* I was invited to a press visit at Barnsdale Gardens earlier in the summer, so my posts from that visit will be marked as 'Ad’ though as usual my views and opinions are very much my own.
As we’ve already explored some of the flower and vegetable gardens at Barnsdale I expect you’re wondering what else there is, well there’s plenty - and plenty more flowers and vegetables that I haven’t shared, and like many gardens they’re best explored in person. This press visit was my second time at Barnsdale, we’d visited before when we were staying close by - and as we’re less than an hour away I’m sure it won’t be my last visit either. If you find yourself close by then it’s a garden (or many gardens) that are definitely worth a visit, and like other independent gardens it has a completely different feel to the National Trust gardens, which are also fabulous and favourites of mine to visit.
When Geoff Hamilton was the Gardeners’ World presenter on TV he used Barnsdale as his TV garden, and there’s a very distinct separation between the TV gardens and the non-TV parts of the garden - and this sign gives you a big clue, and reminded me of those notices that we are used to seeing now which notify you you might be filmed. Clearly there’s no filming for the programme now, but it’s a nice part of history to keep that distinction.
Immediately you pass the sign you’re in, quite literally the Apple Arch (garden number 25), which featured on many of the programmes and continues to be popular with visitors, me included. Here it contains 26 different varieties of apples and pears and was originally created to show how its possible to grow a wide variety of ‘top fruit’ within a restricted space.
And given it’s beauty it’s easy to see why it’s still maintained - and fruitful - today.
I couldn’t finish this series of posts without sharing a picture of the bronze bust of Geoff Hamilton, which was sculpted by his youngest son Chris. It takes pride of place, on its reclaimed plinth, in the Memorial garden (garden number 3), and amongst the flowers surrounding it is the David Austin ‘Geoff Hamilton’ rose - what else?
But there is more, this is the view the bust looks out over, a wildflower border with Geoff’s favourite tree, a Katsura - and isn’t it just the most calming spot?
I also want to share more about the Artificial Rock Garden (garden number 7) pictured below. It looks like an ordinary rock right?
Wrong. The rock garden was created by Geoff using artificial coir-based rocks, inspired by the rapidly disappearing of natural limestone. They’re very realistic and are made from 2 parts coir, 1 part sharp sand, 1 part cement and some yellow cement dye.
They look - and feel - just like rocks, but also help save vital natural habitats. Clever hey?
The Japanese Garden (garden number 15) is a rare share of such a garden here for me, and Barnsdale are open that it doesn’t adhere to any formal ideas for gardens, and so is very much their interpretation of a traditional Japanese garden - and maybe that’s what appealed more to me, I’m not sure. Those upturned ‘bamboo’ pipes as an edging especially caught my eye.
It seems a calming end to this series of posts, and a great place to end a busy and photo-heavy day at the site. I know I’ll be back, and I hope you can get along if you ever find yourself nearby, I know you’ll be given the warmest of welcomes whatever the weather.
* With thanks to Barnsdale Gardens for inviting me to the gardens, and to Nick Hamilton for leading a tour through a selection of the gardens available. It’s a great space and I’m pretty sure I’ll be back to visit again.