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Agatha Christie's Greenway (Devon, England) - The House

I can think of two places that we visited where I enjoyed the house more than the gardens. The first was Greenway, not for the house itself, which was surprisingly small and cramped, but for the history behind it and the fascinating mementos on display. Agatha Christie and her husband Max Mallowan were enthusiastic collectors. You can see their collections on display throughout the house - European and Oriental ceramics, pottery, African tribal masks, Egyptian artifacts, Tunbridge ware, china, trinkets, and books. The Morning Room has a portrait of Agatha Christie as a child and her doll Rosie, sitting in a chair - The Drawing Room was where the family would gather in the evenings. Christie would entertain guests by reading chapters from manuscripts of her latest books.  Agatha Christie's bedroom. Max always slept on a smaller portable traveling cot (you can see part of it in the foreground). It was his favorite bed and he carried it with him on all of his archaeological travels. N...
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More Garden Clean-up and Transplanting a Pieris

Gorgeous weather we've been having lately and new growth and buds popping up all over the garden. I'm still cleaning out perennials and ornamental grasses as well as moving plants. My time will be more limited as I've been called back to the nursery. I'm working a few odd days this week and go back on my regular 4-day a week schedule next week. I also have rose pruning to finish in a garden on Sauvie Island.

In my own garden, I decided to move Pieris "Mountain Fire" before it gets too late. I've observed this one elsewhere and it can get quite large. It was crammed in this space between a euphorbia and conifer 

 


Miracle of miracles, I had a spot that did not require moving another plant. Prime plant real estate behind the parrotia in the back garden. The pieris will get some shade here but actually more sun that the prior location which was on the north side of the house.


 

Let's hope it survives the upheaval. While digging it up, I noticed the root system was quite extensive and there was the sickening crunch of roots being cut.


 

Other pieris in the garden that remain in their spots -


'Valley Valentine'


 

'Valley Rose'

  Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

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  1. AaronMarch 11, 2021 at 5:31 AM

    I've never really gotten into Pieris, but yours look fantastic.

    I think the plant transplantation was the right move. It looked cramped in its former spot. Hope it thrives in its new location!

    Even after a decade, plant placement -- not too close, not too far -- is still a real challenge for me!

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  2. chavlinessMarch 11, 2021 at 8:27 AM

    Transplanting the Pieris was a good move, literally. The sound of root ripping is always scary, but not always consequential, so fingers crossed its a successful one. As much as I appreciate the blooms, I find the most exciting time for a Pieris is when the new leafs starts growing. It's usually an eye popping display.

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  3. Kris PetersonMarch 11, 2021 at 10:57 AM

    It's always great when you find a perfect spot like that. I really like Pieris but, dry as it is here, I just haven't been able to justify planting it.

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  4. Lisa at GreenbowMarch 12, 2021 at 12:40 PM

    I love these shrubs but I haven't been able to get a Pieris to survive in my garden. They keep getting smaller and smaller instead of getting larger and larger. ????

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