| Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made, By singing:- 'Oh, how beautiful!' and sitting in the shade, While better men than we go out and start their working lives At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner knives. Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) |
Sleightholme Dale Lodge
Driving from a plateau on the edge of the North York Moors in 'Herriot Country', one is surprised to discover a rich green valley revealing such an exciting garden as Sleightholme Dale Lodge.
The Lodge was re-modelled in 1909 by the grandfather of the present owner, Mrs Oliver James. A walled garden was constructed on the south-sloping valley side and divided by an arrangement of paths to give four main plots in the centre and broad borders around the walls. Descending terraces run down to the valley floor. An orchard was planted to the west of this walled garden and is a marvellous sight in the spring, when covered with thousands of narcissus and snowdrops.
Much ofthe rich planting of clean strong plants is the product of consistant manuring over eighty years. Several varieties of plants re-appear in a substantial way including meconopsis, fox-gloves, campanula, philadelphus, martagon lilies, Paeonia delavayi, clematis, honeysuckles, climbing roses and many more.
Along the upper reaches of the garden is a hollyhocks walk, the most strikingly beautiful use of hollyhocks I have ever seen.
This is a garden of beautiful planting, which in the middle of the summer must be one of the most breath-taking gardens in England.