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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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In Between Rains & Spreading Manure

'Chief Joseph' Pine (Pinus contorta)

It has been so wet and cold that I have done very little in the garden. I need to get on the ball and yesterday and today provided a much-needed break from the rain. The sun even came out today. I got a load of horse manure from Southridge Farms, a place that my boss had recommended. It is just a short drive from my house and the manure is beautiful -



I spent the day emptying my truck, one bucket-full at a time, and placing it in strategic places. Around the roses for sure. Notice the dead canes coming from the bottom. These need to be cut out completely. Another chore for another day.



'Chief Joseph' Pine (at the top of the page), so beautiful right now. As is Arctostaphylos 'Sunset' -



And Eastern Hemlock 'Golden Duchess' (Tsuga cadensis 'MonKinn') -



Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Kris PetersonJanuary 11, 2023 at 8:35 PM

    I'm glad you got a break from the rain - and some sun! We're supposed to get a 3-day break (counting today) but I've put off having a truckload of compost delivered until this series of storms is over as it takes days for me to distribute it (on top of the usual lag in getting a delivery date).

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  2. AnonymousJanuary 13, 2023 at 5:36 AM

    I envy you that load of manure. I really like the yellow/green foliage with the dark blue sky in the background. Happy day in winter when it iswarm and dry enough to get a few chores done. The list will get longer no doubt.

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  3. Hoover BooJanuary 15, 2023 at 6:09 AM

    That is indeed beautiful Amendment, and a beautiful Arctostaphylos.

    For gardeners, trucks do come in handy!

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  4. Anna KJanuary 15, 2023 at 3:06 PM

    Good for you for getting out there - even a little bit. I had a new project to measure, but called it off to a more suitable weekend, weather wise. Spent the weekend playing in the kitchen instead. Not sure what kind of baking demon has gotten hold of me... LOL!

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