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Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens (Weymouth, England)

After seeing a string of English-style gardens, Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens provided a welcome change of pace. Located in a sheltered woodland on the Jurassic Coast, this 30-acre garden is filled with rare semi-tropical plants.   As we entered, we were greeted by this little guy (a golden pheasant) - The entry area included a restaurant with a wrap-around porch and a gift shop - Entering the main gardens - This hill was quite a trek - I was out of breath when I reached the top. Once there, you get an overlook with a view of the ocean - This property was once home to a castle that was once a monastery. This is how it looked in 1890 - The gardens were developed by the Fox-Strangways family. Most notably, William Fox-Strangways, 4th Earl of Ilchester, was a diplomat and botanist, who introduced many exotic species to the garden. The genus Photinia stranvaesia was named after him.  In 1899, Lady Ilchester printed a catalog which documented over 5,000 plants in the garden....
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Home Again - Hello Roses

'Crown Princess Margarita'

I'm back home after a three week garden tour of the Cornwall region of England. It was phenomenal and I'll be sharing photos from the trip later. I got back home to an explosion of growth and bloom in our garden. I was grateful that we received some rain and so was Michael, who didn't have to do a great deal of watering.

This is my favorite time of year when the garden bursts into bloom and everything is fresh and unblemished.

The roses are especially a treat right now. 

'Cornelia'


'Lady Emma Hamitlon'

'Lamarque'

'Marchesa Boccella'

'Mutabilis'

'Playboy'

'Purple Pavement'

'Radway Sunrise'

'Darcey Bussell'

'Golden Celebration'

'The Impressionist'



'Lady of Shallot'

'Buff Beauty'


'Julia Child' & 'The Impressionist'

'Sunny Eleganza'

'Tess of the D'Urbervilles'


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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Comments

  1. Barbara H.May 26, 2025 at 6:07 AM

    That was truly the trip of a lifetime! Thanks for all the sharing. Your roses are splendid, but of course that doesn't surprise me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. tz_gardenMay 26, 2025 at 8:09 AM

    3 weeks! I didn't realize you were there that long, how fantastic! How lucky you were to get rain and come home to all that gorgeousness. I can't pick a favorite rose, they are all lovely -hmm, but I am drawn to 'Lady of Shallot'. Welcome home. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Phillip OliverMay 29, 2025 at 10:08 AM

      'Lady of Shallot' is one of my all-time favorites.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousMay 26, 2025 at 8:51 AM

    I love the care you take in selecting some really great roses, and then you grow them so wonderfully. Really superb!

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  4. Linda's Relaxing LairMay 26, 2025 at 12:01 PM

    Gorgeous captures.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kris PetersonMay 26, 2025 at 12:05 PM

    I love the roses - and the IG posts you shared of your trip! I look forward to seeing more on your Cornwall tour in future blog posts.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMay 28, 2025 at 10:54 AM

    A feast for the eyes!

    ReplyDelete
  7. hbMay 29, 2025 at 10:05 AM

    3 weeks in Cornwall--wow must have been awesome. Skipped Chelsea?

    I expected a rosy treat by the title, and was not disappointed. The roses welcomed you home--how great is that?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Phillip OliverMay 29, 2025 at 10:09 AM

      I didn't skip Chelsea. It was the grand finale to the trip.

      Delete

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