Manor Farm, Hampreston - Part I

The very first private garden that we visited on our current vacation in England immediately won us over with its beauty and diversity. The Manor Farm, located in Hampreston in the charming county of Dorset invited the public in the context of the NGS (National Garden Scheme).

The Open Gardens, organized by the NGS, are quite well received events in the UK, where private gardens are opening to the public for charity on one or more days of the year. You pay a reasonable fee, usually between 3 - 4 pounds per person, and get to see the most beautiful private gardens of the UK. Very often tea and homemade cakes are sold as well. It is just so much fun to visit a lovely private garden and afterwards (or any time in between for that matter!) sit down and enjoy tea and cake in a beautiful surrounding. The homemade scones and cakes are so delicious that they truly add to the appeal of the events!

According to the NGS brochure, what stands out about the Manor Farm is that it is designed and cared for by three generations of the Trehane family, which are celebrating 100 years of farming and gardening this year. You only can congratulate this family to this major achievement!

There were many different areas and rooms to see in the garden and in this post I would like to show you one big herbaceous border and a bog garden surrounding a pond, which impressed me the most.

We began our tour of this gorgeous garden by checking out this long double herbaceous border close to the entry of the property. For me this border represents the quintessential English border for which English Gardens are so famous for. And rightly so might one say! The massive yew hedge to the left and the other tall green hedge at the end of the border are building just the right background for the abundance of flowers spilling over the boundaries of the beds.

I love the informal form and subtle color shading of this rose bloom.

This and the following photos are showing close-ups of some of the plants which, as far as I remember, the border was filled with and I liked best. Unfortunately I don't know the common names of most of them, let alone the specific variety that was planted, so I leave it at just presenting the photos to you.




This plant was repeated in different colors and I really like the lightness of the flowers. It adds such a beautiful airiness to the bed.

Here is another one blooming in white that was not quite open, yet.

There were many different varieties of hardy geraniums, also called cranesbills, planted in this border and also all over the garden. To my surprise I just discovered this year how well at least one variety of hardy geranium called 'Rozanne' is growing in my own garden in Southern California and after this vacation I am determined to try some more.

I already admired this dark colored, yellow flowering heuchera when we visited the UK last year and like it even more this year.

The right end of the border was marked by this beautiful white flowering shrub with a light colored rose in the front.




Here are the white blooms of the shrub seen a little bit closer. Could it be a hydrangea?




Small fraction of the border. I was fascinated by all the different leave shapes and colors of the leaves themselves. Hardly any flowers are needed to make this part look interesting.




Glancing back into the left corner at the beginning of the border.

Another lovely plant that I really would like to know the name of. Are any of you dear readers familiar with it?

Bearded iris, caught in perfection!




The image above shows one side of the same double border from "the outside". Isn't is fascinating how different the color scheme is...





 ....in comparison to when you are walking straight through the double border like the photo shows above?
Even though I had a hard time leaving this section of the garden, there was so much more to see. Next we were heading to the pond and bog garden area.




Isn't this planting scheme just amazing? I think design-wise the gardener outdid him/herself in this particular part of the garden.

In parts the colors were so vivid it just reminded me of a jewel box. 

Same area photographed from the other side.

Again, I found some of the plants surrounding the pond directly or being in close proximity so stunning that I want to show you close-ups of them,...

...like for example this bleeding heart in front of a big bronze-green leaved plant. Absolutely breathtaking combination!

Or how about this dainty beauty?

Not to forget her sister...

 

Emerging fresh, new, dark, bronze-green leaves showing the power of spring.

They seem to sprout from an understory of the same colored leaves but those have a very different form. Could it be that these two different leaves shapes are emerging from the same plant?

I just loved the many alliums growing in this garden.




Lush light green big leaves, they are almost a "squeaky" green.

The pond scene as a whole. I think this bed is coming as close to perfection as a garden can be.

I will try to write a second post about the Manor Farm soon. If you liked this one, please come back to have a look at other areas of this inspiring place!

See you in the garden!

Christina