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Kiftsgate Court Gardens

Just right down the road from Hidcote is Kiftsgate Court Gardens. This garden was created by Heather Muir beginning in the 1920s. Muir's daughter, Diany Binny, came to live at Kiftsgate in 1954. She would add the half-moon pool and redesigned the white garden. She also first opened the garden to the public. Today, the tradition continues as granddaughter Anne Chambers and her husband maintain the gardens.    Heather Muir was a friend and neighbor of Hidcote's Lawrence Johnston (their houses are within one mile of each other), and he inspired her in the garden's design. However, the two gardens differ in character and have their own unique characteristics. While Johnston's garden is laid out in strict geometric lines, Muir took a more naturalistic approach. Muir added many heirloom shrub roses to the garden and is famous for the 'Kiftsgate' rose, which occurred from a seedling in the garden. Unfortunately, we were too early for the roses. There were a few like t...

Seeing Yellow

Yellow seems to be the dominant color of early spring. Daffodils, carolina jessamine, witch hazel, Lady Banks rose, forsythia - it seems the list is endless. Here are two yellows that I photographed yesterday. My Lady Banks rose has just started and I will be posting a photo of it later.

Kerria Japonica (also known as Easter Rose) blooms before the leaves appear. It is a graceful and dependable shrub.




Carolina Jessamine is a fast-growing vine that can be used in a variety of ways. I have mine growing on a low picket fence next to my tiny vegetable garden.

Comments

  1. Phillip,
    Wow! Double wow!! Your two most recent posts with such beautiful photos leave me grasping for just the right superlative adjectives or words to use in my comment. Hmmm..seriously stunning Southern spring snapshots!

    Jon in Vicksburg, Miss. on 4-4-08

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  2. You must have been reading my mind! I was trying to find the name of that first shrub just yesterday. We visited a garden that had one. It was kind of staked and gathered up around the bottom so that it didn't sprawl, which I thought was interesting too. I love that color yellow best, I think - really eye-catching!

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  3. YOU have some beautiful scenery in your garden...I love the work you have put in...Envy is my sin!...*winks*

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  4. Phillip, you have such a beautiful garden. All that work shows. I wish I lived in your zone instead of zone 6. You grow some plants I have longed to have.

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