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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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Sweet Gum 'Slender Silhouette'


There is still some fall color left in the garden. A late comer is Sweet Gum 'Slender Silhouette' (Liquidambar styraciflua). The attractive star-shaped leaves have turned into a kaleidoscope of orange, yellow and red. Very pretty! 

If you are looking for a super-skinny tree for a tight spot, this would be a good contender. It is said to achieve a height of 50-60 feet with a width of just 5-8 feet. The growth is uniform so there is no tapering at the top or bottom. 

So, when one thinks of Sweet Gum, the greatest drawback is the messy, spiky balls that fall everywhere in the fall. This variety is supposedly light and sporadic on fruit production so time will tell. So far, I've not seen any but this is a young tree, planted almost exactly four years ago - in November 2019. Assuming that there is fruit, the slender shape of the tree should keep them from covering a great distance.





Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Barbara H.November 24, 2023 at 4:23 AM

    Oh gosh, it's a sweet little tree but I hope it's description is accurate. They are such easy spreaders here in Alabama as you know. I'm always on the hunt for seedlings to pull or cut but they are good little hiders. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

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  2. Kris PetersonNovember 24, 2023 at 12:09 PM

    One neighbor has numerous Liquidambers at the front of their garden and they routinely provide fall - or, more commonly, winter - color. They're not used a lot here as far as I've seen but they do make a statement.

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  3. AnonymousNovember 24, 2023 at 4:29 PM

    The sweet gum that we had in our front yard when I was a child in Tennessee was my favorite tree. It was easy to climb and the prickly balls were used by me and my sister in throwing contests. I also love the various colors it has. So beautiful!

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  4. HummingbirdNovember 25, 2023 at 2:44 PM

    I actually scour the neighborhood for those spiky balls, since I don't have a sweet gum tree. I use them around the base of the hostas. The slugs and snails don't like traveling over those spikes! However, you do risk being called "that crazy lady who is picking up those balls"...again ;) Debbie

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  5. Hoover BooNovember 25, 2023 at 6:20 PM

    Oh my those colors!!! 5-8' wide but 50-60' tall? Wowza, that's like an Italian Cypress. Would like to see a mature one at that size.

    The stickerballs, yes. :( The roots of Liquidambars are a problem in some of SoCal--all over the soil surface, sprouting suckers Where there is more rain and colder winters, are they better behaved? Beautiful foliage, though, and some fall/winter color, which is rare in my neck of the woods.

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    1. Phillip OliverNovember 25, 2023 at 7:04 PM

      Yes, roots of the sweet gum can be a problem. I'm not sure about this one. You would think that they would not extend that far since the width is small.

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  6. tz_gardenNovember 26, 2023 at 8:57 AM

    What a beautiful column of colors! I'm looking forward to seeing you share pictures in the future.

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