Bridgemere Show Gardens near Nantwich have been officially unveiled after being restored to their former glory.
The gardens, now owned by Blue Diamond Group, have undergone extensive restoration and rejuvenation.
The Gardens include three RHS Chelsea Medal winning show gardens.
Formally known as ‘The Garden Kingdom’, and founded by John Ravenscroft in the 1980s to inspire amateur gardeners, the Show Gardens were once a popular visitor destination.
But they fell into disrepair when John retired in 2006.
When Blue Diamond Group bought Bridgemere Garden Centre in October 2019, it included the Gardens and the adjoining nursery.
Work then began to resurrect and restore the gardens covering a six-acre site to their former glory.
It is home to 13 individual gardens, including seven RHS gold and silver medal award-winning show garden which are recreations from RHS Chelsea, RHS Hampton Court and RHS Tatton Flower Shows.
The Bridgemere Show Gardens also include other medal-winning show garden recreations from the Garden Festivals in Hanley and Liverpool as well as the garden in which the 1993 television series ‘Gardener’s Diary’ was filmed.
A spokesperson for Bridgemere said: “This year we are launching two new show gardens, the ‘Blue Diamond Forge Garden’, winner of a Silver Medal and the Best Artisan Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021 and also the ‘Down Memory Lane Garden’, winner of a Silver Gilt at RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2021, and which was designed in conjunction with Alzheimer’s Society.
“The Gardens include nine Champion Trees as well as over 120 rhododendrons.
“Also a significant collection of spectacular magnolias and at this time of year, formal bedding displays, including over 20,000 Tulips and informal herbaceous borders.”
John Ravenscroft, the founder of the Bridgemere Show Gardens, was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society Veitch Memorial Medal and the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour in 2008.
For more information including opening times and admission charges, (20% of admission charges are donated to Alzheimer’s Society), visit www.bridgemeregardens.co.uk
An epic business fail to allow these gardens to decline all these years, clearly ignorant of the associated benefits of showcasing shrubs bulbs and trees in an inspired format, remind me what does the garden centre sell?? A bit like a building site without the show house, unbelievable