The last time I visited Bowood House it was midsummer and the Woodland Garden, full of rhododendrons, magnolias and azaleas, was closed, so a Garden Media Guild trip was a welcome chance to have another look around.
Bowood House, near Chippenham, is really a garden of two parts. There’s formality around the house with Italian-inspired terraces, Capability Brown lake and a walled garden that has everything from cutting flowers to vegetables. Then there’s the 30-acre Woodland Garden a short distance away on the estate where we started our tour.
We were lucky enough to be shown around by Lord Lansdowne, whose love of the garden that he has cared for over the past 46 years was evident.
Bowood House has rhododendrons and other acid-lovers thanks to the green sand that runs through the garden.
Setting off the colours of the rhododendrons were huge drifts of bluebells.
One of the newest areas is the Jubilee Garden, started in 2006. It was originally just an overgrown area of self-seeded sycamore and brambles.
Now it has lovely primulas along one of the many streams that run through the garden.
And ferns that were just unfurling.
There are plenty of places to sit and take in the views.
Sometimes it pays to look underneath a leaf!
There were beautiful pale colours. This is the rather oddly named ‘Loderi Game Chick’.
And some bright combinations.
The garden was started in 1840 with planting around the family mausoleum. This is the rather wonderful view from its steps.
The second part of our tour was around the more formal gardens that surround the house. I definitely had wisteria envy (mine has been hit by frost for the third year in a row).
The long East border has been replanted in recent years by head gardener David Glass and garden consultant Rosie Abel Smith.
These tulips caught everyone’s eye.
As did the chequerboard mowing on the main lawn.
Tulips that are lifted from the parterre and containers are put under apple trees in the walled garden where they give a lovely show of mixed colours.
The Walled Garden wisteria was about to open but the lack of flowers meant we could see its architectural shape.
This is another new border with Tulipa ‘Maureen’ threaded through.
The wildflower meadow has established really well since my last visit.
Among the highlights of the trip was bumping into plant expert Roy Lancaster, there to research for an article on the garden. He’s a long-time supporter of Bowood House and even has a section, Roy’s Room, named after him.
• For more information on Bowood House, opening hours and times, see the website.
What a delightful and uplifting article. Now inspired, I simply must visit this beautiful place.
Do – the Woodland Garden is open for a few more weeks and there’s plenty to see there. The main garden is open through the summer.