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General Subjects => Travel / Places to Visit => Topic started by: shelagh on August 25, 2021, 10:37:59 AM

Title: Parsonage Garden and Fletcher Moss Garden
Post by: shelagh on August 25, 2021, 10:37:59 AM
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.
Title: Re: Parsonage Garden and Fletcher Moss Garden
Post by: fermi de Sousa on August 25, 2021, 12:40:09 PM
4. This is the next tree you meet unfortunatley not labelled.
Hi Shelagh,
could it be Clerodendron trichotomum?
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: Parsonage Garden and Fletcher Moss Garden
Post by: shelagh on August 25, 2021, 01:43:58 PM
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.
Title: Re: Parsonage Garden and Fletcher Moss Garden
Post by: shelagh on August 25, 2021, 01:49:57 PM
Moving on Oxydendron arboretum or the Sourwood.
Down to the grassed area Lilies.
Fuschias.
Eucomis.
Finally these seedheads poking cheerfully through the Ivy.
Title: Re: Parsonage Garden and Fletcher Moss Garden
Post by: shelagh on August 25, 2021, 04:33:12 PM
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.
Title: Re: Parsonage Garden and Fletcher Moss Garden
Post by: shelagh on August 25, 2021, 04:34:49 PM
And finally something we didn't expect to find at all. Tropaeolum speciosum.
Title: Re: Parsonage Garden and Fletcher Moss Garden
Post by: ashley on August 25, 2021, 05:05:05 PM
... 7. Another unknown (to me at least) tree but I thought it's fruit might help people identify it.  ...

Cornus kousa?
Title: Re: Parsonage Garden and Fletcher Moss Garden
Post by: Tristan_He on August 25, 2021, 06:33:34 PM
Cornus kousa?

I think Cornus too but it looks a bit different to my kousa - maybe nuttallii?
Title: Re: Parsonage Garden and Fletcher Moss Garden
Post by: Tristan_He on August 25, 2021, 06:43:06 PM
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.
Title: Re: Parsonage Garden and Fletcher Moss Garden
Post by: Tristan_He on August 25, 2021, 06:44:47 PM
Looks like a lovely garden Shelagh, thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: Parsonage Garden and Fletcher Moss Garden
Post by: ashley on August 25, 2021, 08:16:21 PM
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.
Title: Re: Parsonage Garden and Fletcher Moss Garden
Post by: Jon Evans on August 25, 2021, 09:07:09 PM
10. Just outside the greenhouse which was unfortunately not open the remains of a bulb with terrific blue seed pods.
Dianella - possibly caerulea
Title: Re: Parsonage Garden and Fletcher Moss Garden
Post by: shelagh on August 26, 2021, 04:05:23 PM
Thanks to you all for your identifications.
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