Leaving our new friends at Malvern was bittersweet. But there was more to see, and thanks to Victoria of Victoria’s Backyard, we were treated like royalty. We being good friend and co-innocent abroad Gail of Clay And Limestone and me. On the way to London from the Garden Bloggers Meet, we stopped at a delightful place for tea and touring. Batsford Arboretum, click here to view their site, is one of the jewels of the Cotswolds and one of the largest private collections of trees and shrubs in the United Kingdom. Situated one and a quarter miles west of Moreton-in-Marsh (Gloucestershire – UK), Batsford Arboretum is tucked away on a south facing escarpment of the famous Cotswold Hills. It was a most beautiful spot.
One of the most striking trees we have ever seen was growing there. Batsford contains a large collection of mature specimens of Japanese Maples.
Very brilliant indeed.
Dawn redwoods
Chinese Foo Dog
Chinoiserie or Japanese red bridge
Chinese dragon atop…
…a lovely Rest House with the lovely Victoria resting comfortably on a bench. Please disregard the mirror image of a photographer wearing an appalling lavender raincoat. The creator of these gardens, Algernon Bertram Freeman – Mitford (later 1st Lord Redesdale) was influenced by trips to Asia and the gardens of China and Japan when designing this property.
Another fine Acer with a red accented bridge.
Another view of the same with signage and the lovely Victoria. I have to admit, I covet that hair clip! (And the hair.)
This place had a magnificent assortment of small conifers for sale, heart rending for those who could not bring any live plant material on the airplane trip back home to the US.
Even non plants could not be brought back, due to the weight issue. But what a bargain for seven pounds!
There had also been some of these for sale at the Malvern Show for a little bit more.
There were photos for inspiration and ideas taken of some planted troughs at a very famous garden the next day. But before we get to that, London.
To view our England trip’s other posts: (There is a permanent page on the sidebar containing the links to the England posts as well. Click England Trip-Two Innocents Abroad to view it.)
Living A Dream-Meeting In Malvern
Touring With Friends-Ledbury And Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire
An English Country Garden-Stockton Bury
Frances
Fairegarden 
I have enjoyed reading about your trip and seeing your lovely pictures of the gardens! I’m sure you came back with many ideas to implement in your already beautiful gardens.
Beautiful gardens Frances – just think what the blooms in that first photo look like now – the alliums are out in bloom now and I have never seen so many planted in the one spot.
What a lovely garden, and that first shot of the Japanese maples is fabulous. This garden is a delightful blend of English gardening with the Asian garden aesthetic.
Love the tulips against that brick wall. What atmosphere.
Didn’t your wallet have palpitations since you couldn’t bring home any plants or stone troughs? I bet shipping prices are prohibitive too. What fond memories though. Such beautiful sights and inspirations.
Great shots Frances, Wasn’t it a surprising garden~I thought it perfect…The purple beeches, the redwoods, and the Japanese Maples! Do you think they might listen if we suggest they move that badly placed sign post! The nursery was torture! Look at the rain coats~What a differences many thousands of miles make~it’s almost 90 here! xxgail
We were just a few miles from there today as we’ve had my niece and nephew to stay whilst their parents had a weekend with friends in a cottage in Moreton in Marsh. We were giving our precious charges back today, but sadly no Batsford trip for me, but to nearby Chedworth Roman Villa (ie educational) instead.
We often pause in Moreton in Marsh on the way to seeing family up north and have often wondered what Batsford is like: Patient Gardener and I have it on our list of possible visits together in the future…
Thanks so much for sharing you adventures! Too bad indeed, those stone planters just look great!
Dear Lady in Lavender, Love those Japanese Maples. The shot of the leaves is fantastic. The red bridge was very striking…as was the lovely Victoria (and that awesome clippy). I foresee a “how-to” post on making concrete troughs–and weren’t those mushrooms the cutest?
How beautiful, another Japanese maple for the wishlist.
Love everything, but for me, nothing can beat an old brick wall with beautiful flowers in front of it…
That Japanese maple “brilliantisimum” is outstanding – never seen one like it before. How you could resist the concrete mushrooms I’ll never know. But there is such as thing as weight limits.
Very cool! That maple is stunning. The underneath the canopy shot of the leaf veining is what caught my eye. I also have that bridge (and others like it) stuck in my head for a future project…
Another wonderful garden you visited!
Isn’t it difficult to see things in Europe and not be able to bring them home! There’s a shop outside Boone that has saddle stones, chimney pots and such that I’ve coveted, but the prices are high as they are salvaged/antiques from the UK.
Absolutely beautiful. It was quite a trip you had.
We will be visiting Prince Charles’s garden in Gloucestershire through my garden club in August Frances and hope to get to Batsford too. It looks a most interesting spot. You would have been most warm if Malvern had been this weekend 🙂
I bet Batsford is stunning in Autumn too.
Hypertufa inspiration indeed.
talking hypertufa, I had another look at the post you did on it and had a go. I did a football sphere and a half sphere to act as a little plinth.
cheers
You’ve convinced me, Frances–I’ve got to start squirreling away some money for a trip to England! I visited a Chinese garden in Portland two weeks ago while visiting Daughter–I recognize those poetry inscriptions!