Sunday, June 24, 2012

The Garden at Ringmer Park, England - III

This is the final post about my visit of The Garden at Ringmer Park. There was more to discover in this wonderful garden than I have shown so far (click here to see post part I and here to come to post part II). The next highlight was a long double herbaceous border of mainly blue, lilac and purple flowering plants.



The photo above gives you a good idea about the color scheme used in this border. Unfortunately many things were just starting to flower, but you can imagine how beautiful it must be when the whole beds are in full bloom.


 

I don't know how long this border is, but it is probably the longest one that I have ever seen in a private garden. The very large trees surrounding the border are adding another wonderful tough and complete the picture. How great it is to be able to have a garden with many mature old trees!



I thought a wizard came up with the plant combinations in this part of the garden.



The pale blue irises were just lovely,...



...and so were the alliums, which are used extensively here.




And these two plants go so well together.



But there were also incorporated many other interesting plants like this extraordinarily beautiful aquilegia,...




...so monotony wouldn't become an issue.



I was so smitten with these irises.




This was quite a colorful beauty, too. Another plant that unfortunately I don't know the name of. It seemed to be almost common in England.



The stone columns at the end of this long border were very magnificent, in their classic elegance conquered by a wisteria, which just started to bloom. This plant was bursting with energy, you could almost feel it grow.



If I only had a few feet of this border in my own garden, I would be a happy person. 



By the way, I read in the info sheet written by the owner that was handed out to every visitor entering the property that in summer they work 120 hours weekly in this garden to keep it looking pristine. That gives you an idea how demanding and labor intensive the maintenance of a garden like this is. How great that people are willing to put that much time, effort and resources into their gardens, that something as beautiful as Ringmer Park can exist.


 

I am not a hundred percent sure anymore, but I believe that this photo shows the outer side of the long double border featured in the photos above. This garden was just so masterfully done in each an every way.



There is one last small corner of this extensive garden that I would like to show you. I think it illustrates perfectly that you can learn something from visiting a huge garden, take it home and make use of it in your most likely much smaller patch of land (at least mine is). What a refreshing bang of color you were confronted with here.



If you are not a fan of tulips so far, these ones may make you change your mind.



Although a little bit tattered already this one just stopped me in my tracks with its incredible play of colors. 



I was tired by now after touring and photographic the garden for approximately two and half hours, but this small bed got me all excited again,...



...and just let me hit the shutter button of the camera.




I guess this is the most extraordinary tulip that I have ever seen and I am so glad that we didn't skip this part of the estate. Still after taking in all the gardens my husband and I were more than ready for some refreshments. The tea and cake at this place was as delightful as the gardens themselves.

See you in the garden!

Christina



25 comments:

  1. Thank you, Christina, for sharing your photos of that lovely garden. The long border is really something. What a well tended garden! I enjoyed my virtual visit.

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  2. I've really enjoyed visiting this garden with you, Christina. That border is beautiful. I think the plant you weren't familiar with might be an ornamental comfrey, a variety of Symphytum grandiflorum.

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  3. I was looking through some of your blog posts on this site and I believe this web site is really informative! Keep on putting up.This site is really helpful for us.

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  4. Lovely ! So very english ... and the last photos are stunning, the colours are just perfect. Thank you, Christina !

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  5. What a lovely set of photos from Ringmer Park. Yes I agree with Lyn the plant is comfrey which comes in a variety of colours from white/pink, blue/pink to almost purple. It is a very good border plant.
    The little pink, really pretty aquilegia, relishes in the name of 'Nora Barlow'.

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  6. A great conclusion to your trilogy of post about this fab garden! Love the blues and purples of their border, and all the other blooms too! :)

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  7. Dorothy, thanks for your nice comment. I agree with you this garden was very well maintained and that greatly added to its beauty.

    Lyn, wow you are impressing me with your plant knowledge. Thanks for helping me out again and identifying the plant unknown to me as an ornamental comfrey!

    Dani, you are right it is a very English garden. I am glad you like the photos of the tulips. They are my favorites, too.

    Rosemary, thanks for confirming that the plant in question is comfrey. I have to say that I am truly astonished that you are able to name the aquilegia! We have seen so many different varieties of them in England on our trip, that I was thinking that it is close to impossible. I am thoroughly impressed :-)!

    Mark and Gaz, thanks for your kind words about my post. Blues and purples, besides white, of course, are my favorite colors in the garden and the ones chosen for this border had been particularly pretty.

    Bengts fotoblogg, it is nice to know that someone, who is writing a photo blog likes my pictures!

    Christina

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  8. I enjoyed the pictures you made in Ringmer Park, English gardens are mostly so beautiful and tasteful.
    Regards,
    Janneke

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  9. What an incredible garden!! How lucky that you've been able to visit all these beautiful places. 120 hours a week? WOW!! I've really enjoyed your English gardens series. They're like mini-vacations. :o)

    My Rose of Sharon is called Althaea syriacus 'Ardens' Double Flowering Purple Rose of Sharon and is hardy to zone 9. I'm a sucker for flowering shrubs. :o)

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  10. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photo's of the english gardens. The combination of the perennials is gorgeous. I love the forms and colorsceduals. The plant you did not know about is the symphytum. A lovely perennial, but in no time she is spreading in the whole garden.
    Have a nice week Cristina.

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  11. Jannecke, I am glad that you liked the photos! I completely agree with you about the beauty of the English gardens!

    Casa Mariposa, how delightful to read that my series about the Garden at Ringmer Park has provided a mini-vacation for you :-)! Thank you so much for letting me know the name of your beautiful rose of sharon shrub. I could get hooked up to flowering shrubs, too!

    Marijke, yeah, the borders were masterfully planted in this garden. Thanks for telling me that the plant that I didn't know is a symphytum and also for the warning that it might be spreading a little bit too eagerly. I planted some 'Black & Blue' salvias in my garden and even though they are pretty they are really invasive. I don't think I would like to have another plant like this in my yard.

    Olga, glad you liked this garden!

    Christina

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  12. I agree that the purple tulip is gorgeous and so are the borders! I would love it in my garden too! Jeannine

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  13. Jeannine, too bad that tulips are just annuals for us here in San Diego! Being on a very busy schedule I just don't have the time for such extravaganza, but I surely enjoy seeing them in other people's gardens :-)!

    Christina

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  14. Hi Christina,

    Thank you very much for coming by my little blog and leaving a kind comment. Really enjoyed reading your blog too and seeing photos of your lovely garden. Hearing directly from a gardener in another part of the world is so fascinating!!

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  15. Green Dragonette, welcome to my blog and thanks for your kind words about it. I agree with you, I also find it still very fascinating to be able to communicate with gardeners around the world thanks to the internet. What a great invention!

    Christina

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  16. Wow, just beautiful! Love that ornate gate with the arch!!

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  17. charlie b, thanks for your comment. I didn't even notice the details of the gate with the arch and the climbing rose on top of it before you mentioned it. I guess I was too fixated on the tulips ;-). There was simply too much to see in the garden to take it all in!

    Christina

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  18. Hi! I responded to your comment about magnesium on my current post. :o)

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  19. Tammy, thanks for letting me know. I will come over to your blog to read your answer!

    Christina

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  20. Hey Christina, long time of the blog? I hope you are oke!!!
    greatings Marijke

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  21. Marijke, I only saw your comment today. Thank you very much for your concern!

    Christina

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  22. I enjoyed my visit here to many of your posts! Love to have you join in "Open House" today!

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  23. Bernideen, welcome to my blog and thanks for becoming a follower! I will come over and have a look what is going on at your "Open House"!

    Christina

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