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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...

Thomas Vetter's Garden - Another Revisit


I've been trying to catch up on visiting some of the HPSO Open Gardens this summer and one that I can't pass up is Thomas Vetter's garden in Portland. It continues to inspire me. He is a master at putting plants together. 








Persicaria 'Painter's Palette'





The above photos are from the back garden. He also has a nice collection of succulents -






In the front, a large Parrotia was recently removed. Of course, he used the logs to make an artistic monument -


And, in the back again, one more photo of the lovely Robinia Tree along the back border-


I highly recommend a visit when his garden is open. The Open Gardens directory can be found on the HPSO website

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. Such a peaceful, painterly garden! Someday I'll get up that way to take advantage of the HPSO open gardens...

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  2. I can imagine putting in the forest grass, hosta, etc combination and immediately knowing that it was a stellar compilation of color/texture. So beautiful!

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  3. His collection of succulents has grown considerably since my last visit.

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