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Coleton Fishacre (Devon, England)

Coleton Fishacre was in my top 5 gardens on the tour. This Arts & Crafts style house and garden was the country home of  Rupert D'Oyly Carte and his wife Lady Dorothy Carte.   He was the well-known theater owner (The Savoy) and producer (Gilbert & Sullivan).  They spotted the property from their yacht and thought it would be a great spot for a country home and garden. Ah, to have that much money... They commissioned Oswald Milne, a former student of Edward Lutyens to design the house. Both Rupert and Lady Dorothy were interested in gardening but it was Lady Dorothy who mainly planted the garden, filling it with exotic and tender plants that survived with the influence of the Gulf stream. They employed six full-time gardeners! I often wonder if people who have that much money are really able to enjoy a property like this and actually live in it?  Their tenure here wasn't that long (a dozen years or so), although Dorothy lived here full-time in the late 19...
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Pie Crust

My go-to pie crust, made in a food processor

(Makes 2 crusts)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 sticks cold butter, diced
1/3 cup shortening, diced
1/2 cup ice water

  • Whisk together flour, salt and sugar and place in food processor
  • Add the butter and shortening. Pulse until pea-sized
  • Pour the ice water down the feed tube, with machine running
  • Pulse until the dough comes together and forms a ball
  • Transfer the dough to a floured board and cut it in half
  • Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour (can be kept in refrigerator for a long time)


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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