The grand sweep of the double herbaceous borders at Arley Hall Gardens has been delighting gardeners for about two centuries: this is one of the oldest examples of its type to be seen anywhere in the world. Exuberant summer perennials fill long, parallel borders, the garden’s brick wall and formal topiary hedging providing a traditional backdrop.
When you first walk in through the huge, decorative gates in summer and turn to see the flower borders stretching out before you, behind you, to either side, it’s hard to know where to look first.
The garden is close enough and has a strong enough allure to draw me in at least once or twice each year, foraging for my floral fix like an oversized, earth-bound bee.
This won’t be a text-heavy post – I’m trusting that these pictures will give a good enough flavour of the plant combinations favoured at Arley Hall, and the scale and depth of the planting.
You’ll most likely find some choice examples of your favourite summer flowers here including, in my case, these purple-blue geraniums. If you missed my recent post about geraniums as companion plants, you can find it here.
The borders are a magnet for pollinators of all kinds making it almost harder to get a picture without an insect than with. Bees seemed particularly drawn to the spiky blue echinops’s small, starry flowers although, to my puny human senses, they didn’t seem laden with pollen.
In truth, my senses tend to be overwhelmed by the sensations provoked by Arley’s double perennial borders when sunlight radiates not just from the flowers, but the leaves and the grass too.
By making a conscious effort, it is possible to focus on this or that cultivar, but your eye soon returns to the whole sweep.
Phlox runs into Kniphofia, then back again, with Helenium, Crocosmia, Sedum, Salvia, Astilbe, Lysimachia, Scabious, Achillea, Veronica and architectural thistles all claiming their slot. Classic perennials predominate here – tried and tested plants that can be relied on to produce their share of flowers as rent for the space.
In the summer, the garden is like a swan, floating serenely, showing few signs of the furious paddling that goes on underneath the surface, but this is not a low maintenance garden. Most winters, our wet Northern English climate means that some of the plants have to be replaced. Arley’s watchful gardeners have learned to anticipate and plug any holes with new plants.
For a glimpse of the herbaceous border as it is in January (quite a contrast) check out Arley Hall’s video of Dave Groom working in the border while the plants are dormant and if you find yourself with a little extra time on your hands, all my posts about Arley Hall Gardens are here.
This rainy day post was triggered when today’s weather upset our plans, sending me back to thoughts of summer. I hope these flowers will bring some brightness to your day.
Susan Rushton 
Wow! Gorgeous gardens!
I’m glad you like them.
Oh so gorgeous, but as you point out, pretty labor intensive. I once maintained twin borders about 30′ long x 8′ wide. I had to give them up, too much work!
Was that in your current garden or somewhere else?
It was on our current property in the late 90s (we’ve been here 30 yrs) when I was much younger and more energetic. đŸ˜‰ It is now gone to field, though certain plants still soldier on like the Miscanthus and Croscosmia.
Fabulous gardens and lovely photos, I particularly like the first one đŸ™‚
Thanks, Eunice.
What gorgeous, colourful gardens!
Thanks, Sheree.
Wow -what beautiful gardens!
This is one aspect of gardening where being part of a long tradition really helps.
What fantastic borders – they’re really magnificent! And what better place to be an over-sized bee, hehe! đŸ™‚
I could imagine an animated film being set here – real, swaying perennials, overlaid by cartoon insect characters. They do sometimes film at Arley Hall.
That sounds like fun! đŸ™‚
Parts of the garden look awfully familiar.
Did you say you had a friend who worked here?
Yes I did but I wonder if I also visited there as a child with my parents.
Interesting colour combinations in this garden, Susan. Seems like large gardens of this nature with multiple flower beds tend to keep cool colours to some beds and warm colours to others.
I wish I’d seen more gardens of the large estates when I toured around England, Scotland and Wales in 1978. My travelling friend, her brother and I hired a car for a month and travelled extensively on that particular tour, staying in Youth Hostels from the northern tip of the U.K. to the southern tip, but I can’t remember any gardens. Perhaps having a male with us precluded large gardens?
I don’t know why that would be! đŸ™‚
It could just be that you became more interested in gardening when you were a bit older – often it seems to work that way. As a child and young person, any bank of a stream, woodland, moorland or field was pretty much as good as a garden for me.
Magnificent gardens. No wonder your senses felt overwhelmed.
Even with sunglasses đŸ™‚
Exactly! I looked at these as one who’s been in a dark room and suddenly is in sunlight; yesterday here was very dark, and the light and color of Arley Hall was a most welcome shock. Two centuries, you say. What wonders! Beautiful, beautiful!
I have a few more gardens to catch up with after a summer of visits and autumn seems a good time to do it.
I applaud your project and look forward to all your beautiful summer gardens that will brighten the autumn dismals.