The Earliest Blooms

October 25, 2025

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...

Acer palmatum 'Murasaki kiyohime' and Black Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus)

I love this time of year when the garden looks fresh and unblemished. The plants are tidy (if you've cleaned up, of course) and they stand out individually, unencumbered by their soon encroaching neighbors. Today was another round of cold rain, typical lately on my off-days, but it was beautiful yesterday (Easter Sunday) and we worked in the garden all day.

I've been bringing home loads of bark chips to mulch the beds, so far just one load per week because of the weather. Yesterday we edged the grass walkway as well as the Pan garden in back. I'm hoping to get a major project completed - edging the grass area of the Pan garden with bricks - before our open garden. If the weather continues to be uncooperative, that chore may get delayed.

The grass pathway in front looks so good!

Some blooms from yesterday -

Geum 'Mango Lassi'

Windflower (Anenome blanda)

Anise (Illicium foridanum 'Woodland Red')

Daphne 'Carol Mackie'

Daphne cneorum (Rock Daphne)

Daphne tangutica

Euphorbia x martinii 'Ascot Rainbow' - For years, I've threatened to take this plant out because it looks awful most of the time. However, the first flush of growth is spectacular.