Arboretum at Westonbirt. Would make a wonderful focul point or feature tree for a garden. But could also be used as a back drop to offset herbaceous perennial planting.

The label on the tree identified it as Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea Pendula'. Now I'm not one to dispute Westonbirt's labelling but that cultivar is supposed to have stiff, weeping branches and blackish-purple foliage.

I think this tree looks more similar to Fagus sylvatica f. pendula, the standard weeping beech- a species described by the RHS Encyclopaedia of Plants and Flowers as 'deciduous, weeping tree with oval, wavy-edged, mid-green leaves that in autumn take on rich hues of yellow and orange-brown'. But I'll leave the final decision to the more educated plants people out there, of which I am sure there are many!


More importantly I like the shape, texture and the autumn leaf colour that creeps through the leaves of the tree. But be warned if it is the Fagus sylvatica f. pendula as this weeping beech can reach heights of 30 metres and a spread of 23 metres- too large for a small to medium sized garden. The Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea Pendula' is a smaller cultivar with a height and spread of 3 metres. Both types do require full sun and well drained soil.

The growth on the weeping beech at Westonbirt is unbalanced, being a lot stronger one side than the other. The reason for this is probably something to do with the large, sunlight blocking evergreens behind the tree. But I do not see this as a fault as it creates a very interesting, eye-catching shape to the tree.

I'll admit the child in me could resist getting under the tree to see the view out- like being under a waterfall and a great place for a game of hide and seek in the summer!

Acer Colour At Westonbirt Arboretum

Saw a fantastic display of Acer palmatum colour at Westonbirt Arboretum this weekend. Below are three cultivars that really stood out:






What I particular liked at Westonbirt Arboretum was the care that had been taken to plant the Acer's in position's that maximised their colour, shape, texture and proportion against other trees.

Here is a good example of colour and texture contrast. The larger, rounder, yellow leaf in the foreground is offset perfectly by the the rich, dark red, more spindly leaf of the Acer palmatum behind.

One of my favourite positions for an Acer palmatum in a woodland setting is under the branches of Silver Birches. The white of the Silver Birch's bark and the light green of their leaves really brings out the autumn leaf colour of the Acer. And the dappled light produced by the Silver Birches creates a magical feel.


Choosing a place for an Acer palmatum tree on it's own can be difficult but it takes a brave plantsman to use three or more together. Here it works as care has been taken with the colours, using the same principle as an artist. The colour combination creates perspective and depth, leading the eye into this Acer palmatum glade, inviting the viewer to walk and see more. Which I duly did!

These are only my opinions. If you agree or diagree with any please leave a comment. It really helps with my learning to hear the views of others.

Won Over By Cryptomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana'

Not normally being a conifer fan I was surprised to find myself being won over by the Cryptomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana' during this week's 'Plant Indent' class. My view of conifers is tainted by the surburban gardens of the 70's and 80's, where brown, patchy grass was enclosed by an array of tall and fat, dark green conifers- sucking all moisture and goodness out of the soil.

But the Cryptomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana' is different. Like all conifers full sun and well drained soil are important. And planting too near to other shrubs or trees will affect its growth. But I don't see this as a problem as I would use the Cryptomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana' as a feature plant or focal point, standing alone in, for instance, a Japanese style garden.

Cryptomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana' stands out for its colour, shape and texture. The conifer's rich green foliage has a delicate, almost huggable appearance that will soften any hard lines in a garden's design.

One downside is the conifer's slow growing nature. So for a specimen plant the size of the one featured in the top photograph, you'll either need patience or a very fat wallet!

Photos by: http://www.pershore.ac.uk/plantid/plantlist.htm

Inspiration From The Welsh Hills

The natural environment is a fantastic source of inspiration for garden design. While walking on Pen Cerrig-calch in the Welsh Black Mountians I saw these heathers dotted amongst an outcrop of old red sandstone, which now appears as soft white rock. I loved the contrast of texture, colour and shape between the heathers and rock, and will definitely be returning to see the plants in full flower next spring.

Add Structural Height To Your Border

I was introduced last week to Eupatorium purpureum, a tall, structural perennial, originally from North America, that adds height at the back of a mixed or herbaceous border. Also looks good when incorporated into a prairie or grassland planting design.

Commonly known as Joe Pye Weed, a name that doesn't do it justice, the late flowering perennial has heads of tubular pinkish-purple flowers that add colour from late summer to early autumn. The large, oval green leaves arranged in whorls along the tall, purple stems create an attractive contrast for other plants such as the creamy plumes of Artemisia lactiflora.

Eupatorium purpureum likes full sun or partial shade, requires moist, well-drained soil and is fully hardy. The seed heads can be left on to look attractive on a frost covered morning. Another plus is the plants appeal to bees, a welcome addition to any garden at this difficult time for the insect.

Be aware the Eupatorium purpureum is a vigorous grower reaching a height of 2.2 metres tall and a spread 1 metre wide. Divide in spring or propagate by collecting the seed heads in late autumn. Being generally pest and disease free the perennial is recognised by the RHS with their Award of Garden Merit.