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Stourhead (Wiltshire, England)

Stourhead is one of the most famous gardens in England. This massive estate includes a Palladian house and park-like garden (2300 acres!) that surrounds a huge man-made lake. It is one picture-perfect view after another. The expression "a living work of art" certainly applies here. Now, to my embarrassment, I missed some of the main features, including the house! I don't know how it happened, as I had a nourishing English-style breakfast, I wasn't under the influence of anything, and I even had a map of the premises.  Looking at a map of the grounds of Stourhead now, I can see that the house is situated in an unusual location, removed from the main house and the visitor entrance.  It is past the Stable Yard, which wasn't that interesting and I had turned around and headed back to the entrance and our bus (I had already walked around the lake and gardens). I regret that I missed the house.  Henry Hoare II inherited Stourhead in 1717 when he was twenty. He built the...
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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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