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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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Anticipation



This is exciting! I have wanted an orange ginger lily for as long as I can remember. I tried growing it in Alabama and never got a bloom. I do have a white ginger (Hedychium spicatum) that has had a few blooms. A few years ago, someone told me that 'Tara' is the only one that will reliably bloom here. I don't know if that it true but I finally got one this year (thank you Dancing Oaks!). Planted in April next to our South foundation and given ample water, I can hardly believe it, but it looks like a bloom is imminent - in its first year!

I'm holding my breath...


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Kris PetersonAugust 1, 2025 at 12:20 PM

    I'd be excited too! My fingers are crossed on your behalf.

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  2. AnonymousAugust 1, 2025 at 12:38 PM

    oooh, gutsy move to mention it before it's actually blooming. If I did that, I'd jinx it somehow and then no flower. I hope you have better luck! Maybe my comment will cancel out any jinx.

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  3. tz_gardenAugust 1, 2025 at 4:09 PM

    Fantastic! I can't wait to see - isn't it great when things work out :)

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  4. Ardith FergusonAugust 1, 2025 at 5:36 PM

    Exciting! I can't wait to see your photos of the bloom.

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  5. AnonymousAugust 2, 2025 at 3:38 PM

    Their culture confuses me a bit. Here in GA, I juggle heat, sunlight, and moisture levels for my white one. Best bloom was in sandy soil and 5-6 hrs morning sun near an irrigation head. Pretty much won’t bloom in my woodland area, though.
    I’ve also got a variegated one that may never bloom but is lovely. All day high shade.

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    1. Phillip OliverAugust 5, 2025 at 12:20 PM

      I've always thought of them as shade plants, too. Here, many plants will tolerate more sun because of the cooler temperatures. I had my white ginger in a lot of shade because the nursery selling it said that it was good in shade, but I moved it to a sunnier location. I think it is going to bloom as well.

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