Skip to main content

Featured

Coleton Fishacre (Devon, England)

Coleton Fishacre was in my top 5 gardens on the tour. This Arts & Crafts style house and garden was the country home of  Rupert D'Oyly Carte and his wife Lady Dorothy Carte.   He was the well-known theater owner (The Savoy) and producer (Gilbert & Sullivan).  They spotted the property from their yacht and thought it would be a great spot for a country home and garden. Ah, to have that much money... They commissioned Oswald Milne, a former student of Edward Lutyens to design the house. Both Rupert and Lady Dorothy were interested in gardening but it was Lady Dorothy who mainly planted the garden, filling it with exotic and tender plants that survived with the influence of the Gulf stream. They employed six full-time gardeners! I often wonder if people who have that much money are really able to enjoy a property like this and actually live in it?  Their tenure here wasn't that long (a dozen years or so), although Dorothy lived here full-time in the late 19...
Post a Comment
Read more
Labels

Mary Livingston Ripley Garden



The last garden that I want to share from my Washington D.C. trip is the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden, part of the Smithsonian Gardens. This tiny garden, located in an alley between the Mall and the neighboring street, exudes charm. It was packed with perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees and each plant was labeled.











Email Post
Labels:

Comments

  1. LostRosesAugust 18, 2007 at 4:29 PM

    Some alley! That's quite the little jewelbox of a garden. I'd say you had a very successful trip to D.C.

    ReplyDelete
  2. chuck b.August 20, 2007 at 6:31 PM

    Another wonderful garden. The hardscape makes this one very different. But it's lovely. What's that thorny-leafed plant? A solanum?

    ReplyDelete
  3. chuck b.August 20, 2007 at 6:32 PM

    And are those gigantic castor beans?

    ReplyDelete
  4. chuck b.August 20, 2007 at 6:32 PM

    I mean, castor bean plants.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousAugust 22, 2007 at 6:06 PM

    Chuck, I don't know what the thorny plant is. It was labeled but I didn't make a note of it. Those are indeed castor bean plants. Isn't that color wonderful?

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousAugust 23, 2007 at 1:33 PM

    The Ripley Garden is a(mainly) undiscovered gem in D.C. Whenever I'm in the city (3-4 times a yr.) I make it a point to get there. The chief gardener is a delightful, dedicated woman who loves to fill the place with unique plants. She gives tours some afternoons. It's filled with color, unique plants, many fanciful birdhouses, a great fountain, and a place to linger. Great photos.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Deviant Deziner, aka MichelleAugust 28, 2007 at 11:39 AM

    That is some beautiful garden but the Garden Photography is even more stunning !

    Beautiful photography !

    ReplyDelete
  8. janetDecember 17, 2007 at 6:58 AM

    thanks for the wonderful images of the Ripley Garden. I am so glad you enjoyed the garden. I have had the pleasure of planting and maintaining the garden for the past 10 years. Yes, the thorny plant is a Solanum -- bonus points to Chuck b. It is Solanum quitoense, otherwise known as Lu-Lu Fruit or Naranjillo. easy to grow from seed -- gets quite massive (and dangerous) in one season.
    all the best - janet draper

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sweet Home and Garden CarolinaJanuary 11, 2008 at 3:19 PM

    That is one beautiful garden, Phillip. It is so much better than the one on our street because it has a lot of bold foliage, shrubs and textures.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment