Skip to main content

Featured

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...
3 comments
Read more
Labels

Soos Creek Botanical Garden


Our final stop on the garden tour was the Soos Creek Botanical Garden in Auburn, Washington. I had never heard of this place and it was spectacular. This garden has only been open to the public for ten years. I do not remember the man's name who created it but he is in his 90s now and still lives in the house on the property. Our tour guide said that he learned many of his gardening techniques and design principles in Europe.

The entrance to the gardens was a huge arch covered by the Golden Hops vine. Before we entered the gates, a dazzling display of dahlias were mass planted next to a nursery that is open on weekends.


And a touch of the whimsical - these clothes ornaments are made of metal -

 


Entering the garden area, I was impressed with the size of the hydrangeas. They were huge and so healthy looking -

 


 




 

 


 A wide vista of a large man-made pond awaits - 







 

The property slopes downhill to a wooded area with a gravel path that takes you down and then back up on the opposite side -











Back up to our starting point and a lunch overlooking the pond. A gorgeous garden and one that I want to visit again.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Email Post
Labels:

Comments

  1. Kris PetersonAugust 9, 2021 at 7:16 PM

    Beautiful! We don't see Hydrangeas like that down this way - not ever.

    ReplyDelete
  2. luv2gardenAugust 9, 2021 at 9:10 PM

    A lovely garden. The second to last photo of Cotinus and Telekia(?) is a stunning combination.

    ReplyDelete
  3. chavlinessAugust 10, 2021 at 8:12 AM

    I visited this garden years ago; it's so lush and inviting. What's the massive green plant at the side of the pond?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Phillip OliverAugust 10, 2021 at 8:21 AM

      You know, I'm not exactly sure. I will try to find the name.

      Delete
  4. Barbara H.August 10, 2021 at 9:52 AM

    All these beautiful gardens (including yours!) kind of boggle the mind.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hoover BooAugust 11, 2021 at 1:45 PM

    Oh my goodness. Looks like heaven when everything here is so dried out and sunburnt. Refeshing!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment