TheHastyTastyGarden: York Gate Garden, Leeds

Yesterday was an idyllic summer's day. Warm and sunny but not roasting, we decided to visit York Gate Garden, originally designed and realised by the Spencer Family. We live fairly locally and I'd always wanted to go, and what a gem I had so far missed!

View of the house from the entrance.

The entrance to the garden reveals a cobbled maze, wonderful plant combinations within huge decorative pots and a variety of entrances to the garden rooms so loved by the Arts and Crafts Movement. We bought our £5.00 entrance and mooched round the shop as a preamble before stepping out to begin the journey around the house.

There is a circular theme with the garden first seen in the cobbled maze just inside the entrance. This is made even more specific later, within the lawned area where a a clever wall and clipped hedge uses the elevation to create a spiral effect. Pathways lead to other themed areas. Echoes of Sissinghurst in the white garden where the mixture of whites and greys -

The White Garden

and the occasional blue thistle (nothing whitens whites quite like a bit of blue!) makes an absolutely stunning effect.

Throughout, perennial borders with fantastic plant combinations permeate the scene often with huge displays of mass planting.

Mass planting of phlox

Interestingly, though, I found myself drawn to the hot, dry rockery area and York Gates fine displays of Aeoniums.

Last year on going to the Leeds Show I became the proud owner of a greeny/yellow Crassula, the parent of which was a huge three footer or a plant. I've found it a sunny spot and only water with rain water (as instructed) and it's well on its way to match it. Since I'm drawn to this area at York Gate it is clear to me that I may be on the way to fostering an obsession. Am definitely going to begin a small collection and hopefully to display them as effectively as I saw here.

One of the succulent displays in
the sunny rock garden

Another plant combination I fell in love with is one I've instantly copied. Here at York Gate I saw the planting of bronze fennel with a yellow umbelliferous grass. It turned out that it was one of the few plants left in the nursery so snapped up three of them to go with my own fennel. The effect by this bench was absolutely lovely.

It took us just under two hours to do justice to York Gate. There were many other delights to see: the coniferous area, the woodland area, a beautiful rill of water lillies. Will leave you with the rest of the pictures I took in the hope that you give York Gate a try.

It is open Mon-Thursday from 12.30pm.
Details here.