Walking down memory lane in Ness Gardens

My memories of Ness Gardens as a child were vast swathes of lawn with brightly coloured borders and glasshouses full of spiny cacti. Giant Rhubarb like plants near the pond, dragonflies and water boatmen and picnics overlooking the Dee estuary.

University of Liverpool Botanic Gardens Ness Gardens is situated in the north-west of England and has a view south over the River Dee and the Welsh hills beyond.

Created in 1898 by Arthur Kilpin Bulley who was a cotton trader in Liverpool. Bulley was a plantsman in an era of plantsmen and commissioned people such as George Forest to bring back specimens for the garden.

My memories are of frequent visits as a child taking relatives and elderly friends to view the gardens and as a day out in the summer. Then there was a double sided herbaceous border where I first discovered herbaceous tradescantias. Memory pictures of  my parents’ favourite plants - camellias in the spring, the herbaceous border and roses in the summer, the greenhouses full of prickly cacti. I remember running on wide green lawns and looking for dragonflies and water boatmen among the giant rhubarb like plants. We often stopped for a picnic overlooking the wide views of the Dee estuary.  The tradition continued as they took my children to see the tropical house with bananas and the cacti and then as they retired my parents were members and would go regularly to see what was in bloom and whether my mother would be tempted in the garden sales area.

That was a long time ago and almost certainly a rosy view - without me complaining of having to walk so far! As with many gardens they are organic and change with the times. I recently visited to celebrate what would have been my mothers 90th birthday. It seemed to be a fitting tribute as she had so enjoyed visiting the gardens. 

Now there is a spacious new entrance with a shop and cafe. Many borders are filled with examples of pollinator friendly flowers and plants or grasses. I was a little disappointed to miss the roses and the variety of herbaceous plants of my youth but did appreciate the hedged area of vegetable and fruit production complete with a small greenhouse with alpines. On a visit a few years ago I was inspired by a tribute to forest gardening, and different ways of being productive such as hugelkultur*. This area is now used as a community garden and facilitates training.

Planting is well labelled and some of the highlights were a tree poppy in full bloom, the view of the Dee estuary from a long tree lined walk and the top of the developing Mediterranean garden.

Subsequently I discovered some videos of the head gardener touring the garden as the volunteers and staff came back after Covid. It really helped to see the thought behind the various transformation of the areas and is well worth viewing if you intend to visit.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oSyhlaSC-U

The visit has also inspired me to revisit and see the seasonal changes. A garden never stands still.

Editor's note: hugelkultur is a technique of growing on a biomass  mound or type of raised bed