This is a follow up post to my previous one continuing to show you around in the lovely cottage garden of Old Down House. Click here if you wish to see part I first.
After my husband and I left the surprisingly beautiful potager, we were returning to the main garden, having tea and cake, and hoped that the crowd had become less. This wasn't the case, but we enjoyed the rest of the garden tour, anyway.
This was the view of the main circular lawn that presented itself to us coming back from the potager. One of the many things that I liked about this garden was that it had ample of opportunities to sit down and take in the garden and its lovely surroundings. I wondered if all the little cozy sitting areas were only placed for the open garden event or if the furniture were there permanently. Either way it reminded me that I need to get some more garden furniture for my own yard.
I will make a round on the circular lawn and show you the different garden beds surrounding it interspersed with close-up photos of the plants found in the beds throughout this part of the garden.
In the bed above there are not too many plants flowering, but because of the variety of plants and leave color it was still quite interesting to look at.
I loved, loved, loved this white hardy geranium. Even though I garden in a totally different climate zone hardy geraniums seem to do quite well for me, too. I just can picture this one in my 'White Garden Bed'.
If I remember correctly close by the white hardy geranium was this oriental poppy growing. Isn't it wonderful together with the lamb's ear?
To me this oriental poppy was the most beautiful plant in the whole garden!
Who wouldn't love to sit down with a cup of tea in front of this garden bed?
A closer look at the bed behind the sitting area from the photo above.
The edging of the beds was perfect in this garden, as we have seen it in many other English gardens, too. It gives such a crisp feel. I really think that visually it makes a big difference in the overall scheme the garden looks.
One more shot of my favorite blue flowering plant in this garden
Another oriental poppy. The way the delicate flower leaves unfold always fascinates me.
A beautiful bearded iris in a soft apricot color with a contrasting bright orange beard.
It was difficult to leave this charming garden, I could have spent much more time there, but we had one more private NGS garden on our list that we wanted to see that day, so we still had something to look forward to.
Even exiting the garden was a pleasure! This was the very last thing that you saw before you left through the garden gate. I always thought that it greatly matters what you see when you enter a garden, the first glimpse that creates excitement and the wish to explore the garden further, but clearly the last impression is equally important.
Hope you enjoyed touring this private English garden with. I will write about another one in the near future.
See you in the garden!
Christina
After my husband and I left the surprisingly beautiful potager, we were returning to the main garden, having tea and cake, and hoped that the crowd had become less. This wasn't the case, but we enjoyed the rest of the garden tour, anyway.
This was the view of the main circular lawn that presented itself to us coming back from the potager. One of the many things that I liked about this garden was that it had ample of opportunities to sit down and take in the garden and its lovely surroundings. I wondered if all the little cozy sitting areas were only placed for the open garden event or if the furniture were there permanently. Either way it reminded me that I need to get some more garden furniture for my own yard.
I will make a round on the circular lawn and show you the different garden beds surrounding it interspersed with close-up photos of the plants found in the beds throughout this part of the garden.
In the bed above there are not too many plants flowering, but because of the variety of plants and leave color it was still quite interesting to look at.
I loved, loved, loved this white hardy geranium. Even though I garden in a totally different climate zone hardy geraniums seem to do quite well for me, too. I just can picture this one in my 'White Garden Bed'.
If I remember correctly close by the white hardy geranium was this oriental poppy growing. Isn't it wonderful together with the lamb's ear?
To me this oriental poppy was the most beautiful plant in the whole garden!
Who wouldn't love to sit down with a cup of tea in front of this garden bed?
I can't help but admire the dense planting of the beds. There was literally no soil to see, but plants were not encroaching into each others space either. The gardener seemed to exactly know how big each plant would get. I am almost never able to foresee the mature size of a plant in my garden, although I am studying the plant labels for the size of a plant quite diligently!
The symmetrical use of the boxwood spheres facing each other in the two beds brings definition and calm into the design. Imagine they weren't there, but otherwise the design would be the same. I think the beds would appear much more restless.
Another garden bed filled to the max with plants. Whoever gardens here is a master in the art of staggering plants.
As I said already this garden offered ample of seating, it even had a swing!
This beauty was used repeatedly throughout the beds.
Blue was a preferred color in the beds, which I really liked.
Another example of a small bed planted with many blue flowering plants.
A very delightful corner of the house. I really love the white clematis. Maybe I need to get one for my own garden as well.
As usual for English Gardens there was a lot of attention paid to detail. Even this little niche was lovingly planted with white dianthus.
Here is another example for paying attention to detail. Just notice with what a variety of plants this container is planted.
See the plant label holder? So unobtrusive, but still functional.
One more shot of my favorite blue flowering plant in this garden
A beautiful bearded iris in a soft apricot color with a contrasting bright orange beard.
It was difficult to leave this charming garden, I could have spent much more time there, but we had one more private NGS garden on our list that we wanted to see that day, so we still had something to look forward to.
Even exiting the garden was a pleasure! This was the very last thing that you saw before you left through the garden gate. I always thought that it greatly matters what you see when you enter a garden, the first glimpse that creates excitement and the wish to explore the garden further, but clearly the last impression is equally important.
Hope you enjoyed touring this private English garden with. I will write about another one in the near future.
See you in the garden!
Christina
