PLANTS OF INTEREST

29th April 2019

Donations are used to help fund projects. We are constantly enhancing the garden through propagation of existing stock or the purchase of new plants and these donations make a difference

Embothrium coccimeum in Bowling Green

Biddulph Grange Garden

A journey around the world

The National Trust is an independent registered charity, number 205846

The Garden

In 1840 James and Maria Bateman moved to what was then a farm and grounds

which were for the most part swampy fields. Bateman was a botanist of considerable

note and he was at one time vice-president of the Royal Horticultural Society.

His great love was orchids and he wrote and published ‘Orchidaceae of Mexico

and Guatemala’ which established him as a botanist of note.

His wife Maria came from a leading Cheshire family, the Egerton-Warburtons,

with a tradition of creative gardening and her brother was the creator of the garden

at Arley Hall. Maria’s interest was in herbaceous plants, particularly fuchsias and lilies.

Together with Edward Cooke who was an architect and maritime painter, the Batemans

created Biddulph Grange Garden and the architectural features of the garden were

probably all the work of Cooke. Each area of the garden has its own microclimate

formed by the use of trees as screens and rockwork to protect plants.

The National Trust acquired the garden in 1988 and it was opened to the public following restoration on 1st May 1991. Throughout, there are several Coalbrookdale Seats each with a different design and although they are not original, they are Victorian and well worth a look.

Plants of Interest 29th April 2019

Boudoir Garden Rosa banksia ‘Lutea’ ‘Banksian Rose’. Yellow rose on wall

Bowling Green Embothrium coccineum ‘Chilean Fire Bush’. Bright orange-red flowers Magnolia stellata ‘Star Magnolia’. One shrub with white star-like flowers Nothofagus antarctica ‘Antarctic Beech’. Front of bed near Pinus montezumae Pinus montezumae ‘Montezuma Pine’. Large pine tree with long needles Poncirus trifoliata ‘Japanese Bitter Orange’. Spiny stems, white flowers Weigela middendorffiana Shrub with yellow flowers

China Acer palmatum ‘Rubrum’ ‘Red Maple’. Three trees, original plantings, new foliage Adiantum aleuticum ‘Aleutian Maidenhair Fern’ with fine black stems Asplenium scolopendrium ‘Hart’s-Tongue Fern’ in Great Wall at top of China Berberis darwinii Shrubs high on Great Wall with orange flowers Camellia ‘Elegans’ Shrubs with pink flowers near water’s edge Camellia ‘Masayoshi’ Shrub with red flowers near water’s edge Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’ Upright shrub to right of steps to Joss House Cephalotaxus fortunei ‘Chinese Plum Yew’ to left of above plant Chaenomoles speciosa Shrubs with orange-red flowers on wall nr Watchtower Chaenomeles speciosa 'Moerloosei' Shrub with clusters of white flowers near Great Wall Cryptomeria japonica ‘Japanese Cedar’. Large tree near Temple Cupressus funebris ‘Chinese Weeping Cypress’ near steps to Watchtower Luzula sylvatica ‘Greater Windrush’. Grass with small brown flowers Pseudolarix amabilis ‘Golden Larch’. Planted 1855, believed to be the last survivor of six brought from China by Robert Fortune. Over the bridge, leaning slightly and a young one by its side. A deciduous conifer now with young buds. Pseudosasa japonica ‘Arrow Bamboo’ on water’s edge near bridge Xanthorhiza simplicissima ‘Yellow Root’. Small shrub at eye level at entrance to Hosta Beds with tiny,deep purple/brown flowers

Dahlia Walk Dahlia Walk has been planted with varieties of In the Glasshouses the dahlia tubers which have been tulips which will flower in May/June and the beds stored over winter are now shooting and we are taking treated to a mulch cuttings to provide almost 600 plants for the beds. Brunnera macrophylla ‘Siberian bugloss’. Small blue flowers, variegated leaf Trillium grandiflorum White flowers with three petals, leaves in threes Taxus baccata ‘Semperaurea’ Three new common yew plantings at bottom of Walk

Eastern Terrace Prunus lusitanica ‘Portuguese Laurel’. Shaped and in stone planters

Glen Caltha palustris ‘Marsh Marigold’. Golden yellow flowers Darmera peltatum ‘Umbrella Plant’. Stalks of pink flowers, no leaves Dicksonia antarctica ‘Soft Tree Fern’. Fern with long ‘trunk’ Osmunda regalis ‘Royal Fern’ at water’s edge with young foliage unfurling Phyllostachys nigra ‘Black Bamboo’. Growing near bridge Rhododendron campanulatum Mauve flowers high on bank and near tunnel Rhododendron glaucophyllum Shrubs with small pink flowers Rhododendron niveum Large Rhododendron with purple flowers Rhododendron wightii Large Rhododendron with cream flowers Soldanella alpina Tiny purple-blue flowers near China tunnel

Italy Bedding White and pink forget-me-nots, Pink Diamond tulips Juniperus scopulorum ‘Skyrocket’ Slender, erect, evergreen trees Rhododendron luteum ‘Azalea pontica’. Large shrubs with fragrant, yellow fls Ribes speciosum ‘Californian Fuchsia’. Shrub with fuchsia-like red flowers

Lime Avenue - Rainbow The Rhododendron varieties from front row to back are ‘Blue Boy’, luteum, coccineum ‘Glowing Embers’ and ‘Nova Zembla’

Pinetum Bluebells now in flower Abies cephalonica ‘Greek Fir’ on left facing tunnel entrance Araucaria araucana ‘Monkey Puzzle Tree’. Bateman gave each a name. Calocedrus decurrens ‘Incense Cedar’, a columnar tree near bend Cedrus deodara ‘Deodar Cedar’ on mound near near Monkey Puzzles Erica arborea ‘Alpina’ ‘Tree Heather’. Group of shrubs, white fls, near bend Ilex aquifolium ‘Angustimarginata Aurea’ Narrow leaved, variegated holly near Bowling Green Pinus cembra ‘Arolla Pine’ on mound near bend Pinus nigra ‘Austrian Pine’ with armoured bark near Monkey Puzzles Quercus agrifolia ‘California Live Oak’. Walking to Cheshire Cottage with the Calocedrus on the left, the tree after the yew. Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Japanese Umbrella Pine’. Near Quercus Sequoia sempervirens The ‘Coastal Redwood’ near Cheshire Cottage Taxus baccata ‘Aurea Group’ ‘Golden Yew’ near bend Tsuga canadensis ‘Eastern Hemlock’ to left of tunnel to Rhodo Ground Tsuga mertensiana ‘Mountain Hemlock’ tree at entrance to Bowling Green Ulex europaeus Common gorse. Prickly shrubs with yellow flowers

Rhododendron Ground Rhododendron ‘Cunningham’s White’ Tennis Lawn. Pink buds and white flowers Rhododendron falconeri Cream flowers in corner leading to Glen Rhododendron ‘Ivery’s Scarlet’ Red flowers on edge of lake near Roundabout Rhododendron ‘Purple Emperor’ Deep purple Rhododendron nr Monkey Puzzle Parterre

Stumpery Epimedium rubrum Very small star-shaped flowers with a red border Lathyrus vernis ‘Spring pea’. Small plant with bright purple flowers

Verbena Parterre Wisteria sinensis Climber with blue flowers

Wellingtonia Avenue Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Wellingtonia’ or ‘Giant Redwood’, reddish-brown bark Woodland Walk Join the Walk at the bottom of Wellingtonia Avenue and leave near the big urn (largest stone garden urn in Britain)