We started our exploration just east of the entrance, in the ‘Modern Country Garden’. This is a very structured ‘demonstration’ garden, with strong topiary shapes and plenty of pluming fluffy grasses.
As a birthday treat we took ourselves off to RHS Hyde Hall last weekend. There’s so much to see and explore in the gardens that I feel myself torn in multiple directions. Steve let’s me run around from area to area, indulging my enthusiasm, while he sedately follows an efficient route on a map!
It’s about a year since we last visited, but it felt like a lot had changed. A number areas are beginning to enter maturity, giving the site a more cohesive feel. Previously, I’d been blown away by the phenomenal variety of treasures growing in the Global Vegetable Garden. There were still plenty of new things to discover there, but the boundary hedge and exotic fruit bushes and trees surrounding the plot were more noticeable, making the area more intimate and protected.
This visit also revealed a completely new garden, quietly plotted and developed in an area of earthworks, threaded by paths and laced with a backbone of young trees. It is a Winter Garden, a celebration of the transformations caused by the coldness of winter and themed by the skeletonisation of leaves. It opened in winter 2018 and will draw me back this winter no doubt.
So I thought I’d share are some vignettes from our visit:
These dahlias weren’t in any flower borders, but rather in one of the raised beds in the ‘Global Vegetable Garden’. It may surprise you, but you can eat the tubers. Apparently dahlia crisps are rather nice too!
The Global Vegetable Garden is divided by geographical area. This is Quinoa (I’ve never seen it growing before) in one of the Americas beds.
The glorious glasshouse at the middle of the circular vegetable garden.
On-trend succulent table centres at the cafe, of course
The hot end of the spectrum in the ‘Herbaceous Borders’
A beautiful wind sculpture marks one end of the ‘Millennium Avenue’
There are various impressive planters about the formal areas. I really liked this salvia/dianthus combination.
The Dry Garden on a SW slope is buffeted by prevailing winds. These plants are tough!
A section of the Dry Garden showing the effectiveness of verbena, gaura and stipa. As we walked along the path scores of Painted Lady butterflies flew about us. Magic!
A favourite from the formal Rose Garden
The little courtyard garden between the Barn and upper pond is filled with rainbow coloured flowers
Here’s a close-up of one of the beds. Towering over the centre of each of these formal bed was Amicia zygomeris (sadly out-of-focus in the background of this photo). I rather fancy trying this next year, so I’ve made a note to find out how to grow it. Any advice?
Asters are starting to unfurl in the borders. I love this Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Violetta’, already covered with bees …
And this Bupleurum fructicosum (thanks Liz) looks like a tremendously useful plant
There were several patches of labels growing in gravel!
This time we discovered a new garden to explore: The Winter Garden. It opened in Winter 2018
The Winter Garden’s (all-weather) path has been landscaped to meander along a sheltered vale and is decorated with leaf sculptures (at different stages of skeletonisation). Copious large, wooden seats mark the bends of the route and lyrical information boards highlight aspects of the season.
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My favorites are the dry garden and the winter garden. That leaf sculpture is wonderful, as is the glass conservatory. I’ll confess that the modern garden seems just weird to me, but I’m not a fan of topiary in general.
The Dry garden is especially nice to wander about while the grasses and prairie plants whirl all around you. Very dynamic!
Hyde Hall just gets better every year, I love the herbaceous borders in August and the dry gravel slopes are an inspiration. Who knew you can eat dahlia tubers ? At the rate I propagate them, they will probably end up on the menu here. Hang on, that looks like Bupleurum fructicosum rather Thalictrum lucidum. It is a great shrub with yellow umbels which look good for ages. I haven’t had much success propagating it but if I manage it I will send you a bit.
You could serve dahlia crisps at a tea party in your beautiful garden! Also, thanks for correcting the mis-identification of the Bupleurum. I took a photo of what I thought was the label and didn’t do the followup research before putting pen to paper. If you are successful with propagating yours, I would love some. Meantime, at least I know what to look out for. Thanks.
So lovely. Thanks for sharing this place.
You are welcome!
This looks like such a gorgeous garden. I’ll put it on my bucket list!
It’s grandeur increases annually, plus it has a number of unusual elements like the global veg.
Gorgeous!! So much to love in these shots: blooms, sculpture, pollinators. Wish my August garden looked like that!
So do I!
Hyde hall looks to be a must see. I’ve just seen Chloris note about Burpleurum and although I don’t know my plants as well as she does, I did not think it was a Thalictrum.
The gardens look a great place to visit .thanks for sharing.
Hyde Hall is so much improved and really worth several visits! Yes, Liz is right about that plant. I didn’t know what it was, but liked it and so took a photo of the label at its base. Unfortunately I used that info without checking. Good thing that Liz is on the ball ‘cos now I’ll be able to track the right plant down.
She is a veritable font of knowledge. I have put HH on my list for 2020. Thanks
That looks like a wonderful place to visit. I love the orange rose flower and who knew you could eat dahlias lol? 🙂
Yes it is wonderful Sue and it is improved/extended every time we go. I think that I must try making a dahlia recipe soon, so that I can comment further?!