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The Bandstand Garden

Central to this garden is the bandstand with seating, surrounded by the fragrant cream flowers of the Sambuca nigra and seasonally planted with tulips and then dahlias.

This garden was part of the 2 acre garden which was showcased at the National Garden Festival, opened by the Queen, in Stoke on Trent, 1986. Two famous dahlias, ‘Bishop of Llandaff' and ‘Moon Fire' were reintroduced and relaunched by Bridgemere during this same period. These and other dahlia favourite’s, are used to contrast with the black foliage of the Sambucus nigra, black lace, circular hedge.

A painted mural of St Phocas was later added (Patron Saint of Gardeners). The painting is an example of a trompe l'oeil and includes local landmarks of interest such as Jodrell Bank, Mow Cop and the pot bank, bottle kilns. Bridgemere went on to successfully exhibit at the Garden Festivals held in Liverpool and Glasgow.

Highlights

Our Head Gardener Bernard recommends you particularly look out for these stunning plants:

Sinocalcanthus ‘Hartlage Wine’, also known as the Chinese Spice Bush, an extremely attractive shrub with aromatic, cinnamon scented leaves and red flowers with a cream centre and the perfectly named Chimonanthus praecox luteus, also known as Wintersweet, because of its profusion of highly perfumed yellow blooms which appear in late Winter. A wonderful garden, the very essence of summer!

Plants to look out for...

Click on a plant to find out more:

Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’

A small, bushy deciduous shrub with oval leaves and very large heads of white flowers which can grow up to 25cm across in summer months.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Polar Bear’

A medium sized, deciduous shrub which can grow up to 1.5 m. It has large, conical panicles of flowers which start lime green, fading to white in the summer and then pale pink by the autumn.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pink Diamond’

A vigorous deciduous shrub with panicles of creamy-white flowers which fade to deep pink, from late summer into the autumn. It prefers moist, but well-drained soil, in full sun to partial shade.

Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’

Common name:Elder
A deciduous shrub which grows to 3m. It has purplish-black foliage from spring until the autumn, which gives a distinctive lacy effect. Flat clusters of tiny pink flowers are abundant in summer and have the scent of elder flowers. Purple-black berries may follow.