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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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Vicki Green's Garden


Vicki Green's garden is one of the neatest and most immaculate gardens I've seen and it is a showcase for beautifully grown plants as well as art objects (she is a glass artist). The property was once wall-to-wall grass and now just a central portion is devoted to the green. A long pathway leads you around the perimeter of the garden adorned with lush plantings.




Vicki is a master at pruning and her technique reminds me of the way Michael does it. She has trained many of her "shrubs" into small trees, such at the waxleaf privet and elderberry.

A Wax Leaf Privet (Ligustrum japonicum) trained into an attractive small tree.


I was taken aback by the size of the plants, some of which I grow, and my mind was racing. Driving up, I was immediately wowed by her 'Golden Spirit' Smoke Bush (Cotinus coggygria) although now I do recall seeing a very large on 117th St. However, this one is the most beautiful I've seen -


 
I also was surprised to see how large her 'Lemony Lace' Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) is -




A stunning Rodgersia








Many thanks to Vicki Green for opening her garden. It was a visual feast and provided many great ideas.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. AnonymousJune 20, 2024 at 7:21 AM

    You'r right, that Rogersia is stunning, especially with the backdrop of that blue fir....
    Chavli

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  2. danger gardenJune 20, 2024 at 9:16 AM

    Thanks for the photos! I really wanted to visit Vicki's garden but just couldn't get up to Vancouver that day.

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  3. Kris PetersonJune 20, 2024 at 10:15 AM

    I can only dream of a garden that meticulously maintained. I've always admire the 'Golden Spirit' Cotinus and would plant one in a second if they looked half that good in my climate.

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  4. tz_gardenJune 20, 2024 at 11:48 AM

    Such a beautifully maintained and immaculate garden. Love that Rogersia.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJune 20, 2024 at 12:40 PM

    how large was the Rodgersia?

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