Unlike the show gardens, which are small and encased in tall hedging, the Gardens of the World park has some larger sections to represent particular styles. As a visiting English person, I was flattered to read on a sign that “Great Britain’s landscape architecture heritage is known all over the world; it is also central to European landscape and garden design.” Beyond the sign is about 6,000 square metres of English garden.
Complete with a cottage serving tea and coffee (not scones that day) and an orchard behind it.
Walking out of the English Garden, I was captivated by a mass of colour at the far end of the path. On getting closer it was a collection of dahlias, which may not look so spectacular up close, but from a distance painted a lovely picture.
A feature of some classic English gardens is also included in this park. It is not within the official English garden, but I am including it here as it is based on its famous sibling at Hampton Court: a hedge maze. There is a paved labyrinth just outside it and an explanation of the difference: a labyrinth is ‘just’ a long winding route and a maze includes dead-ends.
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