When it comes to "cross-pollination," it's for more than just the bees! The English have long been renowned for their landscape gardening, with countless fantastic examples. But did you know that some of the greatest English gardens have inspired similar rivals across the Atlantic in America?
American art collector and patron Robert Allerton built one of the finest country estates in the American mid-west, in the state of Illinois, south of Chicago. Beginning at the turn of the century, Allerton Park grew from a modest vegetable garden and Brick Wall garden to support the main house, to acres of formal gardens with imported marble and bronze statuary.
Allerton purchased bronze originals from Carl Milles and Auguste Rodin in the 1920s and 30s, as well as earlier marbles from Italy and Beijing in the 1910s.
Robert Allerton's favourite flower was the peony, and his peony garden is over 120 meters long, arranged in a rainbow. The peony garden reaches its peak of glory in late May, when they're all abloom.
Other gardens, such as the Chinese Maze Garden and Brick Wall Garden, feature trained espalier fruit trees growing against the backing walls. Privet and wisteria are common in these gardens.
It's worth a visit, but if you can't make the trip abroad, discover all there is to know about Allerton Park in the book "Inside Allerton: The Essential Guide to Robert Allerton Park." Take a historical tour of the century-old main home and gardens. Historic photos, architectural drawings, and contemporary color photos bring the story of this fantastic American estate to life!
"Inside Allerton" is available now on Amazon.com, or at many other booksellers such as B&N.