Introduction
We had a long drive through the length of England one day and decided to stop part way though to see a few gardens. Two of the gardens we visited ended up being nursery and supply stores, though they were advertised as gardens. One of the two centers was a bit of a disappointment but the second garden center had very lovely gardens to look at as well as a well stocked gardening center that had everything gardening that one could imagine. We included photos from the nice garden center below.
We also paid a visit to the Dorothy Clive gardens which was a nice way to end the day.
Garden World
I will be the first to admit that we do go to garden centers at home to look at the displays. A lot can be learned from the trip, it costs nothing except all the supplies that we purchase to imitate the garden we saw, but we find that well worth out time on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
So if we do this at home, why not while driving through Cheshire.
The sales center at garden World is more than impressive. Not everyone has a place like this close to home. The tables of perennials goes for a country mile, individual shops for wood items such as arbors and fences, and for water gardening line the center where the perennials wait for purchase. Beyond all of the bustle of the shopping area lies individual gardens with a variety of styles: Victorian, Asian, border, and rock gardening are just some of the areas. I could not help myself when it came to taking pictures. So many good ideas to bring home.
We noticed that we were not alone in the venture as many others were strolling the garden area. It is flat and easy and wheelchair friendly. There are also some places to sit and rest.
Different groups sponsored different sections which gave to individuality as well. It is not exactly like touring a public garden but we felt the trip was well worth our time. It is rather unfortunate that we could not load up on perennials to fly home with us.
Dorothy Clive Gardens
The gardens include grassy hills and perennial paths as well as woodland and water gardens in a natural setting. It was absolutely lovely, though there is some uphill walking. We came late in the day but they allowed us to finish at our leisure.
The Dorothy Clive Gardens was exactly what we hoped for in English Gardens. An absolute treasure and worth repeat visits during different seasons.
