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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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Getting tomatoes planted and buying new plants

A productive weekend. Our tomatoes and peppers are planted and I got about half of the containers planted. I found this plant at Lowe's. It is Jacob's Ladder "Touch of Class" (Polemonium reptans). I also bought Wallflower "Bowles Mauve" (Erysinum linifolium) for $1 on the sale rack at Home Depot. I have never grown wallflowers but I remember Elizabeth Lawrence praising them in one of her books.


Jacob's Ladder "Touch of Class" (Polemonium reptans)



Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Rosedale GardenApril 15, 2012 at 6:48 PM

    I replanted my corn this weekend, cantalopes, cucs and watermelon. I have 3 tomatoes ready for the garden that I've been growing since Nov, but they didn't make it there. I have several small heirloom ones in the greenhouse. Finally started cleaning my flower beds last week. May have to hire some one to help before my open garden May 26. Tomorrow is another day. Mary

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  2. Lisa at GreenbowApril 16, 2012 at 8:06 AM

    I have tried that Jacobs ladder with no luck. I will be curious to see if yours does well. Maybe it needs your weather for it to thrive. Don't you just love those sale aisles?? You never know what you will find.

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  3. AudreyApril 16, 2012 at 11:22 AM

    I love your Jacob's ladder. I looked it up online to learn about it, as I have never grown one. It prefers "high quality natural habitats", I can't think of a better garden or gardener for it than you. Hope you enjoy it for years to come. Your blog is a joy to read and very interesting.

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  4. David - Pinewood CottageApril 16, 2012 at 6:15 PM

    We had frost a couple of nights this week - so we had to hold off planting tender things just yet. Never before tax day is the saying around here.

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  5. Gardener on Sherlock StreetApril 16, 2012 at 6:58 PM

    You've been very productive. Hope it all grows well.

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  6. Rob (ourfrenchgarden)April 19, 2012 at 10:33 AM

    My sister grows the perennial walflower 'Bowles mauve' and it's nigh on perfect. Flowers for ages and is easy to take cuttings from.

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