This post is for Dimi who likes flowers - thank you for the kind awards.
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We visited the RHS gardens at Wisley, Surrey last week. They had free entry to all at their four gardens for one day only - everyone was there - Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney, Peter Davy, Dan'l Whiddon, Harry Hawke, Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all. Fortunately the grounds cover 172 acres so it was possible to escape from them.
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This Edwardian house, built in the architectural style of Lutyens, is used by the RHS for their laboratories
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Still lots of flowers and colour around in the gardens
Climbing Cobea scandens - cathedral bells - were looking splendid. If you have not grown these I would encourage you to give them a try. They are extremely easy plants which can be started from seed. This is the most common Cobea which travels through various colour changes until it reaches a very deep purple.
The trees are starting to wear their autumn cloak, some have very interesting bark
A wonderful selection of Orchids in the glass house
The Kitchen Garden
Bonsai Trees
Mixed feelings about the Henry Moore sculpture. H liked it, but I thought it was probably too powerful for the garden.
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What a delightful place you've visited again!
ReplyDelete-that hippo is adorable : )
.....and it was free Demie! The RHS have four gardens around the country so we shall give another one a try next year, may be the garden in Devon.
DeleteJust beautiful. By the way, I didn't know you had doll's eyes (white baneberry) in England. I had recently mentioned them in a comment to Loi Thai. I have never seen them planted, but in North America you find them growing in the woods.
ReplyDelete--Road to Parnassus
I have not heard them called doll's eyes before, a very appropriate name for them. They are extremely striking, and were growing in the woods in this garden too.
DeleteThe plant has received the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
Apparently both Native Americans and Settlers made tea out of the roots for relieving pain of childbirth. Settlers also used the plant to improve circulation and to cure headache or eyestrain. The berries contain cardiogenic toxins which can have an immediate sedative effect on human cardiac muscle tissue, and are the most poisonous part of the plant. Information via wikipedia.
What a wonderful place to visit, and free?! Your images are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteDear Jane - I understand that they open their gardens freely to the public for one day every October. Next year we shall give their Devon garden a visit at Rosemoor.
DeleteA dream garden in every way (don't like the sculpture, love the hippo!)
ReplyDeleteThe sculpture is big, masculine, bold and boney, it needs a large, wild, expansive landscape of mountains, forests and rivers, not the pretty intimate flower gardens of Wisley.
DeleteThe photos are wonderful. I would be interested in seeing the Moore sculpture in context with its surroundings, 'tho. And I love the pigmy Hippo!
ReplyDeleteHello Carolyn - The Henry Moore was wrong for the garden it needed a landscape setting.
DeleteHallo Rosemary!And i thank for being my friend and that I found this wonderful blog that i travel with you to all these wonderful places,and enjoy your amazing photos!What a delightful place you've visited again!Full of beautiful flowers!Be well,have a nice evening my dear!
ReplyDeleteDimi..
Thank you dear Dimi for your kindness. I am so pleased to have you travelling with me and that you enjoyed the flowers. Take care♥
DeleteLovely Edwardian house Rosemary. You know I love flowers. I spotted a passion flower in the collage. Great post. xo, olive
ReplyDeleteThe Passionflower was lovely Olive such a delicious shade of pink. Beautiful house and lovely gardens to wander in.
DeleteI enjoy seeing your lovely photographs of Wisley. How wonderful you were able to visit if for free! I would highly recommend Rosemoor if you ever get a chance to visit. It looks as if there was so much colour and flowers in the gardens too.
ReplyDeleteSarah x
Dear Sarah - we definitely have Rosemoor within our radar for the ext free open day in October 2013. It was surprising how much colour was still around last week, and how little autumn colour there was on the trees.
DeleteWhat a lovely garden, I like the variety of colours and textures. Just my kind of place.
ReplyDeleteIt is worth going to the RHS gardens in October for the free entry as I gather they are normally quite expensive. Next year we shall try Rosemoor in Devon.
DeleteDo you know, Rosemary, I have never been to Wisley though I drive past the brown tourist signs off the M25 a huge amount. Must book up and go: your photographs are, as always, inspiring...
ReplyDeleteI have seen the brown sign loads of times too, but this was our first visit. Go next October Kate when it is FREE, get there early, and leave before the crowds.
DeleteHello, Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat to be transported to such a lovely garden!!! In the photo after the Henry Moore, the red stalk with black and white berries looks like it could be another scupture-- Niki de St. Phalle, perhaps?! Beautiful--thanks again.
Best regards,
Erika
Dear Erika - I agree the bright red stalk with the white berries and black tips do bare a strong resemblance to sculpture, but it is one of natures own little sculptures. Parnassus informs me that it is commonly called doll's eyes. It is a North American plant that grows in the forests, Actaea pachypoda - white baneberry. It is an exquisite little plant, although poisonous.
DeleteI don't know how much time I could stay there !
ReplyDeleteDimi will be thrilled about this post !
Thank that you travelled me at this garden !
Olympia
Dear Olympia - In the last couple of weeks I have seen several beautiful gardens both in Northern Ireland and here. All of them completely different. That is the wonderful thing, each one is unique. Lots of different ideas for inspiration.
DeleteWonderful photos once again. I looked cobaea scandens up to see if it was available here and it is listed under 'COMMON WEEDS OF NEW ZEALAND". What a pity as it looks so pretty.
ReplyDeleteDear Susan - as long as it is not likely to take over the garden then I would not mind giving it garden space even if it is a weed. I have several weeds in the garden, i.e. foxgloves, and poppies which I am happy to have.
DeleteDear Rosemary - What a kick to see that Pigmy Hippopotamus! He seems to be the perfect scale for that pond. All the flowers are beautiful, but I most enjoyed that spiraling bark. It reminds me of columns of the Roman Composite Order, those columns we most associate with the Vatican. Who's to say that a tree didn't inspire such architecture?
ReplyDeleteI too was intrigued by the spiralling bark, also it was a lovely shade of grey. You are correct, many artists and architects gain inspiration from nature - the Henry Moore statue is a good example, his inspiration being bones.
DeleteThat sounds like a gardener's dream day out, Rosemary. What a treat!
ReplyDeleteYou are obviously being a night owl Perpetua as it is nearly midnight, and I am still up too. Saw lots of really interesting plants at Wisley, some I hadn't seen before.
DeleteBeautiful gardens!!! I will write those 'catherdal bells' down since you say they're easy plants. I'll have to see if they do well in more shadowy places though. We don't have a full sun garden. Love those different barks as well. And the parterres with only violets in different colourschemes. So easy yet so pretty. It is just violets in those squares is it, or did I see it wrong? Looooove that house!!!! And the garden it's in. Both blend in very well together. What a dream!
ReplyDeleteBye,
Marian
Dear Marian - the cathedral bells should be alright in the shade as long as they have something to climb up. You are right the parterres are filled with only violas are various sizes and colours. I have them hanging baskets at the moment, there are such hardy little gems to carry us through the colder months.
DeleteThe house is beautiful, lovely architecture, complimented with that huge reflective pool.
Dear Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely places you visit!
I have never had the privilege of going to WIsley.
I do love Autumn when the leaves 'turn'. It is by far my favourite time. Mind you the trees around her are just starting to turn so we haven't got the full effect yet, but when they have, our avenue looks wonderful. I shall hopefully be able to take a photograph and post it when that times comes.
I didn't know that Henry Moore was inspired by bones. When I saw your photograph I thought 'it looks like a hip joint'.
Kirk
Dear Kirk - I do love the autumn colours, but for me it is not my favourite time. I feel the presence of winter lurking around the corner. I think that my favourite time is early May when the blossom is on the trees, and I can look forward to the whole of the summer and autumn yet to come. Our autumn colours are late this year too, but I shall look forward to seeing your avenue when the colours arrive on your trees.
DeleteMoore's statue does look like a hip joint from that angle. He did several reclining figures resembling bones, and several called vertebra. In the Art Gallery of Ontario collection they actually have some of the stones and bones that inspired him in his work. There is also a large collection of his bones in his studio at his home in Perry Green, Hertfordshire. The skull - was his favourite natural object, particularly the elephant and rhinoceros which inspired several sculptures as well as works on paper.
Such a wonderful garden! So much colour and variety. Your collages are superb. I love the beautiful pink trumpet flower and the textures in the tree trunks. Thank you very much for sharing this beautiful place with us.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your previous post on the Giant's Causeway. Such a fascinating place. I like the way you tell the story behind these interesting places that you have visited.
Hope you have a great day and a wonderful week-end.
Betty
Thank you Betty that is a very generous comment.
DeleteThe pink trumpet flowers are called Datura or Brugmansia common name Angel's Trumpet. They would grow alright for you in New Zealand, and they have the most divine perfume. The Giant's Causeway was a special visit which we enjoyed.