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Copper Beech Garden Tours emphasizing design, history and horticulture
in England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Holland, Italy and Europe. |
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Great Gardens of the World A quick guide to world-famous gardens and nurseries. |
2008 Hampton Court Flower Show and an In-depth Look at the Gardens of Getrude Jekyll 2009 Gardens of France with The Courson Flower Show & The Chaumont Flower Show |
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Home
The Tours: History, Horticulture & more: |
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"My own philosophy about gardens is that they should have diversity, a happy mixture of strong design and careless rapture".
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David Austin's English Roses, Wolverhampton, Shropshire: One of the largest rose breeders in Great Britain, David Austin started this garden and nursery in the early 1960s and features over 900 varieties including shrub, climbing, species and old roses. Benington Lordship, Benington, Stevenage, Hertfordshire: The remains of a Norman castle and gatehouse along with a 1700 brick mansion provide an outstanding setting for a superb garden. A pair of spectacular herbaceous borders in blue, white, cream and yellow include touches of orange and red. A walled kitchen garden has more borders, vegetables and a small nursery. A formal garden has cream and yellow roses underplanted with irises, aquilegias and catmint. Beth Chatto's Garden, Elmstead Market, Colchester, Essex: A pioneer in xeriscaping (she turned part of the carpark into a fascinating gravel garden), Beth Chatto's garden contrasts drought tolerant plants with pools that feature moisture loving plants. Farther up the slopes large beds contain bulbs and herbaceous perennials backed by shrubs and trees. She has recently opened a woodland garden. Folly Farm, Sulhamstead, Reading, Berkshire: A sublime example of the Lutyens and Jekyll partnership, this garden ranks as one of Britain's most important 20th century gardens. The house and garden are arranged as a whole and water provides the means of linking them. Complex spaces are linked by the herringbone brick walks and several smaller gardens surround the house. Gardens of the Rose, St. Albans, Hertfordshire: 30,000 rose trees and over 1,700 varieties are displayed here, showcasing Hybrid Teas (now called large-flowered) and Floribundas (now called cluster-flowered), climbers, miniatures as well as ground covers. Part of the garden features trials for roses from around the world. The garden is being enlarged over 10 years from 12 acres to 60. Hampton Court Palace, London, East Molesey, Surrey: Home to the Royal Horticultural Society's July Flower Show, Hampton Court is the site of much spectacle in British history. The Palace was the Tudor home of Henry VIII, having been given to the king by Cardinal Woolsey who lost his head in the bargain. A maze from 1691 is still there (and still difficult to negotiate - a spotter in a tower helps those who haven't made it out by closing time) as is a grape vine planted in 1768 which still produces 'Black Hamburg' grapes for sell in October. William III's Privy Garden was archeologically excavated and renovated during 1993-1995 and is now open to the public. Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire: a Jacobean masterpiece in brick was begun in 1607 by Robert Cecil. It has been in the Cecil family ever since. Although it has always had a garden, in the last twenty years, the present Marchioness of Salisbury has created a masterpiece of her own. Near the house are the formal gardens, which have ancient origins. The knot garden near the Old Palace has plants which were introduced by John Tradescant the Elder who worked for the Cecils when the garden was started in the 1600s. The Privy garden and the Scented garden to the west of the house have been revitalized; the East garden is decorated with formal rows of clipped holm oaks. Hidcote, Hidcote Bartrim, Chipping Campden, Glouchestershire: Sissinghurst and Hidcote draw the most visitors in Britain. This spectacular garden is by a contemporary of Vita Sackville-West's, Major Lawrence Johnston. Quintessentially English, it is made up of many garden "rooms" which are connected but with dramatic contrasts. Vita visited this garden and described the mixed beech hedges as an oriental "tapestry" in her column. Johnston was a plant collector and travelled the world in search of unusual plants. His Red Borders and the Stilt Garden rank as some of the most unique concepts to be seen in gardens. Nymans, Haywards Heath, West Sussex: Few gardens combine an extaordinary collection of plants in such an attractive setting within formal and informal garden areas. Leonard Messel acquired Nymans in 1890 and began introducing a wide variety of plants gathered from over the world. A large pair of herbaceous borders was influenced by William Robinson. Four large yews have been shaped into crowns which surround a central fountain. The ruins of part of the house from a fire in 1947 enhance the serenity of the garden. Oxford Botanic Garden, Oxfordshire: The oldest botanic garden in Britain, founded in 1621 for physicians' herbal requirements, it has over 8,000 species and representatives of over 90 per cent of families of flowering plants in four and one half acres. There is a National Collection of Euphorbias. The garden is tended by 10 gardeners and justifies its original purpose "to promote learning and glorify the works of God". Outside the front entrance is a rose garden given by Americans dedicated to the memory of those working at the university who developed penicillin. Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, London: Primarily a research institution which collects, conserves and exchanges plants from all over the world, Kew's multi-faceted gardens sprawl over more than 300 acres within the ring road around London. In summer the Duke's garden and the roses are spectacular; year-round treasures are Decimus Burton's Palm House, the Temperate House and Diana, Princess of Wales Conservatory. The Queen's Garden in the style of a seventeenth century garden, has been renovated and re-opened. Royal Horticultural Gardens, Wisley, Woking, Surrey: Wisley's 240 acres of flower gardens, test and trial gardens, rock gardens, collections of herbs, rhododendrons, alpines, hydrangeas, lilies, vegetables and fruit and numerous other demonstration gardens draw more than 750,000 people a year. As a teaching garden, it truly lives up to its mission. Not coincidentally, it has the best garden book store (as well as interesting gifts) to be found anywhere. The Savill Garden, Edgefield Green, Surrey: With 35 acres, this garden contains a fine collection of rhododendrons, camellias, magnolias, hydrangeas. Hostas, ferns, an outstanding conider/rock garden and amazing herbaceous borders add interest to this varied and natural garden. There is a fine temperate house with tree ferns, mimosas, eucryphias which are underplanted with exotics. Shakespeare Houses and their gardens, Warwickshire: In Stratford-upon-Avon, there are several interesting gardens (recreations) that are associated with the Bard: the Birthplace, Anne Hathaway's cottage and New Place, the house he bought for his retirement (long since demolished). At New Place, there is an interesting Elizabethan knot garden with oak palisade and 'tunnel' or 'pleached-bower' of that time. Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, Kent: This garden was made by Vita Sackville-West (from the Sackvilles who own Knole) and her husband, Harold Nicholson from the 1930s onward. It was highly visited even in its own day and is one of the top two most visited gardens in the very selective collection owned by the National Trust. Based on the site of a medieval castle and Elizabethan tower, the garden grew to a design by Harold Nicholson with the planting scheme of Vita's. The original "white" garden is here in a breathtaking boxwood parterre. She wrote a column describing her work and plants for the Times for more than 20 years. John Tordoff's Garden, London: located in the NE of London in Hackney (within the ring road), this small town garden has won awards and notoriety since it was opened to the public in 1995. Only a few hundred feet long and half that wide, it contains several small themed areas beautifully arranged and maintained to perfection. West Wycombe Park, West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire: Created by the second Sir Francis Dashwood who was influenced by his experiences on the Grand Tour, the first phase was completed in 1739. Splendid vistas and temples and statues add to the ambience in this truly English art form - the landscape garden. Abbotsford: the home of the great Scottish laird, Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), Abbotsford could be called the original country house open to the public. The house was named for the monks of Melrose Abbey who used to cross the River Tweed nearby. The garden is rich in Scottish allusions; a yew hedge has medallions inset from an old cross and a fountain in the formal garden was formed from the same cross. Culzean Castle: this garden is regarded as the flagship of the National Trust for Scotland. Set in 563 acres, the gardens cover 30, featuring a fountained pleasure garden and a vast walled garden. The Camellia House (1818) has been beautifully restored to its original use as an orangery; the Swan Pond buildings and the Pagoda have been restored and are spectacular. Dawyck Botanic Garden: this is a specialist garden of the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh and has over 300 years of tree planting; it is one of the world's finest arboreta. Its collections include rare Chinese conifers and the unique Dawyck beech. Glenwhan: An exciting 12-acre garden with lovely views over Luce Bay, this garden is set in an area of wild natural beauty with rocky outcrops. Only begun in 1979, the garden is protected by the winds of the Gulfstream and has a mild climate so that exotic plants thrive among the varied collections of trees, shrubs and plants. Collections based on themes, genera or reminders of friends are everywhere. Castle Kennedy: One of Scotland's most famous gardens and set on a cliff between two lochs, the spring color is magnificent. Originally laid out in 1730 around the ruins of a castle home, the garden is internationally famous for its pinetum; there is an impressive 2-acre circular lily pond and a walled garden planted with themed borders. Logan Botanic Garden: Another specialist garden of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Logan's mild climate on the west coast of Scotland allows it to grow a collection of exotic plants in the open. Plants from South and Central America, southern Africa, Australasia and the Mediterranean which survive outside in few British gardens, grow here near the warm waters of the gulfstream. Manderston: One of the last great classic houses to be built in Britain, Manderston was modelled on Robert Adam's Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire. Four magnificent formal terraces are planted in the Edwardian style and overlook a serpentine lake. The Chinese Bridge leads one to the woodland garden on the far side. No expense was spared in creating this garden which is just a part of 56 acres of formal and informal lovliness. Mellerstain: Formal layout with stately terraces which overlook an "arranged" landscape, the house is a unique example of the work of the Adam family. Designed by William Adam in 1725 and completed by his son, Robert Adam in the 1770s. The library is one of the finest Robert Adam ever designed. Lightly planted, the glory of this garden is its landscape and the view to the Cheviot Hills is the finest in the Borders. Mt. Stuart: these fabulous gardens are located on the west coast of Scotland on the Isle of Bute. Not counting the 300 acres of designed landscape and walks, there is a mature pinetum dating from 1860 and a magnificent old lime (Tilia) avenue. In conjunction with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh they have set aside 100 acres for an endangered conifer species garden to create a seedbank for the future; rock gardens, a kitchen garden and a 'wee' garden of 8 acres are other intriguing features. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh: set on a hillside with panoramic views of the city, this garden is one of the finest in the world. Begun in the 1600s on an area the size of a tennis court, it now extends to 75 acres. The rock garden may be the finest in the world. There are peat and woodland gardens, The Glasshouse Experience, as well as stunning collections of rhododendrons and azaleas. Powis Castle: this garden was originally laid out in 1720 based on ealier designs. The broad hanging terraces are interestingly planted with huge clipped yews. On the second terrace are fine lead urns and newly restored figures. Some fruit trees remain on the terrace where in the 1800s advantage was taken of a micro-climate to grow fruits and vegetables. It is on a very steep site but the views are worth the climb. Versailles: one of the largest formal gardens in the world, the vistas extend for more than two miles along the main axis. The original hunting lodge was enlarged for Louis XIV (The Sun King) to its present size by Charles Le Brun (who created the sculptures and painted the interiors), Louis Le Vau (architect) and Andre LeNotre who designed the gardens These three men were taken from Nicholas Fouquet at Vaux-le-Vicomte by the king and brought to Versailles. Le Petite Trianon and Le Hameau, designed for Marie-Antionette, and Le Grand Trianon, as well as the Potager du Roi are also worth taking time to visit. Vaux-le-Vicomte: When Nicholas Fouquet invited the king of France, Louis XIV, to visit for a grand feast and 10-day celebration in 1661, he had no idea that it would be the precipitating event that would land him in prison and that the king would strip Vaux-le-Vicomte and take the three men who designed it to Versailles. Vaux-le-Vicomte is a jewel of perfection. Versailles may be larger and more opulent but Vaux-le-Vicomte is the more perfect. Bagatelle: part landscape garden and part formal rose garden with several other themed areas, Bagatelle lies west of the center of Paris in the Bois du Boulogne. With an 18th C chateau at the center that bears the inscription "small but appropriate", the visitor can wander the walks and bridges in the woodlands or study the well-labelled rose collection. Giverny: Monet's home and garden which inspired his paintings of waterlilies, this garden is filled with rambling and overflowing plants. The upper garden near the house is sectioned off into rectangular beds while across the street (via the underpass) lies the pond garden where the famous bridge arches the water under the willows. Villa Adriana (Hadrian's Villa) is one of the greatest monuments of antiquity and enough remains of the buildings and layout to interest both architects and gardeners. A whole city rather than a dwelling, it was built by Adrian after he became emperor in AD 117. Particularly remarkable was the hydraulic system that fed water to the main structures. Fountains, pools, reservoirs and canals connect the various buildings. Villa Aldobrandini is the largest and the most spectacular of the late Renaissance villas built in Frascati. Behind the palace a vast courtyard, the Water Theatre, is framed by a wall ornamented with Ionic pilasters and niches. On a terrace behind the Atlas fountain, the great runnel of water which flows from the top of the hill, is enclosed by an alle of clipped holm oaks. Bobili Gardens near Pitti Palace, Florence. The Boboli is particularly remarkable for its history, its formal layout, architecture, fountains, grottoes and collections of Roman, Renaissance and Baroque sculptures. The lemon garden is today planted with a collection of classic roses. Bomarzo, the Sacred Wood; the stone monsters of Bomarzo have been described as a uniquely grotesque assemblage of mythical, literary and heraldic sources that have, for generations, baffled and enthralled visitors.The park's rough terrain is strewn with large sculptures set in open glades. Villa Capponi, much appreciated by Edith Wharton, the gardens are among the most charming in the hills around Florence. The small gardens, edged by tall walls with a Rococo curvilinear shape, ornamented with terracotta urns, are still perfectly preserved. Villa Chigi Cetinale. Backed by a steep hill and forests of oak, this garden has a dramatic setting. A long axis provides vistas which lead the eye through an avenue of cypresses to the distant hermitage. An English garden was begun in the early years of this century. Villa d'Este is renowned for its spectacular use of water and represents the quintessence of the Italian garden of the High Renaissance. The villa sits above the precipitous garden, but in the garden every inch of space is controlled by manmade terraces, flattening out towards the bottom to three tranquil fishponds. The ingenuity of the water features, including the famous Organ Fountain, completed in 1661, and the Walk of the Hundred Fountains, were based on hydraulic theories of the Hero of Alexander in circa 100 AD. Villa Farnese stands at the top of the town, dominating all views and looking out towars Rome. The pentagonal building is connected with both the western winder garden and northern summer garden by bridges. Both gardens are square and are divided into four compartments with each compartment further subdivided. The perfect balance between landscape, architecture and sculptural decoration, and the sequence of spectacular features make Caprarola one the the great masterpieces of Italian garden art. Villa Gamberaia, one of the most celebrated Italian villas, since its restoration in Edwardian times, the garden has been considered a masterpiece. The 15th century villa has been enlarged and the garden developed since the 1700s; fountains, statues, the grotto garden, the bowling alley, the lemon garden and orangery and a parterre de broderie are a few of the features. Castel Gandolfo is perched on the rim of a volcanic crater that is now Lake Albano and has a spectacular position as well as being rich in history. The garden is an extraordinary combination of ordered Italian gardening with walls, ancient and new, avenues of cypress and oak, monumental fountains, and classical statues of great beauty. Giardini Landriana is an amazing 25 acre graden which was created in 1956 in a mixture of luxuriant English and controlled Italian styles. The garden is laid out on different levels and there is color and interest from April to October. Villa Lante, begun in the 1560s by Cardinal Gambara with architect Vignola. This is a perfect Renaissance garden in which murmuring water, flashing fountains, and shade and sunlight alternating under vast plane trees, together with superb stone carving and the geometrical water parterre at its lowest point, provide unforgettable memories. Giardino di Ninfa: For many travellers, the gardens among the flower-covered ruins of Ninfa, in their romantic profusion of scented roses and jasmines and rushing sparkling water, must represent the ideal of a terrestrial paradise, combining the natural and architectural beauty of the site with an astonishing collection of plants, collected from all over the world in this 20 acre garden. Castello Ruspoli has formal parterres, perhaps the oldest serviving in Italy that retain their original early 17th century geometric layout and are overlooked by the castle to which it is joined by a bridge over a sunken road. The parterres, set in a flat rectangular space between wings of evergreen oaks, are set out in twelve patterns of box, each surrounded by clipped bay, with pots for lemons on each corner. Vatican Gardens: The Vatican is a whole city of gardens with schemes that include well maintained parterres, rock gardens and even woodland areas with several dramatic views of the dome of St. Peter's. Bramante's early 16th century revolutionary design can still be identified. He organized a magnificent central perspective that traversed the rising terraces at right angles, linking them by a series of ramps and staircases, ending in a semicircular niche. |
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All landscape photography, illustration, design, and layout © Linda T. McHam. |
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