Skip to main content

Featured

Ashington Manor Farm (Yeovil)

After a two-night stay at The Swan Hotel in Wells , we departed for Exeter. Along the way, our first stop was Ashington Manor Farm, the home of the husband and wife garden designers Julian and Isabel Bannerman.  Roses are a specialty of the Bannerman's, but sadly, we were too early to see any. That disappointment was curtailed by touring their magnificent farmhouse, which we were invited to roam around at leisure. And Julian Bannerman, who did most all the talking, was a very entertaining man.  Gathering at the front door - We actually entered at the side of the house, right off the patio, which led to this room, where the Bannerman's greeted us. The massive table was filled with books they had written as well as magazine articles about their gardens. As we were listening to Julian's speech, I happened to notice Isabel Bannerman's book "Husbandry" on the table and immediately recognized it as a book I have at home but have not gotten to yet. At the time, I ha...

Spring

 
I feel like the new season really begins the day I uncover the water features, uncover the garden statuary and the patio furniture. 

I didn't get all that done today but I got the water feature going which took me several hours because I'm plugging it up through the garage this year. I run the extension cord through a PVC pipe underground so I had to reposition that and dig a shallow trench. I worked all afternoon on it after working this morning in someone else's garden. It was beautiful and sunny today after previous days of cold and wet.

I noticed today that plants are budding out. 

The grass in the front looks great -
 

 

In the back, not so much -
 

 

More pruning to commence after the bins are emptied on Thursday -
 

 

This morning on my Facebook memories, Camellia 'Bella Rossa' popped up as blooming one year ago today. I checked it and it has 3 blooms. More to come I'm sure as last year it was covered with blooms -
 

 

Camellia "Mathotiana' -
 

 

Spirea 'Ogon' - always the first shrub to bloom -
 

 

Euphorbia wulfenii -
 


Euonymous albomarginatus -


 
Arctostaphylos 'Sunset' (Manzanita) -



 
Awaiting an empty bin (two bins is not enough!) -


Check out this gorgeous rhododendron! This is from Rueben Hatch's garden. It is Rhododendron lanigerum -



Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments