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Ashington Manor Farm (Yeovil)

After a two-night stay at The Swan Hotel in Wells , we departed for Exeter. Along the way, our first stop was Ashington Manor Farm, the home of the husband and wife garden designers Julian and Isabel Bannerman.  Roses are a specialty of the Bannerman's, but sadly, we were too early to see any. That disappointment was curtailed by touring their magnificent farmhouse, which we were invited to roam around at leisure. And Julian Bannerman, who did most all the talking, was a very entertaining man.  Gathering at the front door - We actually entered at the side of the house, right off the patio, which led to this room, where the Bannerman's greeted us. The massive table was filled with books they had written as well as magazine articles about their gardens. As we were listening to Julian's speech, I happened to notice Isabel Bannerman's book "Husbandry" on the table and immediately recognized it as a book I have at home but have not gotten to yet. At the time, I ha...

Fantastic phlox



Is August the pits or what? I officially hate it. It has been so hot and humid this week that you can't be outside for ten minutes without enduring a sweat bath. To add insult to injury, there is no rain in sight. This morning the weather man was talking about some type of front in the pan handle of Florida that was preventing tropical moisture from reaching us here in north Alabama. Typical!

Despite this, there are some plants that actually look great this time of year. Phlox is one of them. This is a very forgiving perennial and seems to do well in either sun or shade and snubs its nose at the heat and drought. The variety in the photo is "Robert Poore," which, true to the catalog descriptions, is resistant to powdery mildew. You can't beat it this time of year for blue color in the garden and it is great in flower arrangements.

Comments

  1. When I lived in Atlanta, it rained every day at 4 p.m. during the summer. Like clockwork. It was quite an adjustment for me.

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  2. Thanks for reminding me about Phlox. I am in Charlottesville, VA - dry, dry, dry. It is great to remember what keeps going during these down-times!

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  3. Hello Phillip - thank you for coming to my blog and leaving a comment - what a beautiful site you have!
    My one little white phlox nearly croaked when we had too much rain - and is now being fried. 'Robert Poore' looks great.

    As one movie-loving gardener to another - have you seen the YouTube called Women in Film ?

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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