Our second visit of the day was to Stow Hall, Stow Bardolph, quite a distance away from the morning visit. On arrival we were met by the head gardener and Lady Hare and eventually split into two groups for a tour of the garden.

History is unclear as to whether there have been three or four houses on the site since it was acquired by the Hare family in l553. The twenty acres are composed of many linked individual gardens set against a backdrop of fine mature trees. The first entrance leads into the Courtyard Garden where we found many interesting plants including Paeonia cambessedesii, Poncirus trifoliata various spring flowering bulbs etc. There were many shrubs including rhododendron, azalea, camellia etc. under-planted with various woodland “gems” of erythronium, sanguinaria, Anemone nemorosa, and a mass planting of Viola biflora to name but a few. A highlight here, set on the terrace, was a collection of large sinks of various alpines and a selection of Primula auricula. High buttress walls provide the setting for wisteria and climbing roses on a magnificent scale, and tender plants thrive in the shelter they provide.

We were too early to appreciate the perennial borders which lead to the recently restored Dutch garden, using old bricks from Stow Hall. This is a secluded spot to sit on a warm day.There is much topiary to enjoy throughout the garden and many trees, including Plane, Beech, Cedar of Lebanon. One of the most unusual trees, thought to be 250-300 years old, is a huge fern-leaf beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Aspleniifolia’) whose branches dip to the ground, re-root themselves and spring up again providing a web of climbing trails! The Old Rose Garden was laid out in the l930’s and although many of the roses lasted until the l990’s they gradually died off and as it is impractical to replant roses immediately on the same site, the beds have been grassed over and a formal planting of Malus ‘Everest’ have taken their place.

Roses still play an important part in the garden and over 200 varieties are growing through the gardens. The Walled Kitchen Garden is now mainly laid to lawn and has been planted with many ancient apple and quince varieties. The two areas of much older planting are the grass banked path lined with apple trees from the l920’s, and the arched walkway covered in pear trees on the south side and apple trees on the north side, both planted in the early l800’s. The archway ends at an ancient mulberry, probably planted in the l790’s by John Kennedy, the garden designer and innovative plantsman. Many hours are needed to prune the arch to keep it in the order it is today. The gravel paths are edged with box hedging, all grown from seedlings from around the garden. In recent times, two borders were unplanted and in view of the current interest in allotments and the shortage of such available locally, it was decided to offer the borders to the local horticultural society for use as allotments for five of their members. It was interesting to see the diversity of these – beehives on one plot and detailed companion planting on another. Lady Hare also welcomes the local Cricket Team and Croquet Club to use the facilities within the grounds.

At the end of our tour we were greeted with a much appreciated cup of tea and cake/biscuits and Lady Hare offered a free gift of the Viola biflora which had been admired by some members on the tour. This is a fascinating garden, steeped in history, and well worth another visit either to appreciate the roses in summer or attend the “apple day” events which are sometimes held at Stow Hall Gardens. Incidentally, the much-admired Tulipa ‘Little Beauty’, planted just outside the Courtyard Garden, and also the Double Early Tulip T.‘Peach Blossom’ also seen at the foot of a wall, were listed in the bulb catalogue last year, and I hope they will be available again this year.