Tag: garden
Sudeley Castle Gardens
by The Bogtrotter on Sep.05, 2012, under Britain, English Gardens
Tucked away in the northern edge of the Cotswolds, this formal garden has a variety separate gardens to suit most tastes.
The resting place of Henry VIII’s wife Katherine Parr, Sudeley Castle is set on the edge of the Cotswold escarpment just above the village of Winchcombe. Split into numerous distinctive individual gardens, it feels like visiting multiple different gardens in quick succession. And the gardens are also home to St Mary’s Church, where Katherine Parr’s body lies.
“The Queen’s Garden” is quite a large formal rose garden, with yew hedges surrounding several rose beds. (continue reading…)
La Bambouseraie – a bamboo jungle in the heart of France
by The Bogtrotter on Jun.06, 2009, under France, French Experiences
Bamboo always makes you think of the far east – of China and Panda Bears. But tucked away in the foothills of the Cevennes in Southern France is a 15 hectare bamboo forest that provides an oriental oasis from the Mediterranean heat.

Bamboo Forest
There is even a small Laosian village set up to demonstrate how people use bamboo to create houses and other buildings, with small traditional garden plots dotted between.

Looking Up
The Dragon Valley is a relatively new addition to the park – a Feng Shui inspired garden created by Eric Borja in 2000 (the year of the Dragon). With its colourful Acer trees, rolling landscape and Red Phoenix pagoda you really do feel you have been transported to the other side of the world.

Dragon Valley
The Bambouseraie is easily accessible by car, but you can combine it with a trip on a steam train by taking the Train a Vapeur des Cevennes from Anduze or St Jean Du Gard and stopping at the Bambouseraie’s own station. Get more details on the park by visiting the Bambousaraie web site.
And if you get inspired by what you have seen you can buy your own plants at the nursery, and start creating your own oasis back at home.
Kew Glasshouses – gardens for all seasons
by The Bogtrotter on Feb.20, 2009, under Britain, English Gardens
The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew are perhaps the most famous gardens in the country. It’s global importance is recognised by the fact that it has been a UNESCO heritage site since 2003. But while many people visit gardens in the summer – most don’t realise just how much Kew has to offer all year round.

Temperate House at Kew
One of my favourite things to do at Kew is to climb up onto the walkways high up in the glass houses. In the Temperate House (the largest Glass house at Kew) you can look down on the world’s largest indoor plant – the Chilean wine-palm (Jubaea chilensis) which rises to over 16 metres tall. Being up in the rafters is a unique experience and gives you a completely different perspective on the plants and trees below.

Orchid in the Glasshouse
So you don’t have to wait for spring to head out for a garden visit – with Kew’s glasshouses you really do have gardens for all seasons.
Loseley Park Walled Garden
by The Bogtrotter on Jan.21, 2009, under Britain, English Gardens
In the few days that count as an English summer there is nothing better than a stroll around a beautiful garden. Last July I was lucky enough to visit Loseley Park, near Guildford in Surrey, for a wander around their walled garden.

Gazebo in Loseley Park gardens
The garden is based on a design from Gertrude Jeckyl, and is split into several smaller themed plots. The Rose Garden contains a good mix of traditional roses surrounded by low box hedges, in keeping with a historic garden. The focal point of this area is the gazebo, with white roses crawling across it’s frame. Other areas include the Flower Garden providing an almost garish splash of colour, in stark contrast with the tranquil serenity of the White Garden opposite.
My particular favourite was the Moat Walk, an old moat lined with a grass pathway and borders containing a magical array of flowers. At the end of the moat is a stairway up through windswept flowers towards the dovecot.

Steps near the moat at Loseley Park Gardens
And not forgeting the old Wisteria against the wall nearest the Hall, with it’s old branches that you think could have come straight out of a fairytale.
You can find out more about Loseley Park on their web site at www.loseley-park.co.uk.