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.
The castle burned in 1913. It was rebuilt but because of construction faults, it was demolished in 1934. You will find a complete history of the gardens on their website.
We looped around to the beginning point and had time for lunch. I had a tuna sandwich and tried a flapjack, which is an oatmeal cake baked with syrup.
(Visited May 11, 2005)
Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
Comments
The more temperate weather near the UK coast help those tropical-like plants thrive. I remember being shocked (and more than a little jealous) at seeing flowering Echium next to Leucadendron right on the southern coast of England.
Abbotsbury is such a gorgeous garden with so many familiar plants that we grow here in the PNW, I felt quite at home going through this post!
Chavli