Several members enjoyed visiting the Exotic Garden at Great Cliff, near Wakefield in August, when it participated in the NGS open garden scheme.
Occupying a long, narrow plot, this highly unusual garden houses possibly the largest collection of palm species planted out in Northern England, including a large Chilean wine palm. The garden was only created in 2013 and those members who’d visited a few years ago commented on how beautifully it has matured.
Visitors follow a winding path through a series of clearings, with large trees screening every turn, so every twist offers a new eye-catching display of colourful zinnias, cannas and ensete. We were all impressed by the illusion of exploring a lush tropical forest of bananas, tree ferns, agaves, aloes, colcasias and bamboos, which cast a welcome shade, as the day of our visit was very warm. A thatched jungle hut with seating enabled visitors to savour the peaceful beauty of this magical place, while listening to the sound of the waterfall in the pond. We all lingered after the visit, enjoying the refreshments provided by the owner and buying plants he’d propagated to beautify our own gardens.
Words kindly provided by Ruth Rothwell.
A link to this garden within the NGS can be found below:
https://ngs.org.uk/gardens/great-cliff-exotic-garden-wf4/
