Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Travel / Places to Visit => Topic started by: ranunculus on August 16, 2009, 05:04:44 PM
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Just arrived back from a lovely sunny week in the New Forest (Hampshire) and West Sussex, ostensibly to see elderly relatives, but also as a golden opportunity to visit Wisley, Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, various nature reserves and to sample the cliffs, beaches, villages, beauty spots, pubs and floral delights of this beautiful part of the world.
A mixture of images to post concluding (in time) with an array of shots from the immaculate and always impressive Wisley Gardens, but before that a series taken at Furzey Gardens in the heart of the New Forest.
Established in 1922 these informal gardens feature thatched buildings, heather beds, a small lake, a Christian retreat and a fernery.
From literature we had collected we knew that entry to the gardens was ‘by donation’ (in support of a highly commendable charitable trust for learning disabilities), but we were quite taken aback to discover that admission was in fact ‘by a donation of AT LEAST seven pounds per person’, which makes entry to this admittedly pleasant but certainly not outstanding rural retreat only slightly less expensive than a visit to the magnificent Wisley Gardens ...please be warned.
I feel the advertising literature should be more explicit in this respect - it is quite a drive from most of the resorts.
Anyway, enough of the gripes, a trio of postings from Furzey and of the animals that roam the heaths and wild places of the New Forest.
Lots of other images from the cliff tops, beaches, woods and gardens to follow ...
FURZEY GARDENS, HAMPSHIRE
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Next batch from Furzey Gardens ...
FURZEY GARDENS
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Next batch from Furzey Gardens ...
FURZEY GARDENS
NEW FOREST DONKEYS
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Final image from Furzey Gardens ...
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Cliff,
Can you remember what the Rubus is, in No. 15 (Rubus odoratus ?).
[New Forest in August,......You're a braver man than me!! ]
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Hi Giles,
No visible label I'm afraid.
Lyndhurst, Lymington and Brockenhurst were as busy as usual, but the cliffs, heaths and copses were idyllic.
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..yes, I have to start taking the valium a week in advance of tackling Lyndhurst.
'Spinners' is good, if you're down there again, and there is a good site for Hammarbya paludosa.
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HI Cliff,
Good to have you back again - you sort of vanished in the middle of your report on the Dolomites though, to be fair, the reporting was taken up very effectively in your absence.
You appear to have mislabelled one of your photographs: "New Forest 1" - should this not be "Forum Members"?
I adore Wisley and look forward to your photographs.
Post scriptum: I noticed a small item in a gardening magazine yesterday: Do you know that there are over 700 employed in Wisley? It astounded me to read this. It was in the context of a reduction of staff numbers for economic reasons.
Paddy
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Hi Paddy,
I knew that Martin and Kata had both been to the Dolomites and didn't wish to steal their combined thunder (so I took a holiday) ... I will post again in that thread when they have exhausted their beautiful images. I still have many plants and landscapes to bore you with.
If you would like to specify which forum members you are referring to then I would willingly change the picture title! :D
I hope I can entertain you with some interesting shots from one of your favourite gardens.
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Cliff,
I'm sure a competition could be organised, with Maggi's permission naturally, to identify the members you photographed in the New Forest.
Looking forward to Wisley shots.
Paddy
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If you would like to specify which forum members you are referring to then I would willingly change the picture title!
Actually.... can I ask to be the cute young one in #3? ;D
I find the thatched buildings very quaint and Furzey looks delightful.... pictured as well as ever by you, Cliff..... but I, too, would have taken slight offence at the rather underhanded "donation" approach. State it up front, I say..... families visiting (especially) need to know how much an outing is going to cost.
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families visiting (especially) need to know how much an outing is going to cost.
... And it is certainly a garden designed with children in mind!
Some more from the New Forest and the coast before we venture to the Hillier Gardens and Wisley ...
BUCKLERS HARD
CENTAURIUM ERYTHRAEA
DIPSACUS FULLONUM
ERICA ON THE HEATH
CENTAURIUM ERYTHRAEA
BRANCH LINES
IDYLLIC HAMPSHIRE
KEYHAVEN HARBOUR
IDYLLIC HAMPSHIRE 2
OYSTERCATCHER RUNNING
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Next batch from the New Forest and the coast ...
CHRISTCHURCH HARBOUR SWANS
CHRISTCHURCH - THE 'NEW ZEALAND GARDENS' PLANTED WITH DONATIONS FROM THEIR TWIN CITY IN N.Z. (and, unfortunately, masses of annuals instead of N.Z. natives).
SUPERB NATURE RESERVE JUST OUTSIDE LYMINGTON
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Final batch from New Forest and the coast ...
NEW FOREST FUNGI
SHORELINE SKELETON
SPIRANTHES
SPLIT LOG
TEASEL
WAITING FOR THE PUB TO OPEN
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.... and now for something completely different... ;D
Different subjects allright Cliff - they do have one thing in common with your other posts though... : Great shots ! 8)
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families visiting (especially) need to know how much an outing is going to cost.
Some more from the New Forest and the coast before we venture to the Hillier Gardens and Wisley ...
You should know that I'm getting all homesick up here in the north seeing all these places from my childhood in Hampshire! Glad you are, despite the title, popping in to Hilliers - I grew up just a stone throw from there....
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Cliff, a throughly enjoyable trip with you through Hampshire and the New Forest - the area is so wonderfully English! I've seen many NF ponies and foals on the commons and cricket matches but never donkeys - real characters :)
Your action shots of birds in the wild are remarkable and so natural looking - I especially love the Oyster Catcher running in the water; birds I could watch and listen to endlessly with their haunting cry.
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Cliff,
Great set of shots. Your "idyllic Hampshire" remind me that on two occasions a few years ago my neighbours cows went into the river and I was the one who had to swim after them with a rope to put round their necks so that they could be pulled from the water by tractor. Getting out through the mud was the worst part.
Paddy
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Many thanks folks ... your kind comments simply spur me on to post more (so you know who to blame everybody)!
During the first weekend of our break we stayed with my sister in Hook in Hampshire which, fortuitously, is home to the Bartley Heath nature reserve where the Marsh gentian is still flourishing (unlike in many other parts of the U.K. where the heaths are being mismanaged or, in some cases, simply drained). We were fortunate to catch some early flowering examples of this pretty little gentian - Gentiana pneumonanthe - and I will post just four images to show you all just how lovely they are.
GENTIANA PNEUMONANTHE
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Lovely pics Cliff from one of my favourite counties (spent the last five years of my working life in Hampshire).
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Thank goodness there are at least some places left where gems like the marsh gentian can survive and delight us.
In a time when there is so much talk of holidaying "at home" I do think that the Tourist board is missing a trick in not employing Cliff to extol the virtues of an English holiday......why, if I thought for a moment that the food matched the scenery...... :-\ ::)
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Oh Maggi ... we ate like lords every evening, in fact the food was so good in one particular hostelry that we ate there for three consecutive evenings until we HAD to come home ... bloated but happy!
Sorry to make you use that 'w' word again David ... I must try harder! :D
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Oh Maggi ... we ate like lords every evening, in fact the food was so good in one particular hostelry that we ate there for three consecutive evenings until we HAD to come home ... bloated but happy!
Gerraway! Really? I am pleasantly surprised.... one hears such awful things about the cooking in some country places - might have known that an accomplished piglet like yourself would snuffle out some gourmet grub!
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Back to the photos ... today we will visit the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens two miles north-east of Romsey. A quick tour of these lovely gardens capturing random (many untitled) images including some butterflies that crossed our path ...
HILLIER GARDENS - HAMPSHIRE
ACER PALMATUM
EUCOMIS BICOLOR
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Next batch from the Hillier Gardens ...
We were walking down the wide lawns between the lengthy herbaceous borders (some of the longest in Europe) when I heard a distinctive and much loved voice stating; "This is another of my introductions from Yunnan". It seems the wonderful Roy Lancaster OBE VMH was guiding a party of very fortunate RHS students around the gardens. I wish I had had the gumption to pause the great man in full flow and remind these students how incredibly lucky they were to have such a venerated tutor.
Roy is a patron of these gardens (he does, of course, live in this neck of the woods - quite far from his beloved Bolton in Lancashire).
A very pleasant aside to a lovely sunny day in these beautiful grounds.
ROY LANCASTER OBE VMH
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Most enjoyable, thanks Cliff for a reminder of good times we have had in Hampshire. What lucky students indeed.
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What lucky students indeed.
I do hope those students have some inkling as to the stature of their guide...... Roy has such incredible knowledge and infectious enthusiasm for the wirld of plants. He is surely one of the best horticultural broadcasters we have ever had and it pains me that he is so seldom seen on screen these days. Anyone who has heard his talks will know that he is eqaully inspiring "in the flesh", too.
The icing on Roy's cake, as far as I am concerned, is that he is also such a charming fellow- approachable, charming,friendly and eager to share his skills.
Pity there are not more like him!
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The Americans have their "Dirr" and we have our "Hilliers", our standard reference book for trees and shrubs. I have never been to visit the arboretum and would love to do so. A great whetting of the appetite, Cliff. Great shots, as always.
Paddy
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Thanks Paddy ... and Maggi, I couldn't agree more.
Hilliers are staging a special 'Art in the garden' exhibition from May to 31st October this year featuring over 150 craft works and sculptures dotted around the gardens.
My personal favourite is depicted in 12A below.
GLADIOLUS DALENII
... AND IN CLOSE-UP
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Some more images from the Hillier Gardens ...
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Final batch from the Hillier Gardens.
Wisley Gardens to follow when time and tide allow ...
THE SIR HAROLD HILLIER GARDENS
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Hi Cliff,
Great set again.
Re "Hillier 22", I am surprised to see Itea illicifolia so far advanced. The tassels are not nearly as long here.
From your photographs it is obvious that you are more interested in plants/flowers than in trees!
Paddy
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I do tend to look down rather than up Paddy ... so I really appreciate all the dwarf willows! :D
I do love trees but know little about them ... they make ideal photographic subjects when there are few plants about! :D
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What lucky students indeed.
I do hope those students have some inkling as to the stature of their guide...... Roy has such incredible knowledge and infectious enthusiasm for the wirld of plants. He is surely one of the best horticultural broadcasters we have ever had and it pains me that he is so seldom seen on screen these days. Anyone who has heard his talks will know that he is eqaully inspiring "in the flesh", too.
The icing on Roy's cake, as far as I am concerned, is that he is also such a charming fellow- approachable, charming ,friendly and eager to share his skills.
Pity there are not more like him!
Thanks for the great pictures from Hilliers!
I can add a little story of my own from Hilliers and Roy Lancaster. As I mentioned above, this was my local garden when I lived in the area many years ago. I've known also that Roy Lancaster lived nearby but never found out exactly where. Well, last time I was at Hilliers (with my Mum), we were studying some Hostas, when suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar figure striding towards us - Roy Lancaster - together with a group of other people. I leaned over to my Mum and whispered - look it's Roy Lancaster (I wouldn’t have dared to say hello…). A few seconds later, he'd actually stopped to ask if we'd seen anything interesting - we ended up chatting for 20 minutes or so, amongst other things about Northern Norway (where he'd been, of course - where hasn't he been), Hostas, an unusual edible Chrysanthemum in Japan (he also mentioned this plant in an article in the Garden) etc. etc. Couldn't believe it! Hadn't imagined anyone of that stature being so down-to-earth. Couldn't put it better than Maggi: "A charming fellow- approachable, friendly and eager to share his skills". I forgot in my excitement to get a picture, but did capture him disappearing up the path (you can just about see him in the photo below). Sadly I've never seen him lecture or even seen him on TV, but I have a couple of his books...
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Wonderful shots of all sorts from your visit to Hilliers, Cliff, great planting combinations and drifts and light falling on flowers and butterflies. What a special bonus to be CU with Roy Lancaster, a hero of mine too, as Maggi says he is always so enthusiastic to share his huge knowledge with everyone. A great story teller and natural communicator :)
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......... who ought to be on television far more often than he is, a real plantsman and a real gardener.
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For goodness sake, David, you should know by now that television and gardening do not go together - well, certainly not in the past few years. Gardening programmes on television are simply atrocious, not worth watching.
There was a time when the likes of Roy Lancaster was given television time and we were thrilled and delighted to see him but now he would be considered too intellectually demanding for today's viewers who have an estimated attention span of under five seconds.
Paddy
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Fully agree Paddy. Garden programmes over here (well in England anyway) seem sadly mixed up with the "cult" of celebrity. A "cult" eminently suitable for those with a limited attention span and brain to match.
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Well, let's start a petition ...
"WE WANT WOY" "WE WANT WOY" "WE WANT WOY"
Along with many members of the East Lancashire Group of the AGS we were fortunate enough to witness a Roy Lancaster lecture in Bolton a number of years ago ... a very special event.
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Cliff and David,
The unfortunate and terribly frustrating thing about it is that there are hordes of outstanding gardeners and lecturers who could grace our television screens and give us programmes of the hightest quality and entertainment but policy seems to aim at hitting the interest level of the lowest level of expertise and knowledge. It would be unthinkable, it would seem, to air a programme with a reasonable level of expertise, knowledge and appeal to those who can do more than barely distinguish an onion from a cabbage.
A member of the committee of our local gardening club was in our garden yesterday and Mary picked him a selection of vegetables - potatoes, courgettes, french and runner beans. The potatoes were fine but he asked what he should do with the others, how to cook them. Christ above in heaven I know I have told my sons that there will always be work for them as teachers as the level of general ignorance in the world is beyond reckoning but who could imagine someone who could not cook a few beans? Television presenters and policy makers are of the same ilk as our visitor.
Paddy
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...and they will all be has-beans soon ;D
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Before we roam around Wisley Gardens, a couple of postings from the English countryside in late summer ... all taken during the past week in Hampshire.
BARTON-ON-SEA CLIFF TOPS
ARMERIA ON CLIFF TOPS
ARUM BERRIES
CAMPANULA ROTUNDIFOLIA
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Next posting from rustic Hampshire ...
Campanula rotundifolia
Fungi
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Final images before we pass through the entrance to Wisley Gardens ...
LILY LAKE AT LARGE HAMPSHIRE HOTEL
BOATS AT CHRISTCHURCH
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The Barton cliff top walk looks wonderful Cliff with little coves and sandy beaches....isn't it amazing how Campanula make every type of terrain their home with their gorgeous blue bells in the sunlight?
Your photo of Arum berries leaves me with mixed feelings - Tanya, aged 2, picked some in the garden and I rushed her to Swindon old PMH thinking she might have eaten some and poisoned herself - no support just: 'here make her sick with this medicine' - ghastly experience :'(
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Over two hundred images from Wisley to post ... will Maggi and Ian permit such extravagance?
Because of the limited time in the gardens and the diversity of plants on display, very few of these pictures will be titled (I might know an alpine or two, but I could not possibly name everything we encountered) ... I hope this won't spoil your enjoyment of this series?
I loved the sheer diversity of colour, form and habitats (without knowing a percentage of the names) and I hope you will accept these random images in the same spirit?
I'm certain that they could all be named by one or other on this forum, so please feel free to request identifications if you feel the urge.
Please click on the images to enlarge.
WISLEY GARDENS
VERY IMPRESSIVE 'SHEET' OF BLOOM - CREATED USING NARROW TRAYS FIXED TO THE WALL.
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Batch two from Wisley Gardens ... Please click on the images to enlarge.
We will reach the rock garden and alpine houses in a very short time ...
WISLEY GARDENS
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A brief visit to the carnivorous plant bog before we ascend the rock garden to the alpine house and troughs ...
Darlingtonia
Sarracenia
Wisley carnivorous bog area
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More from the carnivorous plant pond at Wisley Gardens as we climb up through the rock garden to the alpine mecca ...
Darlingtonia
Sarracenia
Arisaema berries
Roscoea
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Finally some images from the alpine zone at Wisley Gardens showing the alpine houses and trough areas ...
Wisley Gardens
Alpine House
Behind the scenes areas
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It all looks very neat, Cliff.... not exactly heaving with visitors though, is it?
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Mmm! Just spotted the butterflies in this thread. 8)
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I cleared them all out as soon as I arrived, Maggi ... three sneezes and two 'oinks' did the job nicely! :D
Thanks Anthony!
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A few more from Wisley Gardens ... it is wet outside in the garden here in Lancashire today, the remnants of hurricane Bill.
Alpine house and rock gardens at Wisley Gardens.
Borders and main glasshouse at Wisley
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Next batch from Wisley Gardens ... Many more to follow ...
The sunlight was intense while we were there hence the roof shadows across many of the cushions.
Alpine house at Wisley Gardens.
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Oh Maggi ... we ate like lords every evening, in fact the food was so good in one particular hostelry that we ate there for three consecutive evenings until we HAD to come home ... bloated but happy!
Well Cliff, this really sounds interesting as our experiences in GB for finding good (affordable ;) ) restaurants were not always good.
We are always in for trying local food in the countries where we are, but sometimes...... ::) ::) :-\
Well we are not too often in GB, but when we visit again I better ask you how to find such places like the one you described above ;D ;D
BTW, this series of excellent pictures is very interesting, with some very nice places shown.
Thanks a lot , I enjoyed all of them.
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Just caught up with this whole topic. Glrious, Cliff. Thank you. The Sarracenia bog is something I'd love to visit, and that red Roscoea!! :o :o :o I think someone posted a pic of it a little while ago in one of the flowering now topics, and it stood out for me there. Amazing colour for a Roscoea. Thanks for showing us around. 8)