HORTICULTURAL CURIOSITIES in gardens

Most people are gardeners at heart and like to see a nice garden be it in a park or a stately home, or just a simple cottage garden.   Some people also like to show something a bit out of the ordinary in their gardens and many curiosities are to be seen.

 

 

 

A  walled  garden

 

A superb walled garden was laid out in 1604 at Edzell Castle near Brechin in North Angus by Sir David Lindsay.     Although enclosed pleasances were becoming more common by this time, the architectural elaboration of Edzell is unique in Scotland.

Sir David and his wife, Dame Isobel Forbes, devout Christians, believed that the number 7 was a holy number and that number plays a significant part in this delightful garden.   The unique heraldic and symbolic carved plaques on the walls depict 7 coats of arms; 7 pronged stars; 7 liberal arts and 7 virtues.   The walls are also indented with three rows of 7 large square holes, filled in summer with white and blue flowers.

This wonderful garden and the historic ruined Castle are now in the care of Historic Scotland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unusual gardens

 

An isolated residence at Riseborough near Pickering in North Yorkshire has a unique garden.  

The plants are growing in numerous old sinks and toilet pans, giving a spectacular effect. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very unusual wildlife garden decorations can be seen in the front garden of a house in Boundary Lane, St Leonards on the edge of the New Forest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The owner of a house in the main street of Wicken in Cambridgeshire has built a complete

miniature village in his front garden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An unusual staircase is to be seen in the grounds of Milton Abbey (Public School)

 at Milton Abbas in Dorset.   A flight of grass steps leads up to St Catherine’s Chapel

which dates from Norman times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whilst a motor cycle shop in Coleford, Forest of Dean has found a novel way of using surplus helmets as plant holders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garden sculpture


A cottage garden in the tiny hamlet of Peckford in Cheshire has a different sort of ornamentation – an ornamental stone beehive in the shape of an elephant with a castle on its back. Standing some 8 feet high, it was carved in 1840 by the stone mason who lived there.

 

 

 

 

 

On a wall at Commonside House opposite the church in Yarm, North Yorkshire, is a remarkable model of the former castle.

 

 

 

 

 

An unusual garden sculpture can be seen in the front garden of a cottage in the tiny village of Kingsbury Escopi in Somerset.  It is made up of a basket weave and shrubbery to form the figure of a woman.

 

 

 

 

 

Good use has been made of former trees at this garden in East Ayton, North Yorkshire

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile these Three Wise Monkey's are wondering why a full sized model Spitfire has landed in their garden in The Glebe, Moffat in the Scottish Borders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a little help with the digging at RHS Harlow Car Garden, Harrogate.