Powys Castle Gardens
It was interesting to see these old pictures on our visit to Powys Castle this Autumn. They were taken in the early part of the last century and are displayed in places around the garden from approximately the original point of view of the photograph. Surprisingly, the gardens seemed unchanged and only the gardening techniques seemed to have altered in that time, for instance it was interesting to see the perilous heights gardeners went in order to trim the ancient yews as seen in the 1925 picture below, whereas these days gardeners are hoisted up in mechanical cherry-pickers complete with safety harness and , no doubt, health and safety training.
Powys is one of the few Italianate Gardens that survives in the U.K. and the beauty structure of the place is unchanged. I'm not sure what it is about Wales, but either through benign neglect or conservative taste, several gardens have survived the urge to conform to changes in fashion (Aberglasney, was found to be a Jacobean Gareden is another example).
Some things have changed and developed, the combinations of plants in containers and terrace beds are well known for their endless variety and creativity, and I will share more of this in my next post.
A 1908 photograph taken from the Great Lawn in the lower level of the garden.
Approximately the same point of view taken this September.
The Orangery Terrace photographed in 1930.
The same point of view this September.
Gardeners trimming the massive old yews in 1925.
The extraordinary yew forms now maintained with electrical trimmers and reached by cherry-pickers.
Powys is one of the few Italianate Gardens that survives in the U.K. and the beauty structure of the place is unchanged. I'm not sure what it is about Wales, but either through benign neglect or conservative taste, several gardens have survived the urge to conform to changes in fashion (Aberglasney, was found to be a Jacobean Gareden is another example).
Some things have changed and developed, the combinations of plants in containers and terrace beds are well known for their endless variety and creativity, and I will share more of this in my next post.
A 1908 photograph taken from the Great Lawn in the lower level of the garden.
Approximately the same point of view taken this September.
The Orangery Terrace photographed in 1930.
The same point of view this September.
Gardeners trimming the massive old yews in 1925.
The extraordinary yew forms now maintained with electrical trimmers and reached by cherry-pickers.
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