Tuesday, July 26, 2011

English Gardens- Kiftsgate Court



Three Generations of Women Gardeners

Almost directly across the road from the world famous Hidcote Manor gardens, near Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire, is the entrance to Kiftsgate Court. Although sometimes overshadowed by Hidcote, Kiftsgate is no mere doorstop for its more famous neighbor.  The gardens at Kiftsgate Court rank right up there with the finest English gardens.  They are gardens noted for their fine detail and rich tapestry of color.  But what really distinguishes Kiftsgate is its uninterrupted stewardship by three successive generations of women gardeners.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Trying Hard to Contain Ourselves


As you could probably tell from my post about Whichford Pottery, we simply love beautiful clay and stone pots.  Each year, we tell ourselves that we have enough and that we should really try to control ourselves.  And each year we ignore our own advice.

Paula does a wonderful job designing and planting all of the containers in the garden.  They are gorgeous but also a lot of work.  There's not only the time invested in planting each container but it takes even more time to track down and purchase interesting plants.  And, since we are located at least a half-hour drive from any nursery, that means a lot of time spent in the car.  And then there's winter storage as well as the time it takes to regularly water all the pots!   We won't even go there. Despite some of these drawbacks, we can't even imagine our garden without the beauty and versatility of containers.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Gardens of The Berkshires- The Mount


At least once every summer I head out to the Berkshires.  There are some wonderful gardens there and I almost always make a stop at The Mount, Edith Wharton's home in Lenox, Massachusetts.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

English Gardens- Whichford Pottery

We have a great passion for container gardening and so, on our recent trip to England, it was great fun to head for Whichford Pottery, in Warwickshire, where some of the best clay pots in the world are made. Established in 1976, by Jim and Dominique Keeling, the business continues to be family run. All of Whichford's pots are made by hand by a team of about thirty craftsmen and women who are committed to keeping traditional potting skills alive. I loved the atmosphere there. Jim and Dominique have made it a mission to train and employ local people and, over the past 35 years, have built up one of the most highly skilled teams of potters in Europe. These men and women take great pride in their craft; they are a friendly bunch, and are more than willing to share the love they have for their work with visitors.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Rachel's Garden- Wildflower Meadow


For more art from Rachel's Garden, click here.

To see what this is all about, click here.
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