Garden TOUR
This Cheshire garden was once a working nursery and has now evolved into a well-planned oasis of beauty
The garden at Lane End Cottage is made up of a series of interconnecting rooms, each with a different feel, linked by pergolas, a large beech hedge-edged circular lawn and a bamboo tunnel. As the garden was created by a former nursery owner, you will encounter many choice and unusual plants, all artfully placed, leaving you in no doubt that here is a garden owner that really knows the intricacies of their plants.
The garden in autumn is full of spectacular leaf colour from acers, including A. palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ with lovely yellow autumn leaves and bright coral-red branches even in winter, Fothergilla major (mountain witch alder), Nandina domestica (sacred bamboo) and Liquidambar styraciflua (sweet gum). There are floral displays from autumn-flowering bulbs, asters and dahlias among others, as well as vibrant colour and interest from the masses of ripening fruit, such as figs, grapes, pears and apples.
“One reason I still open the garden in September and October is to show people that gardens can still be interesting and full of colour at this time of year. There are usually 150 plants in flower and many more with vivid colour berries “ says garden owner Imogen.
Regular deadheading ensures lots of plants repeat flower and are still flowering well into November, although some roses are left unpruned since many of them produce attractive autumn hips. Autumn is a busy time at Lane End as the fruit from the productive orchard needs picking and storing , or turning into jams, jellies and chutneys.
Many of the flowers and seed heads need harvesting, then drying. Imogen finds hydrangeas, achillea and poppy heads particularly useful. They are used to decorate the wreaths that people make on the Christmas wreath making courses .
A walled orchard, which was only built in 2013, looks very established with fruit trees on the walls and freestanding, as well as redcurrants that grow well and fruit against the north-facing wall. Tree fruit includes apples, pears, quinces, medlar, a couple of figs, fan-trained and freestanding cherries and plums and damson. Specific varieties were chosen for the northern climate and for cropping at different times to provide a long picking season, so there are ‘Discovery’, ‘Katy’,
