Royal Surrey Day 2 -The Savill Garden

 Following on from a delightful day 1, our second day's outing was to The Savill Garden which forms part of the Windsor Estate and is absolutely one of my favourite gardens.  I do recall visiting it when I was quite young, however it surpassed all expectation, and should I have the opportunity to visit it again, I would jump at the opportunity.  

Considering it had been so dry, they had made the most of their own lakes using water to irrigate sensitive parts of the garden.  However the dry garden was having to work for its name and there was much there to inspire.  As this was a 'holiday' and I was very much aware that it was a holiday for the two of us, it was very much a companionable time together walking to all the corners of the garden, rather than an in depth plant admiration tour.  I took just a few pictures and caught only a few of the names.

The plantings of different varieties of Ophiopogon under some of the trees near the New Zealand Garden were very effective, and I particularly like the Ophiopogon Japonicus minor.  Just how many small clumps did they plant? 

Ophiopogon Japonicus minor

Being very shade and dry tolerant'  they made very effective ground cover...

Ophiopogon intermedius argenteomarginata

In the vicinity of the Summer garden stood this large magnificent tree.  We could not but be drawn to it.  With its dark profile and branches reaching the ground, it formed a good focal point along the wide grass avenue

Savill Garden - Podocarpus Salignus

The raised bed gravel mulched beds had several plants which drew my attention such as this Luma apiculata 'Nana'.

Luma apiculata 'Nana'

The Queen Elizabeth Temperate House had some delightful plant combinations, with everything very well maintained and the plants well looked after.

Our walk around The Summer Wood was made all the more interesting for all the woodland planting under the trees, as well as display in beds of various forms of Hydrangea Paniculata with single variety beds showing off the form and structure of these to great advantage. There is a good cultivar selected at the Savill Gardens called Hydrangea paniculata 'Savill Lace', though I don't think it is the one below.

I think one would need at least two consecutive days in the gardens to do them justice, and that is before taking into consideration that visits at different times of the year would highlight different groups of plants.  

Of course I have not forgotten that the park land around our hotel had some beauties, and after a rest we took a late afternoon stroll and will post some pictures of The Elvetham Hotel another time. 
 

Hauser & Wirth - First Visit

Hauser & Wirth towards the Radić Pavilion

Hauser & Wirth 

For our Friday 'day out'  just over a week ago, we headed out to visit the gardens at Hauser & Wirth near Bruton, which they call the 'Oudolf Field'.  I can't fathom why we haven't been before, as we have driven past them many times, and of course had a stroll round Bruton which is a lovely small Somerset village where we often stop off at 'At the Chapel': a lovely bakery cum café cum restaurant with their wood fired ovens. I can't believe I have not posted a blog about Bruton yet, as we visit quite regularly.

I suppose it may have been that I had wondered when the best time to visit would be, or maybe even whether it would be worth the admission fee if it wasn't quite the right time to visit.  I now would say that anytime would be worth visiting to see what appealed in the gardens and just to enjoy the location of the gardens. Also on arriving we found that access to the gardens and the gallery are free, and at ten in the morning we almost had the garden to ourselves.  Watering was taking place which explains how the gardens were looking in tip top condition, and luckily they have their own water reserves.

As we walked around the beds, our eyes were drawn upwards towards the Radić Pavilion, which is quite a size set on large blocks of stone.  It is a large space internally and very enjoyable to walk on its sloping deck.

Sitting in the cool out of the sun this is the long view over the surrounding countryside.

I took photographs just for my usual notes on plants etc., and it is far more interesting than what can be seen here.  We shall certainly be visiting again soon.

The spent flowers added interesting textures and forms.  Seeing planting in groups like this was a revelation and whereas a single specimen having gone over is probably best removed or cut down in my garden, blocks of plants offer the possibility of keeping the whole block to enjoy its development from flower through to seed and seeing its form in the winter.

I couldn't see names for all the blocks and have ordered the book about the planting of the gardens from our library to learn a little more.

I hadn't seen this plant growing before, and using the Google Lens found it to be Datisca cannabina.. It certainly had a wow factor.

Datisca cannabina

I could finally appreciate the value of growing plants in clumps, and with quite a good range in my garden I have the idea to follow this trend more so.

One bold clump of colour is probably even more effective than many close together, and the foil of green clumps or others with form and texture taught me much. I can understand that careful design and choice of plants is paramount to achieving this effect, and is a signature of the designer 

In places I think two or three different varieties of plants were used together, something that I hope to learn more about from the book.

The waterlilies were lovely as well as the floaters and marginals would be an inspiration for anyone wanting to create or improve on their pond.

I guess planting distance with the clumps of plants helps to get this pleasing cushiony and very pleasing effect.

At the end of our walk we enjoyed a delicious brunch in the courtyard of their Roth Bar. 

The sculptures from the Niki de Saint Phalle & Jean Tinguely looked vibrant in the sunshine and against the clear blue skies. 

There are lots of activities going on that I will be looking over these to perhaps time our next visit to the garden so as to be able to sample those, but then the gardens would probably not be as quiet!

Visiting Buckingham Palace - A Day out at the Start of August

 We have discovered a local coach company which both Mr S and I find very good. We have had several outings, holidays, days out that we have enjoyed and are also looking forward to more. We were delighted they were doing a trip to London to visit Buckingham Palace during August, we added that to our list.

We arrived in plenty of time for our scheduled tour starting at 2 p.m. and had decided in advance to put up a packed lunch and enjoy that in some nearby park. We are just 'Country Mice' and probably could have found a nearby restaurant, however with good weather forecast the promise of sitting in a park after a coach ride was certainly appealing.  We had been warned by the coach office, not to take any bags other than a normal sized handbag, as those had to be left at the start, and with the end of the tour exiting further along Grosvenor Place where the coach was to pick us up, that would entail too much time in our opinion. So on the coach we decanted our picnic from our cool bag into one of those bags that fold into a small thing which when we had eaten out lunch would be back in my handbag.

We had about two hours in St Jame's Park, and found it altogether delightful, except I had never seen such crowds of people.  There were also a large variety of water fowl on the lake including this attention grabbing Pelican.

Several other Pelicans were further along but you just could get near enough for the throng of people choosing to take selfies with them!

As you approached Horse Guard Parade the border and beds became more vibrant, and the long border of one's left was magnificent.

There were so many different plants behind the first rank of plants with many more to add interest for the weeks to come.

On the left hand side of the path, was an 'Exotic Jungle Garden'.  So many plants and so well arranged as if in a Victorian or Edwardian garden.

And they had a nice variety of Coleus including the one I am looking forward: Plectranthus scutellariodes Skeletal, common name: Coleus Skeletal.

As we were about to curve round the east end of the lake we could see what we recognised from televised ceremonial and military events and went a little further onto Horse Guards Parade, and marvelled at the architecture surround the large open space. It is amusing that whilst I am writing this I brought up an aerial view of the park and parade ground, and have just realised why there were police officers and officials around the southern end of the ground: this area is  the back of 10 and 11 Downing Street!

Mr S loves a cannon, and it is a very impressive commemoration...

 Back around the the southern shore and the Duck Island Cottage gardens.

We made our way then along the southern shore of the lake, and went up to await our tour which started at 2 o'clock.  Of course no photographs of the interior were permitted, and several of the rooms were being refurbished, but this left many more rooms and much art to take in and admire.  In fact we both agreed we went through far too fast.  After St James's Park, we had thought the gardens of Buckingham Palace would be equally magnificent from a planted bed perspective.  After the event I realise that part of the garden is not open to those with only a house tour ticket, so something for another time perhaps.

To pass the time, we enjoyed a royal cuppa and piece of cake on the south-west facing terrace  but sadly served in a paper cup and on a paper plate!  Afterwards an amble along a path which was well cordoned off with attendants along the line to ensure no one veered off the path.  From this path one got the impression of a delightful lake with many trees.

On our way out of the city I caught a glimpse of some very different styles of architecture, and I managed to catch a picture of the Sculpture at Princes Court, Brompton Road.

For a cost per head of £55 per person including coach travel and entry, this was a really lovely day out for Mr S and I. 

Holiday to Holland First day at Keukenhof Gardens

 For the first time in several years we have journeyed abroad for a holiday. This holiday was being run by local John Martin Coach Holidays,  and both John who mainly drove, and Martin were a great team.  We stopped in Colchester for dinner before boarding the overnight ferry

After an early breakfast on board, we set off for the Keukenhof Gardens.  This is the first visit for us, and we had the best of weather: warm and sunny for our visit.  Although we arrived just at the opening time, the queues were already forming, but I guess continental visitors had looked up the weather forecast and decided to come on the best day within a fortnight.  The gardens are magnificent and the tulips very carefully chosen and planted out  densely, the lawns were perfect, and paths meandered around wonderful trees.  

Here follows is a selection pictures interspersed with a few of my thoughts. Each autumn the 7 million bulbs are planted by hand.  The quality of the blooms, and their lack of variation is a reflection of the care in growing on the bulbs.  The local soil for growing the bulbs is very sandy loam, so very different to the heavy clay here in my garden. 

I was particularly impressed by the trees in the grounds, which on a sunny day before the leaves have emerged gives a little shade to the bulbs and also delightful shadows on the swathes of perfect lawn.

Scattered around the park and even within the flower beds are a number of sculptures, some of which I had time to capture, but with my thoughts turning more towards the flowers, I didn't take much time over them, but on a second visit I would probably ask if their was a list of the sculptures and more details about each one.

There are a number of large buildings around the grounds dedicated to exhibitions which would give areas to escape to in inclement weather.  There were some fabulous displays as good as any at Chelsea Flower Show. The way the plants have been brought on to this standard and for the range of plants to be in flower in mid April is a true testimony to the specialist growers. 

My mother would have been super impressed by the variety of Anthuriums on show. These are just a few of the cultivars:

As for the orchids I have a hard time choosing my favourite even amongst the few I took pictures of.

The cut flower displays showed off the best of what Holland supplies to Europe, and this is just a small corner of the exhibition.

In the Willem-Alexander building, one could get up close to displays of tulips and the yellow and orange ones were most prominent in the sunshine.

Returning to the garden, there was of course a Windmill, with too long a queue, and many more glorious beds with flowering trees set off by very green lawns.

As for the remaining days of our holiday, separate posts will follow.

First visit to Caisson House Gardens

 The reason for the 'First Visit' description in the title of this post, is that I know for sure that there has to be several more needed to take in the structure and planting of this garden and simply just to enjoy the beautiful surrounding landscape. 

One can read all about these delightful gardens so except for some fleeting impressions, it is best left to the owners Phil and Amanda Honey to describe in their own words and with some lovely pictures how they came to meld themselves into the rolling hills along a deep valley tucked just beneath Bath.

Coombe Hay Locks which have not been navigable for a very long time, and the surrounding land have been pivotal in the way the garden cascades down to the The Pound, where a little jetty forms a shelf along the edge of the water.

On the eastern side the stone bridge gives views overlooking the stretch of waterlilies

The western end below which the locks continue is now dammed to form The Pound, and also the point at which some lovely white waterlilies remind us that we are in mid summer.

The planting is mainly white throughout except in the Walled Garden where the borders are full.  Having walked through the glasshouses bordering The Potager still within the walled garden, seeds for next year's plantings were just showing through in their trays, and no doubt these will all be pricked out into modules and thus strong plants will be ready for the allocated positions later in the year.  Sweet pea arches and tunnels already in flower wafted their perfume.  

Walking along the cut paths through uncut meadows, one just had to marvel at the range of wild flowers, and we saw at least two types of native wild orchids.

Our group of ladies from Wells WI gardening group seemed to split into two groups, and the group I was with entered the garden along the back of the house, the northern side which offered opportunities for a different sort of planting with generally the luscious green foliage set off a limited colour of white plants.

This led along to the Mulberry Terrace where we were impressed again with the selection of plants and the many large planters.

Just as we were passing the Potting shed and pigsty, over the wall down in the Potager we waved to the other part of our group.

As one walks across the stone bridge towards the house  one cannot miss this statuesque tree, which seems to dominate the top of the locks and declares all  it sees as perfection. On my next visit I can certainly like more than just a distanced view. All around and below the wild flower meadow and along the path that takes one to the south side of the locks, goes through a little more woodland.

There were teas on offer in the old stables, with the range and quality reflecting the chic design of the gardens.  On my return I was inspired to baked one of the cakes which was a great hit with himself.  Several of the ladies bought and took home pieces to share or to just enjoy on their own.  This was an afternoon visit but to start with Maggie took us all to one of her old haunts where her book club meets.  I can thoroughly recommend 'The King William Inn' at Tunley, which is not far from Caisson House.