How many types of sweet flowers grow in an English Country Garden ..
Well...April and May seem to have just flown by.. So much has been happening here our Lanoy whirlwind just hasn't stopped. The garden has been looking simply amazing. We viewed the house in September and moved in December, so this spring and early summer has been an absolute delight seeing what plants and flowers have been dormant and have now sprung to life. A rainbow of colours has adorned the front of the house. Some of these plants have been here for over a century, battling through wet windy winters. frost and snow and scorching summers.
I must tell you about our rhododendrons... wow! I remember seeing as a child massive rhododendron bushes lining the driveway to Saltram House which is now owned by the National Trust. Huge trees with gorgeous big flowers, in shades of pink ranging from pale baby pink, cerise, and rich regal purple. We have them here too !. my big hedge to the front of the house is a mass of rich purple. the huge tree in front of the barn was the first one to flower. smothered in bright pink. To the left hand side of the garden is a cluster of bushes about 10ft tall, in varying shades. they look simply stunning!
The top picture shows the cherry blossom in the foreground with the pink rhododendron behind, and the oak tree at the back. This was taken in April. The bottom picture shows the cluster of rhododendrons, and the copper beach tree on the right, with another huge oak tree at the back on the left.
As well as these. we have some huge azaleas. A large yellow one on each corner of the house at the front. each one is probably about 8ft tall and wide. An immense Camellia is outside the drawing room window and reaches up to the bedroom window above. smaller azaleas are also planted on this side of the house.
One plant in particular interested me. I have a cluster of 3 gnarled bushy plants. Each one about 10ft tall, planted in a group together. I'm quite good with plants, I trained years ago in horticulture, and can usually identify most things. This one i didn't recognise at all. But i have lately been told that its a Kalmia Latifolia, and is well over 100 years old. Planted by the squire in the 1800s. It has small delicate pink flowers about the size of a 10p piece all over it.
The wall at the back of the house is swathed with wisteria which has the most strong sweet perfume.
it runs all along the stone wall, and over the small yard at the back. A variegated jasmine is also starting to creep its way along the wall.
In the very early spring little pockets of frilly double headed snowdrops poked their way through the icy soil. They were followed by daffodils. Tiny miniature daffodils began pushing their spiky green leaves through the grass until all along the driveway was flanked by a row of tiny yellow heads nodding in the spring breeze.
We have oak trees, copper beech, hazel nut, green beech ash and sycamore trees. the squirrels can be seen most mornings firking around under the trees searching out their buried hazel nuts.
The other weekend we walked along the lane to Illand garden centre. A fabulous little place tucked away. Completely uncommercialised. It is owned and run by two older gentlemen with a passion for their plants. I was expecting a few plants for sale in the yard beside their cottage, what we found was acres of gardens, magnificent species of plants and trees and at least a dozen poly tunnels packed with plants of every variety. We bought a azalea and a rhododendron and came back and planted them in the garden. Our contribution to the garden collection. We will have to add more seeing as they grow so well here. Then in another 50-100 years time when people comment about the colourful shrubs they can be told Oh Yes, Jo and Stevie planted those back in 2014.
xxx
Jo
I must tell you about our rhododendrons... wow! I remember seeing as a child massive rhododendron bushes lining the driveway to Saltram House which is now owned by the National Trust. Huge trees with gorgeous big flowers, in shades of pink ranging from pale baby pink, cerise, and rich regal purple. We have them here too !. my big hedge to the front of the house is a mass of rich purple. the huge tree in front of the barn was the first one to flower. smothered in bright pink. To the left hand side of the garden is a cluster of bushes about 10ft tall, in varying shades. they look simply stunning!
As well as these. we have some huge azaleas. A large yellow one on each corner of the house at the front. each one is probably about 8ft tall and wide. An immense Camellia is outside the drawing room window and reaches up to the bedroom window above. smaller azaleas are also planted on this side of the house.
One plant in particular interested me. I have a cluster of 3 gnarled bushy plants. Each one about 10ft tall, planted in a group together. I'm quite good with plants, I trained years ago in horticulture, and can usually identify most things. This one i didn't recognise at all. But i have lately been told that its a Kalmia Latifolia, and is well over 100 years old. Planted by the squire in the 1800s. It has small delicate pink flowers about the size of a 10p piece all over it.
The wall at the back of the house is swathed with wisteria which has the most strong sweet perfume.
it runs all along the stone wall, and over the small yard at the back. A variegated jasmine is also starting to creep its way along the wall.
In the very early spring little pockets of frilly double headed snowdrops poked their way through the icy soil. They were followed by daffodils. Tiny miniature daffodils began pushing their spiky green leaves through the grass until all along the driveway was flanked by a row of tiny yellow heads nodding in the spring breeze.
We have oak trees, copper beech, hazel nut, green beech ash and sycamore trees. the squirrels can be seen most mornings firking around under the trees searching out their buried hazel nuts.
The other weekend we walked along the lane to Illand garden centre. A fabulous little place tucked away. Completely uncommercialised. It is owned and run by two older gentlemen with a passion for their plants. I was expecting a few plants for sale in the yard beside their cottage, what we found was acres of gardens, magnificent species of plants and trees and at least a dozen poly tunnels packed with plants of every variety. We bought a azalea and a rhododendron and came back and planted them in the garden. Our contribution to the garden collection. We will have to add more seeing as they grow so well here. Then in another 50-100 years time when people comment about the colourful shrubs they can be told Oh Yes, Jo and Stevie planted those back in 2014.
xxx
Jo
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