Dirt Therapy

The next stop on my England garden tour was Forde Abbey, a former Cistercian monastery. The 1600 acre estate is known for its gardens, which cover 30 acres. I cannot recall if the house was open, but I didn't go inside. I did get some photos of the house which was an imposing structure. A walled garden filled one side of the house -  The grounds behind the house are vast with various garden areas separated by long walks and pathways. Water is a dominant feature. Several ponds feed into others. Forde Abbey is known for having the highest powered fountain in the country. (Visited May 11, 2025) Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

This is the time of year when I  am so sick of watering, I could scream. Last week's shower helped but the ground is very dry. Rain is predicted for Monday. It is noticeably cooler and it even got down into the 40s last night.  I've noticed trees changing color around town. Ours are just barely beginning to show some color. But change is definitely in the air. Plants I'm enjoying right now - A few weeks ago, I wrote about a gift of colchicum. I had not seen any trace of life until it rained. The following morning - magic! Cochicum 'Water Lily' Another gift from years ago is the autumn cyclamen. Always a nice surprise! Kinnikinnick is growing over it and I like the effect. Autumn Cyclamen I love asters and am constantly adding more to the garden. This is a recent purchase - 'Starshine' Aster ageratoides 'Starshine' This one is an unknown, given to me by a friend that I sometimes garden for. It is 6 feet tall! If anyone knows the name, I'd love to ...

'Mary Rose' While the September rose display isn't that profuse (there are several that have not bloomed, but maybe they will come later), the roses that are blooming are lovely. First, Mary Rose , a David Austin variety, has been very good this year, with multiple flushes of blooms. I posted a photo of it growing the hyacinth bean vine earlier. Another flush of bloom since then. 'Mary Rose' Olivia Rose , another Austin variety, did a complete turnaround this year after I dug it up and put it in a post. I have shied away from growing roses in pots, but perhaps I should reconsider. Olivia looks 100% better and I was certain it was deathbound earlier. 'Olivia Rose' Essex has several flushes of blooms throughout the summer. A fine single rose with great disease resistance. 'Essex' Swany has been exceptional this year with its usual stark white blooms flushed with pink, even during the hot summer months. 'Swany' Buff Beauty 's rebloom was no...

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....