PLANTS OF INTEREST March 2019 We are constantly enhancing the garden through propagation of existing stock or the purchase of new plants and donations make a difference Prunus cerasifera ‘Pissardii’ in the Rhododendron Ground 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 March 2019 Arboretum Acer saccharinum ‘Silver Maple’. 3 trees, small red flowers before leaves Boudoir Garden Anemone blanda Clumps of small, blue, daisy-like flowers Bowling Green Cornus mas Large shrub with tiny yellow flowers Ilex crenata ‘Japanese Holly’. Group of 12 small shrubs Mahonia aquifolium Shrub in Quoits Ground with yellow flowers Osmanthus heterophyllus Shrubs at entrance to BG with leaves like holly Pinus montezumae ‘Montezuma Pine’. Large pine tree with long needles Photinia serratifolia Far end, large shrubs with red new growth China Adiantum aleuticum ‘Aleutian Maidenhair Fern’ with fine black stems Asarum europaeum ‘European Wild Ginger’. Foot of wall, glossy leaves Asplenium scolopendrium ‘Hart’s-Tongue Fern’ in Great Wall at top of China Bellis perennis ‘Bellis Daisy’. Small red daisy in the Dragon Parterre Bergenia sp ‘Elephant’s Ears’ in one of tufa beds Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’ Upright shrub to right of steps to Joss House Cephalotaxus fortunei ‘Chinese Plum Yew’ to left of above plant Cryptomeria japonica ‘Japanese Cedar’. Large tree near Temple Cupressus funebris ‘Chinese Weeping Cypress’ near steps to Watchtower Jasminum nudiflorum ‘Winter Jasmine’. Tiny yellow fls near arch by Great Wall Lonicera fragrantissima ‘Winter Flowering Honeysuckle’ close to Jasmine 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 Skimmia japonica reevesiana Small shrub with red berries & flower buds under Acer Dahlia Walk In the Glasshouses the dahlia tubers which have been stored over winter are now in compost so that when new growth appears we can take cuttings to provide almost 600 plants for the beds. Normally, propagation starts on Bob’s birthday in March! Taxus baccata ‘Semperaurea’ Three new common yew plantings at bottom of Walk Glen Buxus sempervirens ‘Latifolia Maculata’ Small leaved shrub on left facing tunnel Dicksonia antarctica ‘Soft Tree Fern’. Fern with long ‘trunk’ Ilex aquifolium ‘Crispa’ Holly with twisted leaf near steps down from High Walk Phyllostachys nigra ‘Black Bamboo’. Growing near bridge Rhododendron fulgens Group of three shrubs with red flowers Italy Ilex aquifolium Silver Queen’ Holly with yellow margins to the leaf, top of steps Juniperus scopulorum ‘Skyrocket’ Slender, erect, evergreen trees Pieris floribunda An original shrub planted by James Bateman with panicles of white flowers at top of steps Monkey Puzzle Parterre When the trees grow too big for here they are moved to the Pinetum. Araucaria araucana ‘Monkey Puzzle Tree’ Mrs Bateman’s Garden Anemone blanda Small, blue, daisy-like fls (more in Boudoir Garden) Ribes speciosum ‘Californian Fuchsia’. Shrub with fuchsia-like red flowers Pinetum 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 Ilex aquifolium Angustimarginata Aurea’ Narrow leaved, variegated holly close to entrance to 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 Corylopsis pauciflora ‘Buttercup Witch Hazel’. Small yellow fls near tunnel Prunus cerasifera ‘Pissardii’ ‘Purple-leaved Plum Tree’ with pink blossom Pulmonaria angustifolia Near Roundabout, small very bright blue flowers Stumpery Helleborus orientalis ‘Double Spotted White’ ‘Hellebore’. White flowers spotted red Helleborus orientalis ‘Green Double Spotted’ ‘Hellebore’. Double green flowers Wellingtonia Avenue Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Wellingtonia’ or ‘Giant Redwood’, reddish-brown bark Western Terrace Aucuba japonica ‘Crotonifolia’ ‘Spotted Laurel’ with large spotted leaves, red berries Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’ ‘Irish Yew’. A column of closely packed branches Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata Aurea’ A golden form of the above Woodland Walk Join the Walk at the bottom of Wellingtonia Avenue and leave near the big urn (the largest stone garden urn in Britain) to walk down the Avenue for the view. .