It is the end of October and the glorious season for garden visiting is not quite over yet. Last Sunday a town garden in Digswell Road on the edge of Welwyn Garden City to the north of London was just one of eight gardens open nationally for the NGS.  Ferns and grasses edged the path to the side of the house where the wrought iron garden gate was open:

The back garden, about a third of an acre in size, is a tapestry of texture and harvest colour; seed heads, grasses, autumnal leaves and evergreens.

Adrian and Clare have lived here since 1976 and began to get into gardening after retirement some twenty years later. There was no original drawn plan, and a resolution was made not to hard landscape the area. The lawn is at a higher level and I imagine that the ‘little Lutyens’ style steps were built at the same time as the house.

This is a garden about plants and Adrian trips off their names with a passion. I concentrate on the border to the left of the lawn. Planting was inspired as a result of visiting a nursery nearby in Potters Bar which introduced them to the style of Piet Oudolf.  Adrian delights in the performance of a new grass he has acquired, the silvery white fronds of the Peruvian feather grass  Stipa pseudoichu.

I admire the pink of the Michaelmas Daisy and am surprised to find it called Aster lateriflorus ‘Lady in Black’.

The garden is divided by a tall tightly clipped conifer hedge with a gap wide enough to tempt you through the vibrant planting. Here the tempo changes, with the introduction of succulents amongst the perennials.

Travel, in particular to the Americas, Africa and Asia where Adrian and Clare experienced exotics growing naturally, has inspired this part of the garden. It is an interesting mix, with a succulent inhabiting the stone ornament softened by stipa tenuissima around its base,  with a background of astelias and purple Salvia ‘Amistad’.

Mature trees surround this end of the garden and the tall palm-like Cordyline australis with its striking leaves has burst into flower.

As the end of the garden narrows and becomes shaded under the tree canopy, the path snakes through a collection of noble tree ferns,

and amongst a blend of exotic, familiar evergreen and bamboo, bananas which delight in the name Musa basjoo shed their layers.

Although the small greenhouse is almost hidden by the jungle growth, it somehow manages to catch enough sunlight from above.

There are several types of bamboo, and the lower leaves are stripped to show the strong and yellowy stems.

Leaving the shade of the jungle, the path returns to grass and takes me back towards the gap in the hedge,

and the sunshine brings out a Red Admiral who enjoys the nectar of the salvia flowers.

This small banana has wine-red stems and look dramatic amongst the grasses.

Back on the lawn I walk down the right hand side of the lawn where seed heads of the classical acanthus mingle with the golden stems of Stipa gigantea.

and teasel and cardoons stand in front of the waving Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberturm’.

Sedums never fail to bring colour at this time of year, and what is more appropriate than that old favourite Sedum spectabile ‘Autumn Joy’.

A burst of golden spikes is Molinia Karl Foerster, a name that appears in many a garden and I wonder who exactly was Karl Foerster? He was in fact a nurseryman in Germany in the early 1900s and made his name when he began to select perennials, particularly grasses that were robust, looked good in a mass and had elegant but strong flower spikes. As a pioneer of this style, I think he would have enjoyed this garden.

Down by the house I look back at the garden through the seed heads of Monarda. It has been a remarkable display of autumn colour much of which will continue through to January when Adrian will begin to cut back his garden.

Clare is serving teas and behind her hangs the special trowel, recognition that they have been opening their garden for 10 years for the NGS. This garden may be small but as an example on how to extend the summer planting, it is an inspiration.

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Towards the end of September, not far from Penrith, in the village of Melkinthorpe, somewhere in the middle of the beautiful countryside of Cumbria, we found the gate open to a fantastical and unique nursery.

An assembly of statue and ornament intermingled with plants greets us at the entrance and artfully built stone walls create a courtyard effect.

Developed in 1984 from a derelict site, Peter Scott created the nursery for his landscape business and employed a team of skilled craftsman. It is difficult to decide upon which archway to take.

An oak door leads into a building; half way between a fine barn and a conservatory it houses some tender plants and is the territory of a little wren.

Light comes in on one side through the full length windows, and at one end is a decorative stained glass window.

We take the narrow arch that leads through pots of towering bamboos,

and pass the office, reminiscent of a Tuscan farmhouse.

Further on is the terraced restaurant which has a slightly oriental look.

Japanese acers either side of the little wooden bridge.

Cornus kousa var. chinensis ‘China Girl’ is laden with fruit.

Old fashioned roses and clematis adorn bold brick pillars and you just can’t help but wonder if this really is a nursery or actually a private garden.

Yes, there are rows of plants, not just the acers and roses but in fact 15,000 varieties of rare and unusual shrubs, perennials, climbers,  and dwarf conifers, many of which are propagated on-site. It is the place for plantaholics.

Larch Cottage has supplied Botanical gardens such as  Kew, Durham and Sheffield, Universities and Colleges, many National Plant Collections, Alnwick gardens as well RHS Wisley.

Visitors never need feel alone; statues quietly appear in different corners and in many guises. Made from marble, bronze, lead and stone.

 

 

Good old Atlas heaves his world up through the sunflowers.

It is not all classical; there is a touch of the contemporary too.

Some pieces are commissioned to order, whilst others are sourced from reputable suppliers worldwide. There is also a comprehensive range of terracotta and glazed pots.

A wide arch, a neat brick path and more plants.

Classical columns provide the support which supply the perfect conditions for shady plants

Another arch, this time narrow and well guarded.

The path widens towards the end of the nursery,

and we find ourselves in the vegetable garden where healthy runner beans clamber over metal frames, and no doubt are a supply for the popular restaurant.

Through the produce the path leads to  the gate to the secret garden, open just on Wednesdays in aid of charity including two days in June and October for the NGS.

The freshly mown lawn invites us in. Encircled by borders planted with vigour and variety.

Neatly edged, the large labels identify the choice plants, these Alstroemia ‘Mauve Majesty’ are putting on a good display so late in the season.

and Malvia sylvestris ‘Marina’ is particularly welcome to a visiting bee.

Pink Diascia, with its long flowering season, never fails to delight.

The design of a circular lawn is repeated beyond,

and the wonderfully sounding Kniphofia ‘Wrexham Buttercup’ that I photograph for its Latin name, which I want to keep saying again and again, and here it sure catches the eye.

Calmly grazing on the lawn is  a charming family of bronze deer.

A smooth path, so perfect for all things with wheels,  winds through a great selection of shrubs,

until it reaches the still round pond. The plants reflect on the surface but the sun has left us now and the light has changed.

A variety of plants pack the water’s edge, such as the low growing Arum-lily

and the elegantly tall fennel.

It has all been recently constructed and a little chapel presides at the furthest point,

with an artistically painted interior, it is private and preserved for family occasions.

Erigeron karvinskianus grows naturally amongst the man-laid stones,

grasses such as Miscanthus sinensis ‘Sarabande’ contribute to a naturalistic planting,

while Hydrangea quercifolla ‘Burgundy’ gives a burst of autumn colour.

We return following the line of the natural stream, where a patchwork of leaves converge to hide the gently flowing water.

There is an orchard to the right bearing beautiful red apples Malus ‘Red Falstaff’ fit for any thespian, even a goddess too,

who now appears to be feeling the autumnal chill. This is quite a nursery and one not to be missed.

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Arley Hall, one of the original gardens to be opened for the NGS way back in 1927, opened its gates for the Scheme this year on the 6th August.

The visitor is dwarfed by the immensely tall pleached lime avenue lining the approach to Arley Hall in Cheshire. Planted in 1856, I wonder at having to get up there to give these trees an annual clip.

Not many entrances have a Cruck Barn; just right of the clock tower arch, it was built in about 1470, the same time as the house. The ‘crucks’ I gather, are the strong pairs of oak beams curving up from the floor to the apex of the roof.

The  garden has been created by the same family over the past 250 years and is considered to be one of Britain’s finest. The map advises us that it will take several hours to walk round the twelve acres. So we set off through the ornate iron garden gate.

A series of charming areas have been designed here; they are like the warm-up to the great act that follows. At one end of the pretty Flag Garden, white agapanthus grow above dainty white clumps which spill out of terracotta pots and in spaces amongst the paving stones.

At the other end where the scent of roses fills the air, lavatera and lavender surround the feet of this nonchalant chap.

Then, crossing the avenue lined with its rigid high hedges of yew,

an occasional splash of red tumbles out of the green walls; it is the Scottish Flame Flower tropaeolum speciosum, whose origins are nothing to do with Scotland having been introduced from Chile by the Cornish plant hunter William Lobb during the mid 1840s . 

Topiary echoes the stone finial centred amongst the nasturtiums in the Herb Garden,

where herbs are laid out in striking patterns.

Finally in this line up is a small scented garden, probably at its best in Spring, it retains a charm throughout the year.

The aroma right now is coming from the honey-scented  Itea illicifolia growing against the wall to the right of the gate which stands open to the walled kitchen garden.

We first explore the long glasshouse, The Vinery built in the 1870s where, amongst the figs and vines there is an explosion of exotic plants :

The evergreen Australian Bluebell Creeper sollya heterophylla with its nodding blue bell-shaped flowers twines one of the upright poles,

the tender and unusual Iochroma australe from South America,

and the popular Passion flower,

Out in the garden sweet peas adorn wigwams of bamboo amongst salads and vegetables all arranged decoratively in raised beds.

Brought over by the present Viscount Ashbrook from a previous family home, Castle Durrow in Ireland, is an intricate white arbour, the perfect centrepiece for the floriferous walk.

Even larger than the Kitchen Garden is a further Walled Garden, where we find this friendly beast.

It is a vast space, and an aged photo taken from the informative display-boards in the old stables, shows how in the 1940s and 1950s this area once earned its keep with rows of fruit trees with vegetable beds behind.

During these years the garden was closed for the Scheme but thankfully for us market gardening ceased to be profitable and the garden, having suffered much neglect over the years began a programme of restoration. The gardens were opened to the public in the 1960s and once again for the NGS too.  Now it is a delightful area with ornaments and mown green lawns edged with herbaceous borders,

with a formal pond and gentle fountain as the focal point.

We exit this area through the magnificent gates,

and find ourselves admiring the long herbaceous borders for which Arley has become so famous. These double borders can be seen on a plan of 1846 and it is thought they were the first of their kind to be planted in England.

Originally stretching in unbroken lines running along the brick wall on the north side and yew hedge to the south, the beds were broken up into five sections with yew buttresses some thirty years later.

The watercolour by E. A. Rowe of 1892 illustrate that the borders have remained unchanged today, except for the gravel path which has been replaced with grass.

The alcove situated at the west end was built in 1790 and is now a venue to tie the knot.

We slip through the hedge on the south side,

and look towards the eighteenth century Tea Cottage once used for garden tea parties and where shrub roses are underplanted with a variety of hardy perennials.

Through the spires of verbascum we can’t help but notice the fantastical cylinders of evergreen oak Quercus ilex growing here since the 1860s; there are fourteen in all.

They are impressive in stature especially looking up from the sundial circle.

Just off to the side is the Rootery, a type of rock garden combined with a romantic woodland dell of ferns and maples, it comes alive in spring with the flowering azaleas. 

Nearby is the fish garden; fish swim in the pool and, at the four corners of which is a splash of purple agaretum beneath the arching and delicate stems of the appropriately named angel’s fishing rods dierama mossii.

Finally we head along the Furlong Walk towards the house. Just as a reminder, a furlong is an eighth of a mile, 220 yards or if you are that little bit younger than me, 201 metres. On one side is the arrangement of gardens we have so enjoyed and on the other is the parkland. Cattle graze amongst old oaks whose outstretched arms bend to the ground in a graceful gesture reminding us that they too have been here for a very long time.

Each generation of this family have contributed to the evolution of the garden. The weather does not allow us to do justice to the Grove and Woodland on the east side of the Hall created by  the present Viscount Ashbrook over the past 30 years. However we have seen such variety; design and intrigue, history and progress, a paradise of plants and a nursery too. Arley Hall has its own very comprehensive website:http://www.arleyhallandgardens.com/the-gardens, but why not hear about the garden from Viscount Ashbrook himself who joins Mary Berry and Stephen Lacey on Tuesday 31st October 2017, tickets can be bought at https://www.ngs.org.uk/whats-new/news/post/the-glory-of-the-garden-with-mary-berry.

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This simple gate is the entrance to an impressive arboretum, open this Sunday 22nd October 10am – 3pm it is situated at Framingham Earl just 3 miles south east of Norwich.

There are 14 hectares (34 acres) here of a great collection of trees originally laid out by Dr Edward Rigby a physician and surgeon in Norwich. He was also a great lover of the natural world and having bought the estate in 1786 he began planting in about 1805. Originally called Framingham Hall the name was changed to The Chase when Geoffrey Colman acquired the property in 1929.

The house was demolished in 1973 a few years after the death of Colman’s widow Lettice.  The Beech Walk remains as a memory of the grand house it once was.

Framingham Hall is shown on Faden’s map of Norfolk 1797 and this more recent OS map outlines the demolished hall and shows the line of the Beech Walk centred on the old site.

It is that time of year when here and there are signs of autumn with the leaves beginning to turn, perhaps on one specimen like this nissa sylvatica ‘Tupelo’.

or an entire tree catching the light in the dark green canopy.

It is not a neglected wood, young trees have been recently planted and benches are placed in strategic places such as at the end of this ride,

or in front of the remains of the old balustrade on the North side of the house.

This old photograph shows the South side.

Those elegant ladies might have wandered  through growing shrubs and sat in this graceful rotunda now slightly hidden from view.

In the eighteenth century this classical statue would have symbolised the cultured taste and status of the owner. His presence remains majestic amongst the giants:

such as the Cedars of Lebanon cedrus lebani which are quite magnificent,

the large tight fat cones are firmly attached to the graceful arching branches,

unlike these tiny ones on a fir which drop so freely.

A fallen branch snakes its way up the hill,

where on a mound surrounded by sycamore stands a gazebo. Built in 2000 from English oak it celebrates the one hundredth birthday of H.M The Queen Mother, the creation of the arboretum and the start of the new millennium.

And it is from here that you have a glorious view, apparently out towards the sea at Great Yarmouth in the faraway distance; it is the spire of  St Andrew’s Church Framingham Pigot, we can see today peeping above the trees.

We have driven in from the South Lodge so decide to walk on further down the drive towards the North Lodge catching sunlight through the raised tree canopy,

and admiring the ever-changing shapes of nature.

In a wide clearing a plaque informs us that these American species trees were presented to Sir Timothy Colman KG by the governors and members of the Memorial Trust of the 2nd Air Division USAAF upon his retirement in November 2004 as Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk in appreciation of his support and encouragement over the years.

Particularly golden and, ironically because of its name, is the Quercus Velutina ‘Black Oak’.

From here we make our way to the lakes passing through the tumbled-down old rockery,

now overgrown, it is the bright stems of bamboo that have become a focal point.

A stately urn remains amongst the shrubs and trees,

and the end of the wall presents a reminder of past times.

I am with a tree expert and we delight in a species he does not know, an Indian Horse Chestnut Aesculus Indica. Related to the more common Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum it was introduced to Britain in 1851 by Colonel Henry Bunbury (a friend of Sir Joseph Hooker, Director of Kew), who planted seeds in his family’s garden at Barton Hall in Suffolk.

We have come to photograph the arboretum today for the Norfolk  Booklet and I admire the skill of our NGS photographer who takes such care and is clearly a professional,

whilst I am more hurried and happy to snap!

It is a series of lakes, and this cygnet appears alone on this lowest one.  Dwarfed by a the bronzed Swamp Cypress taxodium distichum which grows up ram rod-straight from one of the little circular islands.

All around, the blue sky and autumn colours are reflected on the still water.

We have wandered around for at least a couple of hours and it is time to ascend back up the South-facing hill. Not a flat part of Norfolk, it is a beautiful landscape and this very private arboretum, a rare Sunday treat, is surely one not to be missed. The Barn is the final garden to be open for Norfolk NGS 2017 and ends a fantastic season in this lovely county.

——-79——-

I could not resist visiting this garden designed by Tom Stuart-Smith when it opened for the NGS back at the beginning of August. Surrounding a country house situated just north of Nantwich in Cheshire, Cogshall Grange was built in the 1830s and was purchased in 2004 by the present owner who refurbished the buildings. The first phase of the garden was completed five years later.

Parking the car in the field, I realised that I was not the only one keen to visit this garden. We then approached the house from across the lawn.

The solid walls of this Georgian house are grounded within a parterre; not your traditional design, but one that is contemporary and fun with rounded box balls separating the drifts of colour in the beds.

Cleanly laid York paving surrounds the parterre and plants spill over, but there is still plenty of space for access.

The box balls playfully roll on around the glass-fronted extension.

From this terrace a gravel path snakes its way narrowly through a medley of planting enriched with striking agapanthus providing blotches of deep blue.

We decide not to take this path but to walk further down the length of the wall where the gate, boldly framed in a black metal surround, is undeniably the intended entrance into the walled garden.

The spacious structure is mirrored on the inside of the wall where conveniently placed is a comfortable bench where we sit for awhile and survey the scene.

We feast our eyes not on military rows of vegetables growing upon brown earth, but a palette of perennial flowers swathed in front of us, not a patch of soil is to be seen.

 

Gravel paths weave in and out of Stipa tenuissima, Perovskia and Crocosmia, behind which climbers clothe the brick walls.

In the very centre of this walled garden is an elegant pool where circles of waterlilies float effortlessly. On one side the prairie-style perennials and grasses that we have just walked through are reflected in the dark water,

whilst the hornbeam cloud topiaries rising up above the haze of moor grass, Molinia caerulea ‘Poul Petersen’, are reflected on the other side.

It is not all prairie-style planting; Hydrangeas, Eupatorium and Anenome x hybrida fight for space in the corner.

Underplanted with Rodgersia podophylla, the hornbeam clouds formed from 30-year-old trees are trimmed 3 times a year whilst the Molinia standing to the right will be hand cut  in late January. It is perhaps no surprise that there a 3 gardeners employed and we are grateful that they have given up their free time today to answer our many questions.

A simple oak door opens out onto a wild flower meadow through which meandering paths are mown.

Intensely planted with the wild and the almost wild flowers, it is an annual mix purchased from http://www.pictorialmeadows.co.uk. It will receive an annual cut at the end of the summer.

Here too is a naturalistic pond; the main gates to the drive in the far distance remain closed today.

We walk around the grange buildings and arrive at the back of the new extension. Hakonechloa macra grows exuberantly around the footings, like a deep pile carpet softly shimmering,

it gently moves in the light breeze and almost hides the paved pathway.

This grass, a native of Japan sweeps around to the front porch encircling a group of lilies,

and crossing the drive where it spreads under the trees.

In the parkland opposite and a little distant off is  ‘Lover’s Seat’ by Sandra Bell. Cast in bronze, it reflects the courting practice of those Georgian times when lovers were always chaperoned.

There are no fixed borders; the mown lawn merges seamlessly into uncut parkland.

‘Blythe Spirit’ another piece by Sandra Bell is placed looking out to the uninterrupted view and hidden ha-ha.

No dark patches of thinning grass appear under the trees spread across the lawn, for they all have generous and attractive plantings of ground cover. We sweep past this red persicaria in the direction of the stables where teas and ice creams are being served.

And even here the planting does not end. Troughs overflow with soft subtle combinations of Helichrysum, Scaevola aemura and Verbena.

This happens to be my third Stuart-Smith garden in my Ninety, Trentham and Brockhampton Cottage being the other two. His gardens never fail to delight and here in six acres there is a mix of the formal and the informal. The beautiful contemporary prairie-planting blends effortlessly with the surrounding parkland and countryside beyond. Definitely plan a visit next year when the garden will open on the 8th July.

——-78——-

It was a dark threatening sky descending over Burmington Grange on a Saturday last month. Burmington is a small rural village with a population of just 164 and is situated a few miles from Shipston-on-Stour. Garden owner Patrick who greeted us at the gate, thought I was coming on a bike and although staying with friends nearby I was very relieved to have taken the car!

We began our tour by looking to the right of the house where there is an ordered pattern of greens in a variety of texture and form. It is the lines of silver willow-leaved pears Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’ that look so distinctive against the dark storm clouds.

We did not delay but hurried across the immaculate drive to where the gates were waiting wide open,

and found ourselves in the colourful and productive fruit and vegetable garden.

Looking down from above the Kiwi actinidia deliciosa seemed to wave us on,

and we hurriedly admired the almost thornless tangle of Cratageus tanacetifolia standing high above the wall brimming with red berries,

and looked on enviously at the pears hanging from their outstretched branches trained against the wall.

A cloudburst forced us to take shelter in the neat little greenhouse where for some time we waited for the storm to pass whilst longing to pick one of those juicy red apples.

Eventually the rain subsided and we walked through into an enclosed garden in front of the Barn.

It is just the perfect place for a pool, south facing and sheltered. At one end, amongst the variety of shrubs, salvias, sedums and aeonium blend together, a contrast to the triangular topiary.

Along one side of the pool tall ‘Italianate’ yews divide but do not hide the swimming area, and on the other side is the wall from the vegetable garden which is adorned with a collection of climbers.  The pool is looking a little more enticing now the sky has turned blue.

At the Barn end, large pots are planted to perfection, overflowing with Salvia ‘Amistad’, Canna and Helichrysum.

This is a sheltered area and we decided to take tea served in the Barn while the weather was making up it’s mind.

The garden has an air of maturity and it is hard to believe that it was conceived only 13 years ago. The open door in the wall beckoned us.

Through the crab apple trees we looked down to the sunken garden laid out with roses, herbaceous plants, and fine lollipops of Portuguese laurel, prunus lusitanica

The crisp neat edges of the verdant lawn paths and neatly trimmed lavender accentuated the relaxed habit of erigeron karvinskianus which dances around the pond.

Seen from all angles it is a delightful arrangement.

The yew has been cleanly cut, and ‘gate posts’ are shaped into what are amusingly known as ‘Patrick’s thistles’.

We took the elegant steps up to the house and from under the tree we viewed the Warwickshire countryside rolling away before our eyes.

The spectacular Pineapple lily Eucomis grows at the foot of the walls of the house,

whilst the fragrant rosa ‘Aloha’ gently climbs the mellow Cotswold stone.

At the end of the terrace that runs along the front of house, is an enclosed garden seemingly made square by the clipped hedges which surround it,

but on entering it is in fact round, made so by the border that gently repeats its pattern of planting around a circular lawn.

A dip in the hedge provides a view of the unblemished countryside.

Moving round to the shaded side of the house we found an interesting range of trees,  growing in a less formal area.  The meadowy grass has paths mown through and is kept away from the base of the young trees like this Paper Bark maple, acer griseum. 

The berries are brightening and leaves turning on this Sorbus aucuparia.

Returning to the house a cube of variegated box caught my eye,

and a fine yew cone marks the corner from where we walked back along the terrace in front of the house.

Once more we admired, the charming arrangement below and in particular the selection of colourful salvias.

Too wet to explore we were happy to gaze at the bountiful apple orchard over the smiling gate,

A family garden, immaculate and in a perfect location.  Perched upon a hill the terraced garden embraces the view while parts remain well sheltered from the wind. Opening in the second week of September which may seem late in the season for garden visiting. Burmington Grange with its rich planting displays a plethora of colour and demonstrates that Summer is by no means over.  Despite the rain it has been a delightful afternoon and even the Dahlias show they can weather a storm.

——-77——-

Often, I am able to find a garden open which fits into my travel plans and helps break a long  journey. Driving North on our way to the River Tay last Saturday, there was very conveniently a garden open, just off the A66 at Appleby-in-Westmoreland.

I love this time of year, so often blue skies and liquid clear light. Not a bit of it today, this was the view through the windscreen as we parked the car!

Never one for letting a drop of rain stop me from having a look at a garden, I quickly crossed the road where the garden gate was wide open. An impressive purple leaved prunus cerasifera pissardii, stands at the front. An unfortunate name for this popular tree, I always think, and we have to blame Monsieur Pissard, a gardener to the Shah of Iran who introduced the tree to France in the 1880s.

The small front garden to the right of the front door, is the newest area and was completed in 2012. Planted with shade loving plants and a variety of shrubs including acers there are already signs of autumn tints.

Across the drive is a little patch of lawn behind which a small woodland garden acts as a sort of buffer to the road and the pub next door.

A path invites us through the oriental arch which has the delicious climbing Jasminum ‘Clotted Cream’ still in flower.

We walk to the left of the house where a clump of bamboo hides the greenhouse and the garden begins to rise up quite steeply behind.

Known as the circle garden it has pots of Dahlia ‘Classic Swan Lake’ which continue to perform in these wet conditions.

Designed by Ian Huckson, who began the planting in 2008, the garden is less than half an acre in size. It is easier to explain the layout with this aerial shot borrowed from Ian’s own website: www. engcougars@btinternet.com. We have entered the stage, so to speak, over to the left.

First we duck under the archway smothered in the leaves of clematis and rose,

and, we could follow the narrow path to the right through the dark leaved sambucus ‘Black lace and acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ to the old apple tree where a wooden seat cunningly curves around its roots and embraces the slope,

 

but instead we decide to walk on upwards past the slender ‘bollard’ of yew,

keeping the boundary hedge to our left and ignoring the next path to the right. We admire the path positively spilling over with perennials.

In the topmost corner we find a wooden bench,

from where, through the rain, we can take in much of the garden with the central bed containing a selection of grasses intermingled with bright splashes of perennials.

There is so much packed into this border which has a  great combination of texture and colour.

It does not matter that this is not an Indian Summer’s day, the back border running along the stone wall has plenty of colour too; sunny helianthus,

tall spikes of cimicifuga racemosa ‘Atropurpurea’,

and the wonderfully sounding salvia ‘Hot lips’.

Glancing back along the dry gravel path we can enjoy asters, sedums and hesperanthus growing around clipped box buns.

An area is divided into raised beds and set aside for the growing of vegetables, fruit and cut flowers. The helichrysum are keeping their blooms tightly closed,

while water drips from the luminous crab apples.

Summer clings on with the last of the sweet peas; growing nearly eight feet high they have to be the tallest that I have encountered.

Steps descend  to the level of the house where leafy ferns emerge from the wall and we can gaze up to the garden cascading down. Walking along the length of the cottage we are able to access the greenhouse,

where vines are grown more as a means of shade than a bacchanalian feast,

and Lady Boothby, that brightest of climbing fuchsias, provides a little glamour.

Parahebe ‘Snow clouds’ softens the short stone steps which we ascend,

to find handsome phormium ‘Margaret Jones’ surrounded by the self-seeding anaphalis triplinervis.

Nearby another white flower grows tall and shrubby, it looks suspiciously like Japanese knotweed, but I am assured that it is fagopyrum, the seeds of which are the edible  buckwheat.

This little aeonium is not the only one to be drenched,

the rain is really coming down in stair-rods!

 

It is not easy to garden on a slope but Ian has cleverly designed a garden which is both accessible and beautiful. Paths move us seamlessly around the different areas. His plant list is phenomenal providing a display hard to beat all year round. Even on such a wet day we have enjoyed the splendour of what Tim Richardson describes as ‘the fifth season’. It is hard to believe this once only grew rhubarb!

——-76——-