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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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Rain and a bit of fall color

Miscanthus sinensis 'Little Miss' in the foreground and Calamagrostis 'Karl Forester' in the background


Rain is finally arriving in the Pacific Northwest and cooler temperatures as well. At noon today, we've had a slight drizzle and a whopping .02 inches. Hopefully more and heavier rain is on the way. It is sorely needed.

Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' (Blood Twig Dogwood)


Fall color so far has been scant but there is some to savor.

Sumac 'Tiger Eyes' (Rhus typhina) is the star of the show at the moment.

The leaves fall quickly and another sumac in a pot has already lost most. The rain will most likely ruin these leaves but they have been beautiful for many weeks.

Persian Ironwood (Parrotia persica) is the most colorful tree at the moment. In the foreground is Smoke Bush 'Golden Spirit' (Cotinus coggygria)


The Serviceberry (Amelanchier grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance') has been rewarding and a wonderful view out my office window. 


Betula 'Trost's Dwarf' (Birch)


Dogwood 'Celestial Shadow' (Cornus kousa) and
 Japanese Maple 'Bihou' (Acer palmatum)


Redbud 'Flame Thrower' (Cercis canadensis)


Catalpa bignoinoides 'Aurea' with
Parrotia in the background and 'Karl Forester' grass in the front



Some color from heathers outside our front window


Hopefully, more fall color is on the way. So far, no hint of it on the ginkgo but leaves on the sassafras and black tupelo are slowly beginning. 


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

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  1. Kris PetersonOctober 21, 2022 at 7:01 PM

    Lovely fall color, more than we get over the entire fall.winter season. Two one-hundredths of an inch is all we got during the most recent storm but I hope you'll be lot luckier over the course of the weekend. I also hope the rain will be sufficient to get the area's fires under control.

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    Replies
    1. Phillip OliverOctober 21, 2022 at 10:49 PM

      My heart goes out to you Kris - I know lack of rain is tough and you have it much worse than us. So far, almost 1/2 inch at 10pm tonight. I'm thankful but it has been a long time coming.

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  2. AnonymousOctober 22, 2022 at 6:14 AM

    Sumac is so reliable and truly unmatched with its brilliant fall display: it never cease to take my breath away.
    Miscanthus sinensis 'Little Miss' is gorgeous. I should give this dwarf variety a try.
    chavli

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  3. AnonymousOctober 23, 2022 at 6:55 PM

    Lovely - that Tiger Eye is just phenomenal!! I just planted a couple of Little Miss in a client's garden. Seeing your photo made me so happy I took a chance on them!

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