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 expired 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 favorite 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.

Other gardens, such as the Chinese Maze Garden and Brick Wall Garden,
feature trained espalier fruit trees growing against the backing walls.

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, or at many other booksellers.

http://gsbrenac.com/allerton.html