June jollies
Tue. July 7, 2015
I had a thoroughly enjoyable two days in the company of my chums Mary and Milly, visiting Sissinghurst and Great Dixter last month. We were fortunate to visit Sissinghurst in the evening by booking a tour with a delicious supper from Sarah Raven . The tour given by Adam and Juliet Nicolson was a unique insight into their family home. I hadn’t appreciated the impracticality of the disjointed ‘rooms’ but the madness makes it all the more wonderful. The garden was full and glorious and I was delighted to see roses and foxgloves being allowed to flop onto the paths – I’m a big fan of disorderly planting in a structured formal setting.
The following morning we set off to Great Dixter under our own steam (see above). What a joy that place is. I’m afraid my words can not do it justice so suffice to say, if you haven’t been – GO. Having vowed not to buy any more plants this year (I’ve been buying some unusual plants from the Aberglasney shop), I succumbed to a Dierama pulcherrimum otherwise known as Angels fishing rods with pink megenta dropping flowers. I also bought a few Erigeron karvinskianus a little pink and white daisy which I’m going to encourage to grow into our front steps at Cliffway. I planted it outside our shop ten years ago but sadly the harsh winter of 2010 saw it off. As I assured Tim, the plants were all very good value, so there will be enough in the coffors to treat myself to a cardiocrinum giganteum (see below, a three foot lilly with incredible scent which flowers in July) when I next visit Aberglasney.