Ralph Court, Bromyard,

[lugg]

So recently I visited the gardens at Ralph Court. This was a first time visit and I did not know what to expect ; although I knew they were “quirky.” They are about a 20 min drive from my house, located in a village called Edwyn Ralph close to Bromyard a small market town.

Anyway see what you all think – it be a little marmite.??

The area is rural as most of Herefordshire ….some views from the car park and the entrance.

Before entering you get a sense that this is indeed a quirky place.











Stepping inside does nothing to dispel that sense
Wondering where his other half has disappeared to ?




I paid the entrance fee (£9) and had a quick scan of the leaflet which told me that there are 12 themed gardens “ from Italy to Africa the gardens transport you around the world and beyond” but did not include a map so I had a quick look around and prepared to wander around aimlessly. The sign posts dotted around helped but actually one of the delights was that you did not quite know where to go or what you would find. Some of the entrances were almost hidden.



The gardens are the grounds of an old rectory. The leaflet told me that they are about 3.5 acres in size.





The rectory today is home of the owners/ designers of the gardens, who started transforming the grounds when they bought the rectory in 2004. The grounds were previously mainly grass and used as a mini golf course at one time.





Any way I headed left much to her majesty’s amusement and found Medusa with her snakes watched by Perseus, shield at the ready. Many of the gardens are based around water features and this one was no exception.















A rather jazzy portaloo.



The drums heralded entry into Africa with its lush green planting , waterways and ponds.
































A “treetop” walk gives a different perspective















As we go around further you can see that this garden is a garden that is designed for all the family – it is fully accessible and I imagine children particularly younger ones would not object to be dragged around by their parents or grandparents. It also has a few real birds, fish and animals.

Whistling ducks/ Peafowl and Golden Pheasants















Toulouse Geese – huge and comical too watch. No idea why they are named after nappies. But I guess they are family pets and so their livers are safe.







Alpaca and Donkeys.






Next up – Medieval Myth area


I should have read the sign as I got too close and got soaked .. fortunately my camera survived.








I was just about recovering when I walked into this talking tree which asked me if I was enjoying the garden …..really made me jump


Not only does it talk but it moves



Anyway time for some colour. I saw some roses and headed towards them . The smell was just so wonderful.









It soon became obvious it was not just an ordinary flower garden. Interpretation of Alice in Wonderland – Rose Gardens , Tea Party and Croquet with some Wind in the Willows thrown in for good measure.



























Wisteria Tunnel




Wind in the Willows - chicken houses








There were some really lovely roses and dahlia in this part of the garden. I have so many photos I am going to have to be very strict as there is still so much else to show you.






















More to follow.
 

[bjd]

The last series of flowers is just beautiful. I am in two minds about the rest -- I guess they want to attract families but I find some of those animals rather horrible and I don't know that it adds much to a "garden".

[mossie]

I love it, the creators have a marvellous sense of humour. Thanks

[kerouac2]

Ralph Court looks delightful and clearly has something for everyone. Looking at the very first pictures, I was thinking "isn't it amazing that people can post pictures of fields and shady lanes and we find it all delightful since we ourselves often live in unnatural surroundings?" But then you showed us the other stuff, proving that we also need fantasy in our lives and not just nature.

That is a very scary toad living in Toad Hall -- not at all like the toad in "Mister Toad's Wild Ride" at Disneyland in California.

[bixaorellana]

Well ~ that was £9 very well spent indeed! This is an absolutely delightful report, Lugg, and I hope you decide to allow Ralph Court its very own thread.

I love that you show the approach to the place, with the leafy, curving road. Another thing that really struck me were the signs in the garden, which I can well imagine capture the interest of grade schoolers who would want to read them. Yes, at first I thought Ralph Court was going to be too cutesy, but I soon fell under its spell and absolutely loved Africa. That view over the treetops is a landscaping triumph, but your picture through the veil of water at the wildebeests(?) is spectacular. Well, I love all your pictures, and swooned again at the cascade of roses right after the talking tree. We all need some fun fantasy in our lives. The Alice in Wonderland section really delivers -- so clever and fun! Lugg, do turn that fabulous picture sandwiched between the two pictures showing the big Alice book into a greeting card. Your friends and family would be so lucky to receive something that wonderful and personal.

So much great stuff to see. I can go on and on about favorites -- all the African animals, for instance, and I adore the Medusa pool. Who thought of naming the Toulouse geese after diapers?! Your fowl portraits are great and I love, love, love the flower closeups.

Thanks for taking us to Ralph Court!

[lugg]

Thanks all for your comments. Glad you are enjoying Ralph Court so far . Bixa yes maybe that would work better - I just thought maybe one place for all the gardens I plan to see would be good but maybe not PS I think the animals through the curtain of water are Pumba / Warthogs but I guess it does not really matter they can be whatever we imagine them to be.
K2 that's the same for me too but in reverse - I love seeing all the various urban / city photos. Glad you liked it Mossie and found it fun. Thanks Bjd for your compliments about the flower pics ...I suspect many do feel the same about the animals - as I said at the beginning I think this garden is marmite

Next instalment coming up.

[lugg]

Back to more muted colours… Italy next.

















Musical fountain dancing to opera ....as corny as you can get but again fun.























Dragon Pool



















Other water gardens feature pirates and Triton

























And then into a forest land of fairies and elves….


























By then I was hungry and thirsty so decided to head back to the café at the side of the rectory for a drink and a sandwich stopping to take a few pics of the odd border or plant pot on the way ,














On the way I had a peek through to the owner’s private garden wondering if it was as wacky as the public; appears not although the plant nursery maybe a little






Lunch was very satisfying indeed – much of the salad grown in the kitchen garden and I think all the childhood themes made me choose ginger beer ... any other Enid Blyton readers here ?


So onto the final two areas that I want to show you

First a quick stop in Japan, a very peaceful area probably comes into its own in Autumn I suspect. I really struggled to find the entrance for some reason . Maybe others did - I was the only person here apart from a member of staff who identified the Indian Bean Tree for me.













I was really liked this Indian Bean Tree – huge beautiful leaves with lots of buds ready to open. Im trying to work out if one would fit in my garden if kept pruned carefully.





Final installment to follow .... France for a veritable feast of colour.

[bjd]

I just had a look for those Indian Bean Trees -- those are catalpas I discovered. They can get quite big. There are lots of them growing in the streets in the suburbs of Toulouse. Not many in peoples' gardens though perhaps because those beans make a mess.

I am surprised by many of the plants you show. I had thought the climate in England would be too harsh for quite a few of them, like the passiflora.

[lugg]

Finally France for a veritable feast of colour. I went back twice as this garden offered so much.


Firstly there was an introduction / reminder about Monet, his life and work
















The 2 photos below are of the garden taken through the blank frame left for this purpose






Anyway here is a closer look at the garden. I thought it was quite beautiful and spent a while wandering around , sitting on different benches enjoying the view and reflecting on the big and the small, the crap, the good and the sometimes unfathomable things in life.
















And looking back to the gallery from this side it becomes Monet’s house with a fake Monet sitting at his easel. The open stable door is the frame for photos from the other side.










Views from various angles























Leaving was hard but this wall of nasturtiums with enthusiastic bees eased the way.







So that is Ralph Court report done for now. Overall I found it really entertaining, a visual and otherwise sensory treat in many places and really appreciated the attempts to create an accessible garden for all to enjoy. I would have liked more plant identification and maybe the drums in Africa to be less insistent ….but I will certainly go back again one day. One area was closed to the public as they were replanting and rebuilding … who knows where that will transport future visitors?

[bixaorellana]

Gosh, just when I thought it couldn't possibly get any better .... more and more and all so wonderful!

Yeah -- warthogs, of course. I think wildebeest are more deerlike. Warthogs are so perfectly named.

I love all the plants they chose for the Italian section, starting with that gorgeous bay. I don't know what to think about the operatic fountains. I saw musical fountains in Las Vegas and while that was fun and all, I'm pretty much opposed to any sounds other than the natural introduced into a garden. A subtle wind chime is fine, but drums in the Africa section seems awful.

Edwina's garden and fairyland are yet more brilliant uses of plants -- perfect, really. I love that white arch and the rich pops of color here and there.

Your reflection photos and the ones taken through various openings -- they are all so beautifully framed and absolutely lovely.

Yes to Enid Blyton! As an American child, I was always so envious of her fictional crew and their seemingly endless supply of ginger beer, even though I didn't know what it was then.

I always thought the catalpa was a North American tree. I should go look it up.

I can certainly see why you loved the French section so much. It's positively dreamy and you captured it so very very well.

I'm leaving out more than I'm listing here, there is so much that is wonderful. It's a deeply satisfying tour through a garden. In the immortal words of the Big Bopper, "oh, baby ~ you knowww what I like!"

[cheerypeabrain]

Absolutely gorgeous thread lugg. I really like the quirky metal sculptures in the first run of photos...and the plants look amazing..excellent photography and beautifully documented. Thank you. X

[lugg]

Thanks Guys.
Yes Bjd passion flowers do quite well although in the Uk they are deciduous rather than evergreen . I have one in my garden which grows very well and has survived cold winters well. Seemingly they can survive down to minus 15 C

[kerouac2]

Absolutely wonderful variety, but there was no reason to overdo the Monet references. The quality of the gardens can proudly stand alone, although I do understand wanting to copy the little bridge over the pond. Who wouldn't?

I don't think that Monet's beard every really got that long even though it was impressive, and definitely not his hair.   Not that it matters at all.  None of us knew him personally, except maybe Mossie. 

i.pinimg.com/originals/3b/bb/fc/3bbbfc7da62ceeedb035ca278759fd92.jpg

[lugg]

Thank you ...I completely agree re Monet K2 - OTT but I did like the empty frame idea.

[kerouac2]

I just went through the whole set of photos again, and it really looks like a fun place. Who cares if some of the decor is corny? That's part of the whole amusement. I'm glad that you fully documented every aspect.

[bixaorellana]

Jul 14, 2019 9:30:04 GMT lugg said:

this garden is a garden that is designed for all the family – it is fully accessible and I imagine children particularly younger ones would not object to be dragged around by their parents or grandparents. It also has a few real birds, fish and animals.

You said it better than I ever could, Lugg. That is exactly how this garden strikes me. And getting kids in there and providing them with a fun and engaging experience will painlessly lead them to all kinds of other interests as they grow and develop.

Kerouac has the right attitude. I feel sorry for grown-ups who forget how the world looked to them when it was all new and they were only three feet tall.

[lugg]

Thank you both