Parsonage Garden and Fletcher Moss Garden

[shelagh]

We couldn't remember the last time we visited here in Didsbury, Greater Manchester. The Parsonage garden is ofcourse in what has been the Parsonage it is run by Friends of the garden and they have done some wonderful work.
Through a magnificent entrance is a mature garden with a lot of ancient specimen trees. There is also an herbaceous border, greenhouse and grassed area planted out with bedding plants. We'll try and give you a flavour.
1. Entrance arch.
2. Inside the arch is an enormous tree whose foliage I didn't recognise.
3. It isn't until you get underneath that you realise it is a Mulberry and full of fruit. Unfortunately not quite ripe.
4. This is the next tree you see Clerodenron trichotomum. named for me by Fermi.
5.Just by the front door is Iteailicifolia, quite a mouthful and thankfully labelled.

[fermi de Sousa]

4. This is the next tree you meet unfortunatley not labelled.

Hi Shelagh,
could it be Clerodendron trichotomum?
cheers
fermi

[shelagh]

Thanks Fermi I think you're right.
6. Another unlabelled huge tree but I thought the foliage was beautiful.
7. Another unknown (to me at least) tree but I thought it's fruit might help people identify it.
8. Moving round towards the greenhouse and the border this fabulous Eucryphia was covered in flowers.
9.The tallest flowers in the border at least 7ft tall.
10. Just outside the greenhouse which was unfortunately not open the remains of a bulb with terrific blue seed pods.

[shelagh]

Moving on Oxydendron arboretum or the Sourwood.
Down to the grassed area Lilies.
Fuschias.
Eucomis.
Finally these seedheads poking cheerfully through the Ivy.

[shelagh]

Finally we move on to Fletcher Moss garden. This is a very steep hillside which was laid out as a rock garden long ago but after local authority gardeners were reduced and reduced it has got very overgrown, hardly a rock plant to be seen. However the Friends of the gardens seem to have taken it over and are slowly helping it back to it's glory. Here again there are many wonderful mature trees and terrific views.
Down at the bottom is a damp area with Gunnera and we spotted the Tradescantia.
The Inula was at one of the junctions of the paths.
The Clematis was fighting it's way up the Conifers.
The weird Conifer at the bottom looks like something out of Jurassic Park.

[shelagh]

And finally something we didn't expect to find at all. Tropaeolum speciosum.

[ashley]

... 7. Another unknown (to me at least) tree but I thought it's fruit might help people identify it.  ...

Cornus kousa?

[Tristan_He]

Cornus kousa?

I think Cornus too but it looks a bit different to my kousa - maybe nuttallii?

[Tristan_He]

Your other tree might be a swamp cypress, Taxodium distichum Shelagh. (but then again it may not, trees are not my strong point).

Other possibility is dawn redwood, Metasequoia.

[Tristan_He]

Looks like a lovely garden Shelagh, thanks for sharing.

[ashley]

I think Cornus too but it looks a bit different to my kousa - maybe nuttallii?

You could be right Tristan.  The leaf shape is more consistent with nutallii too.

Your other tree might be a swamp cypress, Taxodium distichum Shelagh. (but then again it may not, trees are not my strong point).
Other possibility is dawn redwood, Metasequoia.

I'd opt for Taxodium rather than Metasequoia here.

[Jon Evans]

10. Just outside the greenhouse which was unfortunately not open the remains of a bulb with terrific blue seed pods.

Dianella - possibly caerulea

[shelagh]

Thanks to you all for your identifications.