Garden enthusiasts cross oceans for English garden (From Northwich Guardian)

Garden enthusiasts cross oceans for English garden

11:00am Thursday 9th August 2012 in News By Gina Bebbington

ONE of the latest visitors to a Northwich stately home travelled thousands of miles just to see its gardens.

Deborah Panoff came to Arley Hall and Gardens from Boston, in the USA, to enjoy a tour around the grounds.

She said: “I’ve had a fantastic day – I’ve taken a lot of notes and pictures and got a lot of ideas for the garden.

“I’m an avid gardener at home and all the books I buy are English garden books.

“One is Best Borders, by Tony Lord – he features the greatest borders in England and Arley Hall is the first in the book.

“I’ve been studying that for years and always wanted to see it.”

Arley is renowned for its spectacular double herbaceous border, thought to be the first border of its kind planted in England.

Deborah, who left her home town basking in 95 degree heat with no sign of rain, said her own garden has a very English style.

“I have an English garden and like to come over here and see some of the plants I have and get ideas about improving what I’ve got,” she said.

“Because most of the garden is at the front of my house people come by and make comments.

“One of the neighbours said ‘I love your garden, it’s so nice and English and messy’, I looked at him and he said ‘a good kind of messy!’.”

She added: “Coming over here you’re seeing the best and combining it with English history and meeting English people – it’s just the greatest.”