Garden Design | Pullingweeds

On a rare trip into Manchester last week – it’s a bit of a trek from North Shropshire, where I’m living now – I took the opportunity to climb the staircase up to the Castlefield viaduct. I’d read about this project to turn a section of the long unused viaduct into a garden, inspired perhaps (and there’s no shame in that) by the now famous New York Highline.

The garden is split into two main areas. The first section is a straight path flanked on both sides with wildflower meadow, planted into what looks like very poor, stony, soil – presumably relatively unimproved from what was there. Unpromising ground into which to grow. But of course there are a profusion of experimental projects showing how – if you choose the right plants – brick dust, rubble, building waste, even concrete and decaying tarmac, are not necessarily an obstacle to creating a garden. The wildflower meadow borders were, as you would expect at this time of year, somewhat low and scrappy – not much to see there, but I’m willing to bet they will put on a show as the weather warms up.

The Second part is more formal, with large, steel planters, with a full range of plants, from ground cover, up to trees. The planting was neat and tidy, with quite a lot of interest now. Young Himalayan birches provide some height (doing their best to compete with the shiny new tower blocks in the background), and their white trunks were looking good. The feature plant on the day of my visit was Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai’ (or ‘Kojo-no-grow’, as I like to call it – a little unfairly, but it is a very small, slow growing tree) with early, frothy, white blossom.

Grasses are used to good effect, and will look good all year round. These (Calamagrostis x. acutifolia?) are due to have last year’s foliage cut back anytime now – difficult to bring yourself to do it while they still look so impressive, but it will make room for the new leaves and flower stems…

In bays between the planters there is a potting station, with miniature greenhouses…

A text sculpture in rusting steel…

And even a wildlife pond…

Tiered planters at the far end provide displays for smaller plants…

Trams are passing back and forth on the adjoining viaduct the whole time, as you can see in some of the photos.

We were accosted by a couple of geography students from Durham University who wanted us to take part in their survey assessing the value of the space to the community. As you can imagine, our replies were very favourable. And then the sun came out, which made a huge difference…

And it stayed out for the rest of the day as we wandered around the ever-changing city we once knew so well (but that now grows so quickly as to need regular research to keep up with what’s happening).

We passed by the new ‘Factory International’/Aviva venue which, disappointingly, was shut on a Tuesday! I have to say, the side of the building we saw didn’t look much – a drab, concrete cube with some powder-coated steel behind – a nocturne in beige. I believe the front is a bit more interesting, but even that didn’t impress me when I saw it on television. It’s an enormous venue, and I can’t help thinking it’s going to prove to be a white elephant – I wouldn’t be the first person to question where the events are going to come from for yet another large venue. I also understand it went well over budget and cost many billions. But then, as a friend of mine pointed out, that’s very much in the tradition of factory records (and the associated Hacienda nightclub) that inspired it.

The Castlefield viaduct project comes under the auspices of The National Trust, but is, apparently, only a temporary installation, so its future is in question. While the intention is to make it permanent, funding has yet to be secured. On the other hand, if the money can be found, plans are afoot to plant up the other 800m and turn the whole thing into a permanent fixture. I very much hope that happens, as this is a fabulous resource for a city that is relatively poor for greenspace (although at long last, the city is working hard to change that).

text & photos © graham wright 2024

In January, I bought two packs of Aconitum napellus ‘Album’ from a well known on-line plant nursery. There were three bare-rooted plants in each pack. They were for our green and white themed, shady border near to the house (‘Album’ being botanical Latin for white). Aconitum (or, Monkshood) are generally blue, but ‘Album’ is the white form.

As they were small, I potted them up and grew them on (initially in the greenhouse), planting them out once the frosts had stopped. They grew well, and began to form flower spikes. But it became clear fairly on they weren’t going to be white. The flowers are fully out now…

Oh dear! I’ve contacted the supplier, who were very good, and are processing a full refund, as they don’t have any replacements they can give me. And I can use these blue Aconitums elsewhere in the garden. So now I just need to source some white ones from somewhere. That, or find an alternative (white foxgloves could be an option).

Below is the border in early May, with the white ‘Purissima’ tulips and ‘Thalia’ daffodils still in flower. Okay, I know there are some blue flowers, which doesn’t fit the colour scheme, but rules are made to be broken! The flowers are pale blue, but the leaves of the Brunnera at least are white…

The planting is only just establishing. Two Pyracantha’s, a Viburnum x burkwoodii, and a Chimonanthus (yellow flowers, but in winter, when little else is out) will eventually hide the fence. Along the front edge, on the house side of the semi-raised pond, is a low hedge of Sarcococca, grown from cuttings taken from a single plant. The small white flowers are produced in the winter, and are very fragrant (which is why I put them by the house).

As you can see, the paths have been set out, but need to be levelled and paved. To save money, I’m doing the landscaping work myself, little by little when I can find the time which, at the moment, isn’t often. It’s a work in progress.

The perennial planting includes four ferns – Polystichum polyblepharum.

I’ve been disappointed how much they’ve suffered. The new croziers have been wiped out twice so far this year – once by the cold, and once by the hot sunny weather we had early on (the bed is not as shaded as it will be once the wall shrubs have established).

There six Bergenia ‘Bressingham White’, which flowered well (with, as you would expect, white flowers).

There are two Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’. At the moment they’re all foliage – the white flowers will appear later on. This is another plant which didn’t turn out as I expected, thanks to nursery mis-labelling.

Three Actaea (A. simplex ‘Brunette’) have lovely dark foliage that will stand out against the green shades of the other plants, and fragrant white flower spikes (which are quite late to flower).

Brunnera ‘Alchemy Silver’ has large, striking, silvery heart-shaped leaves. The flowers are pale blue, small, and similar to forget-me-nots. The blue doesn’t fit in with the white theme, but they appear in early spring, so I think that can be forgiven.

The planting looks sparse now, but in time it should expand and mesh together. I chose plants that flower at different times so that there will be flowers for most of the year. Contrasting colours, textures and leaf shapes make for a bed full of interest.

Pullingweeds

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Category Archives: Garden Design

Castlefield Viaduct

Plant Mis-selling