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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...
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Chinese Indigo, a truly carefree plant



Chinese Indigo (Indigofera amblyantha) is one of my favorite plants. It is truly a low maintenance plant and it grows in one of the most difficult areas of the garden. A large grove of huge hackberry trees sits behind the garage and this area has proven to be a challenge. The soil is very dry and the addition of raised beds hasn't exactly been successful. 

 The Indigo bush, however, sits happily on a raised berm where it endures drought, heavy shade and neglect. The pale lilac to rose pink blooms appear in May and stay on the bush for a long time (months it seems). I had read that indigofera is a spreading plant but that is not the case here. It forms a 3-4 ft. tall plant with equal width and doesn't wander. 

 You will find different types of indigofera on the market. There are lower, spreading types (Indigofera kirilowii and Indigofera decora) that I have not tried growing. All of these types are commonly referred to as "Chinese Indigo" and grow in similar conditions. 



Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. CarolMay 31, 2013 at 11:19 AM

    Very nice, Phillip. Carefree-I love and the blooms and pretty. Hope you have a great weekend!

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  2. NicMay 31, 2013 at 3:12 PM

    I love Indigofera kirilowii, it is one of my most reliable and carefree bloomers. I would love to give other species of Indigofera a try if I ever come across them in nurseries here.

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  3. Anne BoykinJune 1, 2013 at 10:18 AM

    Hi Phillip, This plant is a new one for me and it sounds lovely. Your garden is such an inspiration!

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  4. Casa MariposaJune 2, 2013 at 11:31 AM

    I have a teensy ground cover indigofera that I love but this bigger one sounds like a beautiful problem solver. I'm going to recommend it to a friend with a dry shade problem. Yours is a real beauty. :o) I'm so glad I saw this post!

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  5. F CameronJune 3, 2013 at 6:38 AM

    Looks beautiful. I have no room to add one, but I like it in your garden.

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  6. UnknownMarch 10, 2018 at 11:06 PM

    Just planted one this afternoon (decora) in our garden in Ballarat.......we'll see how it handles the forthcoming winter although I note that people in England seem to have good results, where their winters are colder still.

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