Achamore Gardens

Macbeanum Wood

This garden was named in honour of a large leafed rhododendron called Rhododendron macabeanum. A tall, large leafed plant with large trusses of bright yellow flowers. It was found by Frank Kingdom-Ward in Manipur India around 1928. Sadly, there are no macabeanums in this garden. I am growing on a good form in the walled garden to be planted here after some major tree work has been carried out in the future.

As this site flanks the pond garden, we have noticed that areas tend to flood. So along with a rolling tree and rhododendron replacement programme, we will have to improve the drainage.

One other notable plant hidden inside is a Carpodetus serratus.

We tend to keep the grass cut about once a month to allow the visitor to gain entry.

South Garden

Probably the most "tree over-grown garden" within Achamore as the sycamore trees were allowed to establish over the years. Under planted with x Cupressocyparis leylandii which were allowed to reach mature hights have resulted in nearly all of the rhododendron to be lost. Another garden right into midst of the midden, was named Montana Mound.

The only notable remaining plants include:

Telopea truncata, Rhododendron 'Titness Crimson' and a few other reliable rhododendrons that had been layered and planted over the latter years preceding 2006 by previous Head Gardener, Malcolm McNeill.

The Hospital Garden

This garden was "hedged-off" and used by Col. Horlick as a growing-on site for poor or unhealthy looking plants. By 2006, it was so over-grown with x Cupressocyparis leylandii, it was almost impossible to walk past. These conifers have now been removed and some new permanent plants have been introduced such as: Betula albo-sinensis 'Kenneth Ashburner', Amelanchier bartramiana, Hoheria populnea, Hoheria glabrata 'Glory of Amlwch' and Salix gracilistyla 'Melanostachys'. All were planted here April 2009. (Kenneth Ashburner passed away during the Summer of 2010, and these birch's will act as a testment to the plantsmans' work on the genus Betula and Alnus)

Early Spring heralds the Rhododendron sino-grande and its variable hybrids to flower. Large trusses of creamy yellowy whitish flowers appear and is dangerous as visitors are seen driving along the adjacent main road and are easily side-tracked by the flowers in the garden.

(Updated by Micky Little May 2011)