Skip to main content

Featured

Coleton Fishacre - Inside the House

Coleton Fishacre has been described as "the perfect combination of the simple architecture and high standards of craftmanship of the nineteenth century Arts and Crafts movement with the modernity of the Jazz Age." I was told that there are not that many Art Deco style houses in the UK and this is one of the few private residences that are open to the public. Among the furnishings are Lalique wall lights, an eighteenth century Venetian chandelier and a carpet designed by Marion Dorn. Most of the furniture was designed by the architect of the house, Oswald Milne.   After Rowland and Freda Smith bought the house in 1949, they did not make many changes and the furnishings that they didn't use were stored. After the National Trust took over the property, they meticulously recreated the furnishings based on photographs that had appeared in Country Life magazine.   The library, pictured above and below, features a celebrated wind-dial map that was created by noted mapmaker Georg...

Winter Honeysuckle



Things are blooming like mad on this first day of February - our Star Magnolia is in full bloom, way ahead of schedule. One thing that is on time, is the Winter Honeysuckle. It is such a pleasure to catch the fragrance of this shrub. It comes unexpected and envelopes you in wonderfulness.  I took this photo this morning right before another downpour occurred. Not the best, but you can see it is loaded with blooms.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. Love your space there, Phillip, and honeysuckle, well, I can smell it by just saying the word. Nothing blooming in the PNW as yet, just a few groundcovers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would love to be sitting on that patio in the sun sipping wine or coffee and enjoying the scent. Love honeysuckle but it sure can take over a spot. Beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My daffodils are blooming and daylilies are coming up. My star mag aren't blooming yet and I hope they hold off. Cold weather is predicted in a couple of weeks. Mary

    ReplyDelete
  4. I wish I could smell it... I'm not sure I've ever run into one of those ??

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm afraid winter is not done with us yet, and all those early blossoms are going to get zapped.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Phillip..I am enjoying mine also! It is loaded and had honeybees on it! I bet Florence is blooming all over...even further north things are freakishly ahead of schedule by about 3-4 weeks. Thanks for giving me my start of this wonderful shrub!

    ReplyDelete
  7. It is warm enough here to have honeysuckle blooms but there is only one bud on ours. It won't be long if it stays this warm.

    ReplyDelete
  8. You always have such enticing garden rooms, Phillip. And so many of them! Love it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. My winter honeysuckles have never bloomed this long - they started at least a month ago (North Carolina). I was walking thru the bedraggled garden one day and was enveloped in lemony freshness - wondered whose laundry I could possibly be smelling so deep in our back yard, then realized it was the honeysuckle. It's not a beautiful shrub, but the fragrance is worth it.

    Our crocuses, lenten rose and small daffs are blooming - the large daff flowers are still tightly closed. Tulip foliage is poking out of the ground. Spanish bluebell foliage is up. What a weird winter.

    ReplyDelete
  10. It's a wonderful photo! I have this Honeysuckle and it is a heavenly smell!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Beautiful shot! I have been tempted to buy a winter honeysuckle. I love fragrance in the garden. Yours is perfectly sited by the patio!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment