The Earliest Blooms

October 05, 2025

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...

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.