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The Garden House (Devon, England)

The destinations are beginning to blur but looking at the tour guide booklet, I see that we are now in Plymouth. Today, we visited two gardens designed by Keith Wiley.  The first is The Garden House , where Wiley worked as Head Gardener for 25 years (from 1978-2003). The 10-acre estate was purchased in the 1940s by former Eton schoolmaster Lionel Fortescue and his wife Katherine. It was formerly home to the  vicars of Buckland Monachronum. The Fortescue's renovated the gardens and ran a market garden business and raised cattle.  The remains of some of the original buildings in the vicarage still stand in the garden and serve as a romantic backdrop in the Walled Garden - I loved the way they had massed ferns together. Just stunning! Surrounding the walled garden and venturing out away from the house are more naturalistic plantings  - Today, the head gardener is Nick Haworth, who was previously head gardener at Greenway , which we visited earlier.  Keith Wiley lef...
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First hummingbird

This morning as I was washing the breakfast dishes, I glanced out the kitchen window and saw the first hummingbird of the season. It was flying around the archway covered with the climbing rose "Blaze", yellow honeysuckle and a white clematis that I can't remember the name of. This photo was taken two weeks ago and the honeysuckle flowers had not fully opened yet. They are open now and the hummingbird was really enjoying them.



Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. scottweberpdxApril 27, 2012 at 7:53 AM

    Don't you love those little guys! I haven't seen them around much this spring...but I've heard them chirping around the garden...they are so quick!

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  2. gathering lifeApril 27, 2012 at 9:45 AM

    Oh, goody. I have not seen one yet. At least I know they are coming soon!!!!

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  3. ConnieApril 27, 2012 at 10:15 AM

    Hi Phillip. Love your blog; I always enjoy your posts about your roses and hydrangeas. I wanted to know if the white flower pictured with your 'Blaze' rose is a clematis. If so, do you know the cultivar? Thanks.

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  4. rebeccaApril 27, 2012 at 10:21 AM

    What a beautiful photograph! did you use some kind of special technique? Those roses are literally jumping off the screne into the room with me!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  5. Cyndia MontgomeryApril 27, 2012 at 11:32 AM

    Gotta get my feeders out! So exciting to see the hummingbirds.
    LOVE that peony! So beautiful!

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  6. Phillip OliverApril 27, 2012 at 12:10 PM

    Connie-Nicole, that is a clematis and unfortunately I don't recall the name of it.

    Rebecca, some tweaking in Photoshop. It is probably just the red though, they tend to jump out at you.

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  7. TeresaApril 27, 2012 at 4:07 PM

    So pretty!

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  8. Anne BoykinApril 27, 2012 at 6:31 PM

    What a beautiful combination!

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  9. Gardener on Sherlock StreetApril 27, 2012 at 8:04 PM

    What a great combination.

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  10. CarolApril 28, 2012 at 6:25 AM

    I have had then at the feeders now for about 3 weeks. Not many-just a couple, but I love watching them. Carol

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  11. AnonymousApril 28, 2012 at 6:07 PM

    That Clematis looks like Duchess of Edinburgh. Gorgeous companions!

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  12. Tatyana@MySecretGardenApril 28, 2012 at 8:45 PM

    Wonderful, summery, cheerful picture! Those little birds can make us so happy! I need to wait many weeks to see them in my garden. Their favorite plant is red monarda. Last summer, I even saw them fighting around it.

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  13. Lisa at GreenbowApril 30, 2012 at 8:42 AM

    Yummy, I would be drawn to these flowers too. I haven't seen a hummer in my garden as yet. I have red roses blooming too. Where is my hummer?? WHINE...

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  14. Phillip OliverApril 30, 2012 at 8:44 AM

    Well Lisa, I have not seen him since! Perhaps he was a scout?

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  15. GailApril 30, 2012 at 4:12 PM

    Love when they arrive and someday hope they let me get a decent photo. gail

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  16. Mr. McGregor's DaughterMay 1, 2012 at 3:12 PM

    There's nothing to get your heart pumping like the sight of a hummer. (Cute little buggers.) I got my act together early this year & put my feeder up already, even though my honeysuckle hasn't even thought about forming buds yet.

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