Abbeywood Gardens Cheshire
History of Abbeywood Gardens Cheshire
Abbeywood is an Edwardian residence built in 1908 set in 45 acres of grounds, close
to Delamere Forest, Cheshire. Only 4 families have lived at the property since its
construction, the Rowlinsons having been here since 1987. The Estate includes a
series of Cheshire Gardens, a young Arboretum and mature woodland areas.
In 2003 Lynda and Harry Rowlinson commissioned David Stevens to redesign the Main
Gardens, following advice from this international garden designer and author:-
The enhancements made include:
- Creating a focal point with views along an entire garden
- Redesigning the chapel garden, which dates back to the 1950s
- Restoring the formal pool garden (which had been used as a tennis court)
- Widening beds and creating a pergola walk
- Altering terracing and designing new steps at the back of the house
- Designing seating areas
- Using box hedging to enclose beds.
Abbeywood Gardens Cheshire opened to the public in May 2010. they are also open 2 days a year for the NGS.
The gardens are part of Cheshire Gardens of Distinction and Enjoy England.
Glasshouse Borders
Access to this part of our Cheshire Gardens is via the Garden Cafe, up a central path surrounded by naturalistic style planting. Narcissus, Tulips, Alliums and Camassia begin the season, followed by perennials, including Nepeta, Hemerocallis ‘Corky’, Sedum ‘Purple Emperor’ Knautia macedonica and Veronicastrum , interspersed with Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberspinne’. The North facing border is filled with Hosta, Astilbe, Heuchera and Tricyrtis.
The Exotic Garden
Adjacent to the Cafe, which now occupies the remnants of the old vegetable garden, was
started two years ago. The layout remains formal with box hedging, but the planting within
is relaxed and heavily reliant on mostly tender exotics planted out each Spring. Two Quince
trees dominate the central planters along with Trachycarpus palms and Cordyline australis.
Cannas, Dahlias, Bananas and Tetrapanax papyrifer are interplanted with large leaved hardy
plants suchs as Ligularia and Rodgersia. These in turn are mixed with an array of tender
Salvias, Ricinus, Cleome, Tithonia, Solanum spp and many more. The planting changes
every year.
The Pool Garden
The Gazebo leads through to the Pool Garden, which is surrounded by an old established
yew hedge from the days when this area was a Tennis Court. A long central pond is flanked
by a parterre. Tulips abound in Spring, in the parterre and the surrounding borders. This is one of the quaintest Cheshire gardens within the county and is highly recommended.
Dahlia ‘Bishop of York’ and Verbena bonariensis complete the scene later in the year. The
borders are ‘cottage garden’ style planting, Campanula, Phlox, Agapanthus, Hellebores,
Miscanthus, Penstemon, Aquilegia and Irises all jostle for space here. There is always
something in flower in these borders.Two large urns dominate the West end , underplanted
en masse with Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’ , which quivers with the weight of bees from
July to the first frost!
The Chapel Garden
The smallest area of this serene Cheshire garden, the Chapel Garden, is reached through the wrought iron gates. Two old Irish yew stand sentry at the entrance. Another formal area with a small pool, the small borders contain a variety of perennials, Nepeta, Lychnis, Echinacea pupurea ‘White Swan’, Dianthus ‘Alan Titchmarsh’, Hemerocallis ‘Joan Senior’, Miscanthus cosmopolitan and Erigeron annuus, share the space with Viburnum and Choisya.
The Pergola Walk
On leaving the Chapel Garden you enter the Pergola Walk. With its adjacent herbaceous borders, it is the main access point to the rest of these joyous Cheshire gardens. Roses and Clematis climb the brick pillars. Narcissus and Tulipa ‘Jan Reus’ in Spring are followed by the herbaceous perennials. Replanted two years ago, Lupins, Irises, Nepeta, Monarda, Delphiniums, Aster ‘Little Carlow’, Hemerocallis, Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’. Echinacea and Eupatorium fill these borders with colour and texture.
Perpendicular to these and the Pergola are four newly planted borders reaching out across the lawn towards the hills in the distance. Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’ add to the formality, while Miscanthus sinensis ‘Flamingo’, Panicum , Kniphofia ‘Tawny King’ and ‘Percy’s Pride’, Echinacea, Geum ‘Princess Juliana’, Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’, Sedum, Persicaria andAster lateriflorus ‘Horizontalis’ add the informal aspect.
A large and impressive Cedar, Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’ dominates the Western boundary of the garden, across the lawn toward the house.
At the steps leading to the back of the house are small borders with multiple stemmed Prunus serrula (Tibetan Cherry), Agapanthus, Phlomis russeliana and Clematis. There are also Phlox and Sedum planted along this terrace.
The small glade opposite the house is underplanted with shade lovers, Hostas, Rhododendron, Foxgloves, Roscoea, Epimedium, Erythronium and Euphorbia robbiae amongst others.
Cornus controversa variegata, Magnolia stellata, Magnolia × loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’ and Choisya with herbaceous perennials, forms the Eastern boundary with Jane’s Garden.
Our Cheshire Gardens are yours to explore – we are open from Sunday to Thursday and we would be delighted to see you here.
Find out more about Abbeywood Gardens Cheshire and our increasingly popular Snowdrop Garden Here.
