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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...
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Plectranthus 'Guacamole'



Potted plants are not my forte although we do have more than a fair share. In previous years, our deck was a jungle. We went crazy over fuchsias after moving here but finally realized that overwintering them, quite easy, was taking up too much space in the garage and waiting for them to bloom the following year was no fun and it was easier just to buy new plants. Of course, there are some that we do overwinter but our supply of fuchsias has diminished considerably. 

There are a few other plants that I like to have in pots. Plectranthus 'Guacamole' is one that I discovered a few years ago and is an absolute favorite. No flowers (or does it?), just stunning green and gold leaves that drape ever so elegantly over the pot. Growing it is a breeze. Shade-loving, ours gets only bright light and I would bet that only a slight amount of sun would burn the leaves. Liquid fertilizer every two weeks or so is the only indulgence it gets and it would probably be okay without that.

I've never tried to overwinter it but if I had a sunroom or greenhouse, I would try that. 




Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Kris PetersonSeptember 10, 2023 at 8:09 PM

    Very attractive. I'm not sure I've seen that one before.

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  2. Lisa at GreenbowSeptember 12, 2023 at 9:49 AM

    This is a good looking plant. I don't think I have seen this around here before. I will look for it next year. I have a lot of pots on our deck too. It gets morning sun.

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  3. tz_gardenSeptember 13, 2023 at 8:57 AM

    Guacamole indeed! That's a beauty I haven't seen before.

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