Dixter Diary - Day 13

It was a busy day at Great Dixter with the Dachshund Fun Day in full swing from 11 am until 3 pm. There were a lot of Dachchunds there today but also many other dogs.  I tried to get a count of dogs but as they were coming and going, it was tough to tell...I would say close to 150 dogs overall and it was well run by Aaron with help from Perry, Thomas, Simon, Lewis, Hayden, Holly and other folks from Great Dixter.  Seeing all those cute "sausage dogs" was quite interesting and I didn't see any fights (just minor conflicts).  I'm amazed at how busy the gardens are on the weekends but not surprised.  I think with the event today, the cafe, gift shop and nursery probably all had increased sales.  The gardens probably saw more traffic as well.  Some of the highlights are further below.  I did get my morning walk in around the gardens and headed in to town for some supplies as well.  See further below for some odds and ends from today.  Back to gardening tomorrow.

 Aaron is in white shirt on the left and ran a great event - Perry is entering from the right and did some of the judging

 Aaron has them all lined up for the "Best of Show" (all in good fun)

 I missed the obstacle portion of the event seen above though!

 my roommate Thomas (hat in the center left) helped with the grilling

 this pond is beautiful in the morning as was this tree below

 the Vegetable Garden looked great this morning

 I want to track down these reddish marigolds (Tagetes 'Cinnabar') for next year!

 the brickwork on the chimneys is amazing too!

 I believe this variegated maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis) is 'Cosmopolitan' and looks great with filtered morning light coming through

 the Exotic Garden (above) looked great this morning as did the Barn Garden (below)

this flower is from the tree dahlia (Dahlia imperialis) which is about 8'-10' tall here!

seeds (above and below) are even dried, organized and stored in the house

 some of Aaron's produce (above and below) from the Vegetable Garden looks great right outside my room!

 this is what the sky looked like all day!

Dixter Diary - Day 12

I continue to enjoy my morning strolls out in the gardens as it is quite rewarding for not only photography but appreciating the sounds of wildlife.  I've observed that weekends can get quite busy around the gardens so after my morning tour, I decided to head out for a stroll on one of the local foot paths which were recommended to me.  One goes right along the edge of Great Dixter and ultimately will reach nearby Bodiam Castle (see further below).  My new roommate, Thomas (Australian), and I headed out and I'm glad Thomas was with me (he knew the route) as the footpath route to me was not always evident and I did have some difficulty getting back (Thomas and I split up after lunch and I proceeded to the castle). Regardless, I made it back just fine although not by the same route I originally took!

white cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus 'Psyche White')

Eryngium pandanifolium 'Physic Purple' (not hardy for us in WI)

old mulberry (Morus nigra) tree with some "crutches" for support

the Oast House above

rose (Rosa glauca) hips offer interest in many locations

variegated Pelargonium

tomatoes trained up to the gutters at the Education Building

old rusty saw blade now decorating a barn

just noticed this neat little boardwalk and pond

the Exotic Garden continues to look great (above and below)

Autumn crocus everywhere

apples (Malus) are ripening at Great Dixter

neat succulents above and below

Viburnum opulus with strong fruiting

perennial geraniums ('Rozanne') abound!

I think this is some sort of mountain ash or white beam (Sorbus sp.)

the Long Border above (this morning)

Bodiam Castle was pretty cool (above and below)

So the walk over the East Sussex countryside was enjoyable but I found that the footpaths between these markers (below) were not always evident to me and I think I started following a sheep track and ended up not quite on the same route back to Great Dixter.  I did enjoy the scenery including a massive orchard (see below).

 self-closing gate to keep animals from wandering off

Dixter Diary - Day 11

Today was absolutely beautiful with sunshine all day and temperatures around 68 degrees F.  It was perfect working weather and I didn't even don the rain suit despite the heavy dew which is always significant!  I started my morning tour in the Exotic Garden and just love this Tetrapanax papyrifer (seen above), particularly from underneath the giant leaves.  This garden space is similar to our "Jungle Garden" at Rotary Botanical Gardens and they'll also have to winterize and/or store many of these tender plants over their winter (milder than ours by a longshot!).  It was a heavy visitation day at the gardens with two coaches (full length buses) visiting along with myriad other folks who also enjoy the nursery, cafe and gift shop.  I've been getting coffee at the cafe which is quite good and they sure take their tea seriously over here!  Directly below are more photos of the Exotic Garden this morning.

Sunken Garden (above) might be my favorite!

Kniphofia rooperi glowing this morning

Aaron and Thomas have been working in the Vegetable Garden and it's nice they offer some surplus for sale as well (chemical free)! - see below

 cool hawthorn (Crataegus ellwangeriana) with morning sun

 a common break area above where I've met many of the Great Dixter staff and volunteers

Today I worked with Lewis (above) who is the Assistant Head Gardener (second in charge after Fergus) and we had a great chat.  Very nice fellow and we made quick work of a large portion of the meadow with the help of Michael (Germany) and Angela (Australia).  Directly below is a shot from the back of the trailer as Michael drove to another meadow for the "strewing" of our collected debris to redistribute seed.  I later helped pot up perennials and overall it was an excellent day followed by a solitary stroll through the gardens in the early evening which is also quite nice.

 Michael, Angela and Lewis (left to right)

 strewing "good meadow" debris for seed to drop on this new meadow

 Michael and Angela "potting on" Lychnis coronaria 'Alba'

 even the ancient walls are colorful and planted!

 beautiful crabapple (Malus sp.)

 'Ala Mode' dahlia (Dahlia)...I'm getting more dahlias next year!

 beautiful patch of 'Monch' aster (Aster x frikartii) I believe

 lots of fruit trees on site including pears (Pyrus)

 classic combination of monkshood (Aconitum henryi 'Spark's Variety') and black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia sp.)

I've photographed the Long Border a couple dozen times already!