Great Great Dixter Day Trip

I seem to have been particularly fortunate, in that on every garden I've visited this year, I've been blessed with beautiful weather *.

Last Sunday was just perfect. The air was cool and sweet as we arrived at around 11.30am, and was gradually being warmed by the early October sun. I'd not been to Great Dixter before, and I had been wanting to go for years. In-between writing (frankly ridiculous) blogs about biscuits, I thought I'd try and make it down there. It's a beautiful place, and very quirky with a garden divided up into various sections. The Old Rose Garden is quite startling with the exotic planting and bold, yet clever, use of colour.

I really enjoyed the dry, upper garden. There's something about the light at this time of year that really turns the dry teasel and grass heads into something magical.

Vanessa reclining lazily on a dark-leaved Dahlia.

I think I may have overdone the exotic stuff on this blog recently, so for balance I'm just posting a couple of very 'Sussexy' garden scenes.

There was a large shrub in the long border that I couldn't quite place. I decided it must be some sort of olive tree. Yesterday evening I was going through some of my Zimbabwe holiday photos and came across pictures of something that looked very much like it. After a little research, it appears to be Olea capensis. It would be very interesting to get to the bottom of this mystery, as I for one would be interested to know of an other plants native to Muturoshanga that could grow in East Sussex!

* Although it's been nice when visiting other gardens this year, it was pouring when Victoria came to visit. I just wanted to add here that her Blotanical Award is really well deserved. Victoria has been through some difficult times, and has been a real inspiration to the blogging community. Congratulations!

I'd also like to congratulate Meems at Hoe and Shovel, who won the Best Florida Blog. This is probably my favourite of the non-UK blogs, and enjoy following her gardens progress.

Norwich Day Trip Part 2c.

Continuing from Part 2b...

Just look at the view...

View down to the pond from the upper terrace.

We sat on bean bags and a beautiful stone bench built by Keith and Melissa, and chatted until the sun went down.

As dusk descended I took this picture of this wonderful Phormium. I don't have the name, but it's one of the giant forms.

Just to show that exotic plants aren't entirely bad for wildlife, the ladybirds seemed to be attracted to the cacti for some reason.

Weird!

An amazing day. I'm afraid I've run out of steam, but will add more comments later. Just wanted to get this out the way before I go to Great Dixter on Sunday!

Norwich Day Trip Part 2b

Continuing from Part 2a...

I did take rather a lot more photos in the afternoon for some reason. I wish I had taken more photos at Will's garden, but I think I was just too entranced by it all!

Melissa and Keith are very fortunate to live in a rural area (if not rural, it certainly felt like it). It was very peaceful as we wondered around the garden. Going from jungle at the top of the garden, nothing prepares you for what lies just over the edge of the terrace.

Agave franzosinii.

The most beautiful Yucca carnerosana. These plants really love the dry conditions in this part of the UK.

Keith chatting, while Paul looks at the Yucca carnerosana with envy! The other plant is a huge Nolina nelsonii.

The wonderful varied forms of Yucca.

This Yucca linearis is a real knock-out. Supremely elegant with a perfect sphere of foliage.

Yucca filifera.

One of the best bits of xeriscaping in the UK, I would say. It's a shame more people don't garden like this. This sort of garden is all too often considered eccentric. Maybe that's just why it appeals to me?

There are a few lovely plants that are due to go in. This is a Dasylirion longissimum ready to go in once the arid borders are continued across the garden.

Norwich Day Trip Part 2a

So after a spot of lunch, we continued on to Keith and Melissa's garden, just a few miles from Norwich town centre. To give an idea of the climate in this part of England, a number of established shrubs had completely wilted. Even a couple of tree ferns had leaves that just collapsed due to drought stress.

The first clue to discovering what lay in wait to the rear of the house. This is the giant black tree fern, Cyathea medullaris. Curiously this plant has developed side branches, so it will be interesting to see how it develops!

We were greeted by the Dalmatians. 

I think this one wanted its teeth checked!

A super collection of Echeveria (which are also a favourite of mine) and other succulents. Look at the wall too - this was built by Keith and Melissa. Their attention to detail is amazing!

Below, a Nolina that I forget the name of. I find these a bit too similar to Cordyline australis, myself, but it should look very different as it develops.

A Canna, called 'Cleopatra', I think. Interesting foliage.

A very tropical jumble of foliage.

More Ensete 'Montbeillardii' (is that too many vowels?).

I'm not sure if Keith and Melissa took as much care as Will Giles in placing their plants together, but the effect was still totally tropical! I think this picture illustrates how you don't have to have flowers to make a garden colourful.

A fine stand of Tetrapanax papyrifera 'Rex'. Probably one of the best in the country?

WARNING EXOTIC IMAGES MAY HARM YOUR COMPUTER

I visited the garden of Will Giles on September the 19th. It was an early start, of around 6am, but I'm not entirely sure. I was a little dazed at the time, and probably shouldn't have got behind the wheel of the car....

After meeting Paul Spracklin at his place on the Essex Riviera, we journeyed North-East, Norwich-bound. After many years of solely focusing on growing exotic plants, I knew I had to visit Will. My copy of The Exotic Garden is very well-thumbed, and although my focus had shifted slowly away from exotics in recent years, my day trip to Norwich completely blew me away.

Norwich is a long way from Wimbledon. I think it was about 11am that we arrived. Also touring Will's garden were Melissa and Keith, whose garden we also visited later on that day.

The weather was on our side. Nothing prepares you for when you first enter the garden. Spot the tree house...

Sorry, it's a bit of a blurry shot. This first bit reminds me of one of the Florida gardens. The exuberance and lushness of foliage would be on par with some of the planting at Fairchild Botanic Garden.

I like this bit, with the rubber plant and swiss cheese plant used to superb effect.

Will is very good at blending foliage colours together...

I think Will's new kitten was on the happy pills - it was into everything, and followed us all around the garden. Here he had clambered up the stem of a Musa basjoo, and on discovering he couldn't climb up any further, started meowing plaintively.

I don't know what sort of cat this is below, but it has to be the sleekest, most elegant cat I've ever seen. That colour and shine is just like a chestnut with the spiny casing freshly removed.

Will's bromeliad collection was the envy of our group. The Neoregelia at the front of the display was probably large enough to hold some 2-3 litres of water! Above right is an Alcanterea and the green spiky plant is a Doryanthes.

One of the many beautiful, slightly more elegant, species Canna.

Our little friend again.

The Parthenocissus was trained brilliantly into hanging lianas (if that's how you spell it), between the house and the tree house.

The new bit up the top. The work that had gone into the stonework was amazing. This area is at the top of some steps, and evoked a strong Mediterranean feel. I think below is a hardy Trichocereus and my favourite Agave, A.franzosinii.

Just amazing! The silvery leaved thing on the wall is a potted Encephalartos lehmanni, which has apparently overwintered in that position for a couple of winters! The latest set of fronds were just beginning to harden.

We went up to the magical tree house, with superb views down the hill and across Norwich. It was quite surreal sitting on sofas around the bough of a huge Oak tree. Of course our little friend had to come up there with us. The eyes and ears really are that big!

So that was the morning, pretty much. We stopped for lunch, then headed on to Keith and Melissa's garden in the afternoon. Stay tuned for Part 2...

After receiving a tag from Rothschild Orchid, I have been forced into typing this Meme for the next few hours.

To participate in the Meme Award, you need to:

*Link back to the person who gave you the award;

*Reveal seven things about yourself;

*Choose seven other blogs to nominate and post a link to them;

*Let each of your choices know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog;

*And finally let the tagger know when your post is up.

 

Nelson's Column Number 1.

I first visited the World Trade Centre in New York in August 2001. It also proved to be the last time I visited.

Doctor Who Number 2

I rode an African Elephant into a lake (purposely!), in Gweru, Zimbabwe. Have you?

Debbie McGee Number 3

I'm not a numerologist, but I have strong feelings about the number '3'. I like to plant in threes too, though I can't say I invented that.

Knock at the Door Number 4

I've held a young alligator in the Everglades. I've also held a hatchling crocodile in Chirundu, on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. I love the sound the hatchlings make - it's actually quite similar to a Jackdaw. I had the sound as a text alert for some time.

Gordon's Alive Number 5

I've always had a love for tortoises. I don't know why. A few years ago I bought a little one which died due to poor instruction. I'd love another tortoise one day, and would like to breed tortoises one day (as added funds to my pension).

Chopsticks Number 6

I didn't mention it before, but I'm a multi-Trillionaire.

Lucky 7

I've been going to our little holiday cottage in North Wales since about the age of 7, usually several times a year.  The air is fresh and sweet. The tap water tastes better than anything from a bottle. It is a very special place, and there will always be a bit of my heart devoted to it (to paraphrase Blur's 'Parklife'!). It is the most likely cause of my all-encompassing passion and interest in plants, animals and nature.

My oh my, I'm not sure if there are many people that haven't already done a Meme. So, I'm going to be lazy and not chase people up. If you don't like it, please call my lawyer.