[fusion_builder_container admin_label="" hundred_percent="yes" hundred_percent_height="no" hundred_percent_height_scroll="no" hundred_percent_height_center_content="yes" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" status="published" publish_date="" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="https://www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Verbena-bonariensis-010-Cw-e1567077149755.jpeg" background_position="left bottom" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="fixed" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="100px" padding_left=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" min_height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="left top" undefined="" background_repeat="no-repeat" border_size="0" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" padding_top="600px" padding_right="0px" padding_bottom="0px" padding_left="0px" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no"][fusion_separator style_type="none" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" sep_color="" top_margin="0px" bottom_margin="0px" border_size="" icon="" icon_circle="" icon_circle_color="" width="" alignment="center" /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container admin_label="" hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="50px" padding_left=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" min_height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="left top" undefined="" background_repeat="no-repeat" border_size="0" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no"][fusion_title hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" content_align="center" size="2" font_size="" line_height="" letter_spacing="" margin_top="100px" margin_bottom="0px" margin_top_mobile="40px" margin_bottom_mobile="" text_color="" style_type="none" sep_color=""] Just Passing.. [/fusion_title][fusion_separator style_type="single solid" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" sep_color="#8bc34a" top_margin="0px" bottom_margin="20px" border_size="2" icon="" icon_circle="" icon_circle_color="" width="30px" alignment="center" /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" overlay_color="" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" padding_right=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" min_height="" hover_type="none" link=""][fusion_text] Anemone x hybrida 'September Charm' Start of autumn this weekend. Where did the summer go? It's been a strange one this year. On Facebook the other day I was bemoaning to a friend the absence of any garden visits this year. Not a single one. An occasional plant fair but with no time to linger. No, the primary objective for any trip out these days has been the sourcing of building stuff. It'll be worth it in the long run, of course it will, but there is no doubt that this summer has rather passed me by. The trouble with living in deepest darkest Devon is that it's such a long way from anywhere else. That is of course one of the main reasons we chose to live here. There are distinct advantages to being far from the madding crowd. Until, that is, one starts to engage with large projects. And the more specialist the 'stuff' required the greater the number of road miles needed to find it. The Precipitous Bank Reaching the peak of its late summer splendour, with minimal assistance from the Gardener. It's been our habit over the years to sweeten the pill of journeys to distant corners of the Isle by locating a suitable hostelry en route. If I can get my act together this can be planned in advance, saving on the time and all the faffing about involved in trying to find a half decent pub in an unfamiliar town once the stomach has already started to rumble. Trip Advisor reviews are sought. Postcodes for sat nav and phone numbers are obtained and recorded and sometimes, heaven forbid, a forward booking for lunch may even have been made. But could it be that I've been missing out on an even better sugar-coated opportunity? Hydrangea NoID It's almost reached full blue. Every year since I moved it the blue tones have been stronger. Funny to think it used to be lipstick pink. One of our longest trips of the summer, to Basingstoke in Hampshire, to see a greenhouse, as you do, took us through the very lovely county of Somerset. A brown signpost flashed past at the side of the road. (Or to be more accurate we flashed past it, since Mike was doing the driving at the time.) 'East Lambrook Manor Gardens'. Now this rather rang a bell as an immediate google search confirmed: an English Heritage Grade 1 listed garden created by the celebrated 20th century plantswoman, Margery Fish. Not that we had time to do justice to the garden sadly, it was already late afternoon. A quick pop in to the plant centre though.. it really would be rude not to, wouldn't it, considering we were passing? There followed a discussion between Himself and I as to what constitutes 'passing'. He would have it that a direct line of sight to the entrance is a necessary requirement. You and I will know that there is far more to it than that. Even when you've dallied a few moments exploring the possibilities down the rabbit hole of the internet, acquired the plant centre's postcode and entered it quickly into google maps, only to find that it is now 14 minutes to get back. My cause critically undermined by the need to maintain the original direction of travel for quite some distance until a roundabout on the dual carriageway provided an opportunity to turn the car around.. a point not lost on the occupant of the driving seat and offered up as the principal argument in his defence. But still, a 14 minute detour. That's nothing really is it? Not when you look at it in the context of the whole seven hour round trip? Tulbaghia montana And especially for a little gem like this? Not to mention an exceptionally healthy seedling of Grevillea 'Canberra Gem' for less than four pounds, two heleniums, assorted geraniums, two grasses and a rather tasty sanguisorba? It's kind of got me thinking that maybe a lunch stop isn't the only thing I should be planning in advance. Imagine, with the deployment of a little creative navigation wouldn't there be all manner of select nurseries we could just happen to be passing? Turning the shed upside down in the hunt for something or other a few months back I turned up an old wire basket with a dozen small terracotta pots. I've since started collecting an alpine a month in the hope that I can keep the basket going with something of interest all year. It could get more difficult as we move into autumn. But we shall see. Banksia blechnifolia With serious gardening rather hit and miss this summer, quite a few of my most recent acquisitions have been curiosities which will most likely stay in a container. Banksia blechnifolia hails from Western Australia. It was love at first sight for the foliage alone. It is able to withstand temperatures down to -5C but its main enemy here in Devon will be the winter wet. Banksia blechnifolia The reverse sides of the young leaves are deliciously furry, reminiscent of deer antlers, fur which it appears to shed as the leaf matures. The plant doesn't reach a great height, maybe a foot or so, as the stems tend to travel prostrate along the ground. Next year it may need a wider pot but I shall worry about that after I've got it through the upcoming winter! A mature plant produces the conical flowers typical of banksia and these also sit at ground level. You can see an example of the very quirky B. blechnifolia in bloom from fellow blogger Jane in Mudgee ( here ) who wrote about it on precisely the same day I purchased mine, a coincidence stretching half way around the world. Not just me smitten by the banksia's charm. And now for something completely different.. Solanum pyracanthum Ouch. Yes, they're sharp! Solanum pyracanthum is a relative of the tomato, as you can perhaps see from the blooms, and it comes from Madagascar. Another one for greenhouse protection over winter. The Porcupine Tomato or Devil's Thorn even produces tomato like fruits but these and all parts of the plant are highly toxic. Unsurprisingly it is listed as deer resistant! No doubt the bunnies and the slugs will still have a go. Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm'. A reliable and shining beacon through the softer light and shorter days of Autumn. This weekend there are paving slabs to find. Two stone suppliers immediately spring to mind and there's a smashing place for lunch just a stone's throw from one of them. So if you'll excuse me I must go and find a plant nursery and plot the route.. Linking to Sarah ( here ) for a delightful peek Through The Garden Gate. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

[fusion_builder_container admin_label="" hundred_percent="yes" hundred_percent_height="no" hundred_percent_height_scroll="no" hundred_percent_height_center_content="yes" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="https://www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Castle-Drogo-011-Cw.jpeg" background_position="left center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="fixed" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="100px" padding_left=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" min_height="" 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background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="50px" padding_left=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" spacing="" center_content="no" hover_type="none" link="" min_height="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="left top" undefined="" background_repeat="no-repeat" border_size="0" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="" margin_bottom="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset="" last="no"][fusion_title hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" content_align="center" size="2" font_size="" line_height="" letter_spacing="" margin_top="100px" margin_bottom="0px" margin_top_mobile="40px" margin_bottom_mobile="" text_color="" style_type="none" sep_color=""] Castle Drogo, Devon [/fusion_title][fusion_separator style_type="single solid" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" sep_color="#8bc34a" top_margin="0px" bottom_margin="20px" border_size="2" icon="" icon_circle="" icon_circle_color="" width="30px" alignment="center" /][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" overlay_color="" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" padding_right=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" min_height="" hover_type="none" link=""][fusion_text] Castle Drogo, Dartmoor, Devon It has taken us a while to get around to visiting this place even though it's one of the most local of the National Trust properties. Perhaps part of the reason is that it's currently undergoing extensive restoration so there's not much to see from the outside. Unless you are heavily into scaffolding and tarpaulins that is. Above, the only part of the structure that is visible today. In spite of appearances, Castle Drogo ( here ) is relatively recent. Designed by the renowned architect of the time, Edwin Lutyens, it was finished in 1930, built in the medieval style as an ancestral family home for Julius Drewe, the founder of ‘The Home and Colonial Stores’ who retired a millionaire, aged just 33. As you do. Sadly for Lutyens and Drewe the construction did not go quite according to plan. Lutyens used asphalt on the flat roof, a new and relatively untested building material at the time, which failed before the Castle was even completed. It has leaked ever since and by 2012 the steel infrastructure was under severe threat. The National Trust embarked on a six year, multi million pound project to make the building watertight which is due to conclude in October this year. Perhaps things will improve when the furniture is returned, but for me the interior of Castle Drogo wasn't especially inspiring either. Mike suggested that it had no soul, a comment I found later had also been made on Trip Advisor, where it receives mixed reviews. To me it just seemed cold and bleak. Far more interesting was the opportunity, now standard practice at National Trust renovations it seems, to go up on the roof. There are restrictions. One has to don a luminous hard hat and hi-vis waistcost. My hat was too big and like being at Royal Ascot on a windy day I found it necessary to hold it in place which perhaps rather defeats the object. Prospective climbers of the scaffolding tower also need to be a minimum of 1.5m in height which could have been more of a problem, given that is pretty much where I am. Fortunately I was not submitted to the indignity of being measured. Nor was there need to declare recent consumption of a large glass of Pinot. Which is also just as well. One of our favourite hostelries is conveniently located en route and it was close to lunchtime. And almost the weekend (this rationalisation thing is really useful isn't it?). We ate at a table once host to David Bowie. I had the lamb curry. I don't know what he had. The view across Dartmoor from the top of the scaffolding. Along with the next shower of rain.. By the time we'd descended we were getting wet. But really, it is the gardens which make this place. Apparently there was a fight between Lutyens and Drewe as to the location of the formal gardens. The architect suggested they be placed on the eastern elevation overlooking the gorge of the River Teign which flows beneath the castle. Drewe's preference was for a place slightly removed from the castle where the family could relax away from the view of the servants. Well, of course. In the end both won. The gardens rest in Drewe's nominated position, which necessitated more digging out of rock and the construction of terraces, but to Lutyens contemporary design. Imagine what it will be like in a month or two when the rose beds, the perennials on the middle terrace and the wisteria, clipped low on the top of the far wall, are all in bloom. The long vista through the garden culminates in a tantalising glimpse of the moorland hills beyond. For the moment it is all about tulips, which provide splashes of colour against the hard granite landscaping. A vibrant combination of purple, orange and red. The castle walls and crenelations are mirrored in the structures within the garden. Erythronium But for me maybe, the most enjoyable part of all was a quiet wander through the woodland, or rhododendron garden, now almost at its peak. Sheltered from the wind and with new pools of colour around each and every corner it was a lovely place to finish up the day. Would we go back? Yes, probably. There are longer walks on the estate for better weather days, down into the River Teign gorge. And it would be very interesting to see what the castle looks like when the scaffolding is removed in October and the interior has perhaps had returned to it a little more of that essential soul. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]