Today at Stourhead….New Discoveries

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It is a real blessing for us to live only about 12 miles from this Iconic English Landscape Garden. Hardly a week passes that we don’t visit. However, we have never before visited mid June. When we were still based in Scotland I liked to be at home during June and July so I could enjoy my own garden! So today’s visit was a new adventure!

The beautiful old brick glasshouses at Stourhead walled garden have been locked on all my previous visits. I could see there was a collection of Pelargoniums in there, but I couldn’t enjoy them. Today it was open! And I was thrilled to see a really great collection, many of which were completely new to me and extraordinarily lovely! Here are the best of my photos of them.

P. Lanceolata

P. Trifidum

P. Peltatum

Sorry, not sure of this one’s name.

Each one had the date of introduction, and many were from the 18th Century. Isn’t it amazing how old some plant varieties are? It’s not something I really think about, but when you consider that breeders have been meticulously working away patiently for hundreds of years to breed new plants. Well, it makes me wonder at the human drive to create, and the skill and dedication involved.

There are still plenty of Rhododendrons in flower, and I think you can see them in flower pretty much all year here. Perhaps not during July and August….we will see. My favourites today…

I forgot to add this lovely stable building. What style the Hoare family kept their horses in! The stable stalls are still intact inside too. These stables come after the walled gardens, before reaching the house and entering the top garden.

A lovely stroll through hydrangeas, Acers, Geraniums etc and then we reach this viewpoint, which is my favourite part of the walk really.

After that we gently descend on wide paths down to the lakeside walk. The trees in this garden are wonderful. There are giant redwoods, fir trees that have colonised large areas from just one root, massive rhododendrons, all kinds of deciduous trees (including huge tulip trees and Magnolias hundreds of years old) Mature Acers and even a couple of Wollemi pines. There are wildflower meadows with Orchids and of course the beautiful follies and the water. I’ve taken many pictures of them in the past. These are my highlights from today. I hope you enjoy them! I have really fallen in love with this place. My top tip if you get a chance to visit. Go early! It is busy every day, but if you get there before about 10.30 you can enjoy the birdsong in relative peace.

• 9 Jun, 2024
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