\u00a9 Richard Bloom<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nAfter Sybil\u2019s death in 1994 this remarkable garden was gifted to the horticultural charity Perennial<\/a>, which has maintained it in sympathy with the Spencers\u2019 design, but over the past few years has made some exciting changes. One has been to buy back land the Spencers had sold to raise funds for their ambitious garden plans in the 1950s. Another has been the appointment of talented head gardener Ben Preston, who joined the team five years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cI arrived at a time of transition with the garden moving into a new phase when Perennial bought the property next door,\u201d says Ben.\u201cIt meant we could have a car park, a proper caf\u00e9, have better access to the meadow and add a new nursery to grow our own plants.\u201d<\/p>\n
As well as allowing Ben and his team the chance to offer plants for sale to York Gate\u2019s annual 17,000 visitors, this new nursery also enables them to propagate much of what they need for the garden. Currently, a third of plants are grown on site, with plans to increase this to around 90 per cent, further reducing the garden\u2019s environmental impact<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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For Ben, what makes York Gate so clever is that it works brilliantly on a smaller level. \u201cIt\u2019s not like Stowe<\/a> or Chatsworth<\/a>,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s relatable to an average gardener, broken into 14 areas filled with ideas that people can replicate. All the different elements are quite complex overall, but when you break it down it\u2019s feasible at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

IN BRIEF<\/strong><\/p>\n
What<\/strong> Arts and Crafts garden.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Where<\/strong> Leeds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Size<\/strong> Around four acres in total, including original one-acre garden and additional meadow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Soil<\/strong> Sandy but improved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Climate<\/strong> Temperate.<\/p>\n
Hardiness zone<\/strong> USDA 8.<\/p>\n
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
The best public gardens are alive with ideas and at York Gate the best ideas from the past merge with those of the present. York Gate\u2019s philosophy is to maintain the backbone of the Spencers\u2019 legacy \u2013 the topiary<\/a> and structure that make the garden \u2013 but to push horticulture forward in the lower and softer layers with exciting perennials<\/a> and annuals<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\u201cSybil noted down every single plant she bought,\u201dsays Ben.\u201cSo we can select modern varieties of plants that they bought. The Spencers were planting arisaemas in the 1960s and 1970s, plants not everyone was growing then, and we\u2019re continuing to do that now.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Topiary forms key focal points throughout the garden with a row of remarkable yew sails near the house and the famous espaliered cedar and pyracanthas. Around all of this, the team is trialling contemporary combinations, including scheffleras and exotics in the jungle garden, various colourful asters<\/a>, succulents<\/a>, persicarias<\/a>, lilies<\/a> and dahlias<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a multi-layered garden held together by the structure,\u201d says Ben. He and his team are adding to these layers with annuals joining the thalictrums<\/a>, delphiniums and peonies<\/a> in the white garden, and the blue flowers of meconopsis seen among the ferns and polygonatums<\/a> in the dell.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the detail,\u201d says Ben. \u201cFrom tiny pockets with unusual erythroniums, to the hard landscaping next to other really unusual plants. You can walk around this garden 50 times and always see something new, see something very special.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u00a9 Richard Bloom<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Between 1951 and 1994, the Spencer family created a masterpiece of pattern from paths to topiary hedges, which allows for a timeless structure that frames innovative new planting ideas today. The striking row of six yew sails is visible from all areas of the garden.<\/p>\n
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\u00a9 Richard Bloom<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nDominating the white garden are the silvery spikes of Astelia chathamica<\/em> and two billowing clouds of Persicaria<\/em> x fennica<\/em> \u2018Johanniswolke\u2019 alongside a mix of fresh-green foliage and a host of other white-flowered plants, including foxgloves<\/a>, astrantias, sanguisorbas<\/a> and veronicastrums<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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\u00a9 Richard Bloom<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nKeeping the Spencers\u2019 legacy of trying exciting new plant combinations, the small tropical garden is filled with tree ferns, scheffleras, hostas, fuchsias<\/a> and other leafy exotics.<\/p>\n
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\u00a9 Richard Bloom<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nSpiral topiary and alliums<\/a> set off the beautiful herb garden<\/a>, filled with a range of edibles, including fennel, chives and origanum, many propagated by head gardener Ben and his team of volunteers.<\/p>\n
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\u00a9\u00a0Richard Bloom<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
The carpet path, designed by Robin Spencer in 1981, leads the eye to a small gazebo at the heart of the garden. Rather than add clutter, the path\u2019s diamond pattern helps bring a sense of calm to frame the exuberant main borders.<\/p>\n
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\u00a9 Richard Bloom<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nA lean-to greenhouse<\/a> and stone terrace are the perfect habitat for the tiny jewel-like alpines and succulents. Tender plants are tucked away into the greenhouse for the winter.<\/p>\n
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\u00a9 Richard Bloom<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Stone setts in gravel surround a reclaimed millstone in a satisfying labyrinthine pattern, helping to accentuate the shapes and textures of the planting, which includes\nyew buns and the striking silhouette of a lolloping Sequoiadendron giganteum<\/em> \u2018Pendulum\u2019.<\/p>\n
$\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> \u00a9 Richard Bloom<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nThe meadow is used as a productive hay meadow<\/a> supplying local farmers with feed for livestock. Throughout spring and summer it is awash with orchids, fritillaries and a host of other local wildflowers \u2013 all supporting a large population of wildlife.<\/p><\/body><\/html>\n
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By Jack Wallington Published: Friday, 29 July 2022 at 12:00 am Walking around York Gate on the northern outskirts of Leeds, it\u2019s easy to forget the main part of this garden is only an acre in total. Broken into a series of enclosed garden spaces, each different from the last and brimming with beautiful plant […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":13131,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"6"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/07\/a-tour-of-york-gate-garden-in-leeds-scaled.jpg",2560,1707,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/07\/a-tour-of-york-gate-garden-in-leeds-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/07\/a-tour-of-york-gate-garden-in-leeds-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/07\/a-tour-of-york-gate-garden-in-leeds-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/07\/a-tour-of-york-gate-garden-in-leeds-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/07\/a-tour-of-york-gate-garden-in-leeds-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/07\/a-tour-of-york-gate-garden-in-leeds-2048x1365.jpg",2048,1365,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Jack Wallington Published: Friday, 29 July 2022 at 12:00 am Walking around York Gate on the northern outskirts of Leeds, it\u2019s easy to forget the main part of this garden is only an acre in total. Broken into a series of enclosed garden spaces, each different from the last and brimming with beautiful plant…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/13130"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}