Like many gardens created in the mid C19th, Biddulph was designed and built to show off the large variety of internationally discovered plants found by those intrepid Victorian plant hunters. However, James Bateman went one step further and incorporated into his garden a varied series of gardens within gardens to amaze, impress and delight his friends and visitors.
James Bateman was a Fellow of the Linnean and Royal Societies, Vice-President of the Royal Horticultural Society, and author of two major works on the cultivation of orchids.
The garden is a cleverly planned framework of hedges, rocky outcrops, secret tunnels, and concealed pathways which lead into a variety of distinctively themed and styled gardens
The journey begins through the Mediterranean/Italian garden
Lime tree avenue
Lake surrounded by Rhododendrons discovered and introduced from the Himalayas
One of the many tunnels to explore!
A hidden pathway with steps emulating a Himalayan mountain walk
with rocky outcrops covered in ferns, moss and blue Gentiana asclepiadea - willow gentian
The climb continues upwards, crosses a stream, then on through a network of rocks and stone passageways
emerging into a Victorian vision of China
Ascend the Great Wall of China to the Joss House - a small Chinese temple.
James Bateman based his design for the Chinese garden on the Willow Pattern plate
but it's onwards and upwards through the garden - more will be revealed next time......
