The Poppy Garden is an acre in size, and full of interesting plants is a garden. It was created less than 20 years old by Ealma Purcell, who started with a ‘green field’ site, a little knowledge and little spare cash. In her desire create something of interest, Ealma discovered how to propagate plants from cuttings and the joy of reusing objects as containers and interesting focal points.
Her limey soil meant she had trouble with Rhododendrons and Camellias, but soon found suitable alternatives like Acer ‘Autumn Blaze’, Sorbus ‘Autumn Spire’, Cotinus obovatus and Parrotia subaequalis, Berberis temolaica and Zelkova serrata – which resprouted from base after having it’s top damaged.
The front of the house was clothed with climbers including Clematis, Wisteria, Rose and Ivy. Lots of other plants were in a variety of containers, all painted an attractive blue to unite them. Around the side of the house old school lockers had been laid on their sides to serve as ‘troughs’ for more planting.
A Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca Pendula’ was trained close to the wall, around the curve of the house. Around the garden Rosa glauca was just in bloom in several spots around the garden, and a vigorous golden hop Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’ was acts as the perfect nectar bar for pollinators, which are welcome to live in ‘Trump Tower’ bug hotel
Report by Edith Brosnan, edited by Elaine Butler
