At the beginning of April I visited Compton Acres in Poole. It was founded in 1920 by T Simpson, an entrepreneur who had become wealthy through the manufacture of margarine. The garden is spread over 10 acres in a valley at Canford Cliffs between Bournemouth and Poole. It consists of five themed sub-gardens: an Italian garden, a rock and water garden, a heather garden, a Japanese garden and a less formal woodland garden called the Wooded Valley, joined by a series of links. The themes reflect T Simpon’s overseas travels. The garden was opened to the public just prior to World War II. They were restored and re-opened to the public in 1953.
Italian Garden
This formal garden is designed to be enjoyed as a spectacle with water, fountains, statuary, topiary and mass plantings providing seasonal cover. To one side the addition of a Villa adds to the Italians sense of place. The garden features statues such as Bacchus in his Domed Temple, the Wrestlers of Herculaneum and old Venetian bronze lanterns.
Sub-tropical Link
The Sub-tropical Link is a large bed planted in a sub-tropical style, using spectacular foliage such as Tetrapanax papyrifer, Musa basjoo *hardy banana) and a pollarded Paulownia. At this time of year, the plants are just starting to come into leaf and I was envious of seeing Macleaya cordata growing happily – I’ve tried growing this is various plants in my garden but so far it has never reappeared the following year.
Wooded Valley
The mature pine wood has been developed as a woodland garden with winding pathways and dramatic waterfalls. Many rhododendrons and camelias thrive here. Shade tolerant shrubs edge the terraces and glades together with woodland plants such as ferns and foxgloves.
Rock and Water Garden
This is perhaps the largest rock garden in private ownership in England. It is home to over 300 kinds of plants ranging from mature specimens of slow growing conifers to a wide variety of alpines and hundreds of dwarf spring and summer flowering bulbs.
Sculpture Garden
The sculpture garden links the Rock and Water Garden to the Heather Garden. At lot of the sculptures are from artists from Zimbabwe and have a similar feel to the sculptures that I have in my garden. In the brochure it states that you can ‘enjoy stunning views across to Brownsea Island the the Purbecks’, personally I would describe them as glimpses through the plant growth as trees have grown around the perimeter of the garden.
Heather Garden
This is a year round attraction, at its most colourful in early spring. The plantings are a mixture of many species of heathers. Recent plantings of Southern Hemisphere plants, many not hardy in more inland sites, including Acacia pravissima, provide special interest.
Japanese Garden
This is recognised as one of the best in Britain. The Tea House, draped with Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) and the thatched summerhouse, are constructed to authentic designs while the stone and bronze works of art were imported from Japan in the 1920s. The plants have been chosen with the emphasis on Japanese icons such as the colourful, evergreen Kurume hybrid azaleas, Japanese maples and beautiful Asiatic flowering shrubs.
