Skip to main content

Featured

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...
2 comments
Read more

Twilight

A beautiful evening to be out working in the garden with the birds singing and mild and dry weather. Everything is suddenly popping out - so much to photograph yet so little time. Tons of weeding yet to be done and the garden tour is weekend after next. Panic will set in soon.

The weather man I follow on Facebook posted today that the long term outlook for next week foretold an artic front that would have us with daytime highs in the upper 20s. I fell for it for a few seconds until I realized what day it is. Haha, very funny. Not.

The Yoshino Cherry trees are just beginning to bloom. They are very fragile and are usually destroyed by rains or strong winds. I'm hoping they will last for the garden tour but I'm not getting my hopes up.

The evening sky above our driveway.


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
Email Post

Comments

  1. JenApril 1, 2013 at 6:48 PM

    maybe we can have a virtual tour the day after your garden tour :) I would love to see a video of your property!

    ReplyDelete
  2. SkeeterApril 1, 2013 at 7:24 PM

    Beautiful and don't worry about the tour. Everything will fall into place and be stunning...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cerberus German shepherdsApril 2, 2013 at 5:27 AM

    Love the flowering trees...I have dogwood and bradfords and they are starting show signs of wakening...finally...everything seems to be late..not sure if these are on time or not...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Phillip OliverApril 2, 2013 at 7:27 AM

    Jen, that is something I should do. I just need to figure out how!

    ReplyDelete
  5. RandyApril 2, 2013 at 7:36 AM

    I thought you ususally did you tours in May when the roses were in full bloom?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Phillip OliverApril 2, 2013 at 8:46 AM

    Randy, this is a tour arranged by the Master Gardeners. They set the date to coincide with the state MG conference that is being held here in Florence. I would prefer a later date and usually recommend late April - May when I invite people to come.

    ReplyDelete
  7. outlawgardenerApril 2, 2013 at 9:15 AM

    Funny weather man. Talk about panic... Phillip, your garden is always a beautiful inspiration and the tour attendees will be blown away!

    ReplyDelete
  8. sharonApril 2, 2013 at 10:05 AM

    picture doesnt do it justice !lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Leslie KimelApril 2, 2013 at 11:03 AM

    Your pictures are just wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lisa at GreenbowApril 2, 2013 at 12:45 PM

    Simply beautiful. You don't have to worry about your garden. There is so many wonderful plants no one will notice the few weeds that might escape your notice. Happy spring.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anne BoykinApril 3, 2013 at 2:16 AM

    Phillip, I wish I lived near you, I'd come help weed! Your garden is so lovely and I know everyone on the tour is going to love it too.

    ReplyDelete
  12. sweetbayApril 4, 2013 at 4:51 PM

    Gotta love April Fool's Day, right? The Yoshino is lovely, they are blooming here too.

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousApril 4, 2013 at 7:37 PM

    I am wishing the best of wishes for your garden tour. Of course, the garden will be fab. You are an artist Phillip. Good luck. I'm having a wedding in mine in September. This has spurred me on to try and make an even prettier garden this year.~~Dee

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousApril 4, 2013 at 7:37 PM

    I am wishing the best of wishes for your garden tour. Of course, the garden will be fab. You are an artist Phillip. Good luck. I'm having a wedding in mine in September. This has spurred me on to try and make an even prettier garden this year.~~Dee

    ReplyDelete
  15. gardenenvyApril 6, 2013 at 7:22 AM

    Beautiful scene with the bench under your blooming trees! Jeannine

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment