As a gardener, imagine that you lived in the Victorian era when men and women were in the enviable position of having a wealth of new and totally unknown plant options from all the corners of the earth. How exciting is that!! When James Bateman began Biddulph Grange in 1842, the “world was his oyster,” as the saying goes. Each garden was a stage-set, offering endless possibilities…shelter or exposure, moisture or dryness; plants were selected AND importantly, sited by their growing needs.
