Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: Tim Ingram on July 27, 2012, 05:07:56 PM
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In our Hardy Plant Group in Kent we have long held a 'Talking Plants' where small groups visit each others gardens. Gardens vary and are invariably interesting but every now and again you meet someone who has such an eye for plants and planting that it is quite humbling. These are pictures taken in a good friend's garden down on the south coast. You could say that the garden is architectural but that nowhere captures the harmony of the planting and design. It is more a garden you might find in California or Spain (and they often travel to the latter), but fits very happily on a sunny day in the UK. We worked together on doing displays for the HPS at Chelsea many years ago (along with Richard Bird who was earlier involved in editing the AGS Bulletin), and I see now why we did quite well!
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An utterly charming garden. Artistic presentation, loads of plant interest - perfect 8)
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Lovely garden I'm quite envious of both the garden and the eye for design.
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Great stuff, Tim.
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It's always nice basking in someone else's glory - but we are slowly getting there with the garden and nursery here and friends make a lot of difference.
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Fabulous garden with style.
Must be very mild there as that Cordyline has survived the two two bad winters. Mine were cut to the ground and my Indivisa went to God.
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Had I seen these pictures without your note Tim, I would not immediately have thought "Oh, a garden in the UK!" Definitely something of the Mediterranean about it. I like the colour combination of the blue Acaena and the red Euphorbia.
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Tim really something different there. I like seeing other gardeners gardens. I hate seeing these gardens on the TV that nobody could afford to do.
Do they put these plants under cover for the winter months.
Nice to see some more gardens.
Angie :)
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Hello Angie - yes she has quite a campaign moving plants to a greenhouse to overwinter them, especially as they keep on getting bigger and bigger and more numerous! The garden is really near to the sea on the south coast so frosts are pretty rare and minor, but there is always a tendency to push your luck!
We used to do much the same years ago, filling the central pathway of the greenhouse with specimen plants - incredible what you can fit in if you really try. Fortunately her plants don't require a lot of watering!
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Hello Angie - yes she has quite a campaign moving plants to a greenhouse to overwinter them, especially as they keep on getting bigger and bigger and more numerous! The garden is really near to the sea on the south coast so frosts are pretty rare and minor, but there is always a tendency to push your luck!
We used to do much the same years ago, filling the central pathway of the greenhouse with specimen plants - incredible what you can fit in if you really try. Fortunately her plants don't require a lot of watering!
Yes, thats one good thing about these types of plants. When my sister passed away she had lots of Agaves and spiky plants some I found homes but I kept a couple of the nice big ones, every time I carry them out for the summer I get spiked and the same when I take them in. I used to try and clean them with a brush but know I just blast them with the hose pipe.
Would have enjoyed seeing that garden.
Angie :)
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One of the finest gardens in Kent is Great Comp, appropriately made by a Scot, Roderick Cameron, who had quite a tempestuous relationship with the horticultural establishment by all accounts. The garden was hugely invigorated by William Dyson when he took over as Head Gardener, and is especially good in summer and autumn with superb collections of salvias, dahlias and many late perennials and grasses. These few pictures show representative examples of the plantings a week or two ago...
The garden has many rare and unusual trees and shrubs - the first picture shows a large specimen of Leptospermum (cunninghamii/lanigerum?), and also some of the typical stone 'ruins', rather eccentric but actually providing distinctive planting areas and fascination to the garden. One of the finest features is the circular opening in the wall looking towards the colourful long border. The Italianate garden is largely planted with perennials, including this lily and moisture loving crocosmias and phlox (this year has been particularly good for such plants). And in the more informal areas there are grasses, self-sowing Verbena bonariensis and sedums. Quite a garden if you happen to be meandering along the M20 between Sevenoaks and Maidstone looking for a bit of peace and quiet.
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Thank you so much for showing us Great Comp Tim, the last time we visited was a couple of years after the death of Mrs Cameron I think. We were introduced to the garden by Roderick Cameron who was getting on too. A memorable visit and one we hope to retrace this time next month. This taster has made me look forward to it all the more. Cheers :)
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Very nice and like you say the view through the circle is so lovely. I always wonder how those circles keep up, hubby has just explained how they work. Now if I had the space. Thanks for showing us this lovely garden.
Angie :)
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Carl Wright's garden in the Burren has an impressive dry stone circle.
http://www.garden.ie/albumUpdate.aspx?id=5685&idalbum=11150 (http://www.garden.ie/albumUpdate.aspx?id=5685&idalbum=11150)
He gives a great talk too.
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I like moon gates- whole or in part - there's one at the Explorers' Garden in Pitlcochry.
Brian - thanks for that link to the photos of that super garden of Carl Wright. A nice blend of the contrived stonework and a very natural look to the planting.
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I like moon gates- whole or in part - there's one at the Explorers' Garden in Pitlcochry.
Brian - thanks for that link to the photos of that super garden of Carl Wright. A nice blend of the contrived stonework and a very natural look to the planting.
So the circles are called moon gates, another thing I have learnt. Wasn't sure where Burren ( googled it ) was just thought he must be in a very stoney area. Love the dyke with the seat placed, just seems to blend in perfectly.
Angie :)
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There are so many good gardens in Ireland - I've only seen a few but would like to see more. Carl Wright's garden, and moon gate, does look good in that open landscape.
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These are a few recent photos of Geraldine Fish's garden at Mount's Court Farmhouse on the flanks of the Elham Valley, south of Canterbury. Geraldine was brought up on rubber and oil palm plantations in Malaya, and then in Australia, and she and her husband started this garden from scratch in 1983. She has an artistic background and, as you can see, great attention to detail. The garden is opened regularly for the NGS, and is one of those opening next April for our AGS Safari (under the auspices of the NGS).
The garden contains some really interesting plants (if not so many alpines!), including shrubs and trees like those last three pictured: Clethra alnifolia, Hydrangea quercifolia and Sorbus stellaris.
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These are a few recent photos of Geraldine Fish's garden at Mount's Court Farmhouse on the flanks of the Elham Valley, south of Canterbury. Geraldine was brought up on rubber and oil palm plantations in Malaya, and then in Australia, and she and her husband started this garden from scratch in 1983. She has an artistic background and, as you can see, great attention to detail. The garden is opened regularly for the NGS, and is one of those opening next April for our AGS Safari (under the auspices of the NGS).
The garden contains some really interesting plants (if not so many alpines!), including shrubs and trees like those last three pictured: Clethra alnifolia, Hydrangea quercifolia and Sorbus stellaris.
The "Safari" will be a great success with gardens like this involved. I think we have seen again and again in the pages of this forum that while there is a particular interest in alpines, the wider range of rock and wild garden plants is a truly broad church and also leads to an interest in all types of gardens. Happy safari!!
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Does anyone know who has taken over as head gardener at the Garden House in Devon? This had fantastic displays of Rohdohypoxis and pinks and a simulated South African floral area when Keith Wiley was there. It changed somewhat under Matt Bishop. It will be interesting to see what direction it takes now.
You can still see Keith's style of gardening at the Wildside nursery just down the road from the Garden House. Don't miss it if you are in the area, although opening days are not always convenient.
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At last night's AGS Local Group meeting nobody knew if an appointment had been made at the Garden House. If I hear anything I'll post it here.