Garden I - Kiftsgate Court
Apr. 23rd, 2008 04:30 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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scene_againI am way behind on posting, but have visited several gardens recently of which I have an unbelievable number of photographs, so here goes for a quick catch up! Lots of piccies below!
Just before he went back to Uni R suggested that we should have a day visiting gardens. M was working but R, his girlfriend S and I decided we would visit Hidcote Manor, a National Trust garden about 50 miles North of here which is an iconic garden, very influential on later designers and one of the first to incorporate the idea of dividing gardens into "rooms". I used to live a few miles from Hidcote (many moons ago) and have visited several times before but usually in mid-summer, this was my first spring visit.
Another attraction of Hidcote for us was that barely 500 yards from the entrance is another famous garden, Kiftsgate Court, on the edge of the escarpment (yes, the same Cotswold Edge escarpment that I live under, at the other end! The Cotswold Way long distance footpath wanders all the way along the escarpment from Bath to Chipping Campden which is the nearest town.) So we could "do" two gardens in one visit. I had not visited Kiftsgate before, which is in private hands, the third generation of a family caring for it, but I knew it was famous for "the Kiftsgate rose", a very vigorous climbing rose - the longest climbing rose in the world grows here. Don't get excited though - it wasn't even shooting when we were there! But worry not, there was still plenty to see.
Having been held up on the motorway for forty minutes while an Air Ambulance landed on our carriageway to evacuate the injured party from a spectacular collision on the other carriageway - much flashing of lights and emergency vehicles but fortunately - considering the decimated state of the car we saw as we passed, only one injured party, the Volvo driver's wife unbelievably escaped with cuts and bruises. Yay for Volvos!) - we skipped the pub lunch we had been planning and arrived just as Kiftsgate was opening - the third vehicle in the car park, so we had the gardens almost to ourselves. This is the first view of the formal garden as we came round the corner of the house.
There were some lovely spring flowers - primroses
and pulmonaria, and some lovely drumstick primulas. 
These are favourites of mine - my diminutive grandfather, who was a passionate gardener (That must be where R gets it from!) , and grew them in his garden. Every Sunday morning, after church, he would walk the mile or so to visit us, with his wire-haired terrier Pat. Grandad was always turned out in his Sunday suit with waistcoat and gold watch and a flower in a little silver holder in his lapel. He can't always have had a drumstick primula 
as a buttonhole, they're a spring flower but that's how I remember him, always a purple one. I have his gold watch and chain now, it passed to my brother who has no children and last Christmas he brought it to us, saying that it should come to R, as the man of the next generation. So it is stored here for safe keeping at the moment, while he is at uni, a link beyond price to me.
I feel sure that the views of the Vale of Evesham were the reason that the owners originally decided to build on this spot. And there are lovely glimpses like this between the trees
at numerous points. This was on a dull day, when it is clear it is breathtaking! There was a pretty fountain courtyard to see 
- you can see the house behind but that is not open to the public, this is still a family home. and there were spring bulbs and flowers everywhere, including these white violets .
this interesting little white flower (sorry, not a clue what it is and I couldn't see a label!)
and these pretty anemone blanda, 
sometimes known as Windflowers - the flowers do dance very prettily in the wind.
A long path
then led past the rose garden (currently sans roses) and this very prehistoric looking mossy stone pillar 
with strange holes in it and lots of luxuriant moss. Hmmm, intriguing! Religious significance? Pagan fertility symbol? Nothing so interesting apparently, this is an old farm gate pillar!
OK, then, on to this rustic looking summerhouse
. And inside that, in direct contrast to the English country house garden all around was this very modern water garden - this was the first glimpse we got - 
This garden has been created by the current custodians, as their addition to the garden and was created in the old tennis courts which had become uneven and unplayable. So the old (immaculately trimmed) yew hedges were retained, this striking black pool created edged with white stones. 
In the pool are these bronze leaves
mounted on steel pipes which have water running through and over them! Very effective and very peaceful, a lovely place to sit and cogitate. You can walk over the stepping stones to the island - here is one of R and his reflection 
and I ventured over to get this shot with the leaves 
and their reflections in the water. Very modern, very elegant and not a flower in sight!
Then we wandered down the side of the hill, past various seats
and benches 
for the weary, all positioned in front of viewpoints, past summerhouses and flowering trees 
, and down steps 
and rustic paths 
(Yes, they were a bit rough in places, good ankle turning potential here!) to another pool 
at the bottom of the hill! This one had wonderful views over the Vale which was still unhelpfully hazy but this 
gives you an idea of the view! And this is the little temple style building there 
which may have been a changing room as this was apparently once used as a swimming pool! Brrr! There was also a wooden summerhouse on the hillside which you can see here behind R & S. 
Another good pool for reflections!
Were there flowers? Well, yes, some but obviously not as many as in summer. There were magnolias,
euphorbias - these 
and these
, and this broom 
and a plant called a trillium 
which was new to me but quite pretty, colourful foliage! . And, of course, you wouldn't expect me to pass by this hellebore 
without taking a piccie, would you?
Back up the hill then,
with primroses growing in the steps 
, and a magnolia tree 
, past a woodland proper with bluebells, 
just a few so far, and perfect little new leaves 
just breaking out on the hazel tree. And, to my great pleasure, there was an area of woodland where there were dozens of hellebores growing semi-wild, mixed in with primroses, grasses and bluebells, 
just as I imagine they would in their natural habitat. Do look at this larger to see how many different flowers there are here. I have never seen them growing like this before and thought this was beautiful! (Surprise, surprise there then!)
And then we were back to the house and, dragged reluctantly past the plant stalls by my ruthless son (who knew he'd get his ear bent by the Head Gardener if we turned up with a carboot full of plants. Just because he claims the garden is full and all new plants need to come with a shoehorn. There always room for one more, is my motto!), we were off to Hidcote two minutes away up the lane. But a very different garden in many ways, as you will see in my next post!
Just before he went back to Uni R suggested that we should have a day visiting gardens. M was working but R, his girlfriend S and I decided we would visit Hidcote Manor, a National Trust garden about 50 miles North of here which is an iconic garden, very influential on later designers and one of the first to incorporate the idea of dividing gardens into "rooms". I used to live a few miles from Hidcote (many moons ago) and have visited several times before but usually in mid-summer, this was my first spring visit.
Another attraction of Hidcote for us was that barely 500 yards from the entrance is another famous garden, Kiftsgate Court, on the edge of the escarpment (yes, the same Cotswold Edge escarpment that I live under, at the other end! The Cotswold Way long distance footpath wanders all the way along the escarpment from Bath to Chipping Campden which is the nearest town.) So we could "do" two gardens in one visit. I had not visited Kiftsgate before, which is in private hands, the third generation of a family caring for it, but I knew it was famous for "the Kiftsgate rose", a very vigorous climbing rose - the longest climbing rose in the world grows here. Don't get excited though - it wasn't even shooting when we were there! But worry not, there was still plenty to see.
Having been held up on the motorway for forty minutes while an Air Ambulance landed on our carriageway to evacuate the injured party from a spectacular collision on the other carriageway - much flashing of lights and emergency vehicles but fortunately - considering the decimated state of the car we saw as we passed, only one injured party, the Volvo driver's wife unbelievably escaped with cuts and bruises. Yay for Volvos!) - we skipped the pub lunch we had been planning and arrived just as Kiftsgate was opening - the third vehicle in the car park, so we had the gardens almost to ourselves. This is the first view of the formal garden as we came round the corner of the house.
There were some lovely spring flowers - primroses
and pulmonaria, and some lovely drumstick primulas. These are favourites of mine - my diminutive grandfather, who was a passionate gardener (That must be where R gets it from!) , and grew them in his garden. Every Sunday morning, after church, he would walk the mile or so to visit us, with his wire-haired terrier Pat. Grandad was always turned out in his Sunday suit with waistcoat and gold watch and a flower in a little silver holder in his lapel. He can't always have had a drumstick primula as a buttonhole, they're a spring flower but that's how I remember him, always a purple one. I have his gold watch and chain now, it passed to my brother who has no children and last Christmas he brought it to us, saying that it should come to R, as the man of the next generation. So it is stored here for safe keeping at the moment, while he is at uni, a link beyond price to me.I feel sure that the views of the Vale of Evesham were the reason that the owners originally decided to build on this spot. And there are lovely glimpses like this between the trees
at numerous points. This was on a dull day, when it is clear it is breathtaking! There was a pretty fountain courtyard to see - you can see the house behind but that is not open to the public, this is still a family home. and there were spring bulbs and flowers everywhere, including these white violets .
this interesting little white flower (sorry, not a clue what it is and I couldn't see a label!)
and these pretty anemone blanda, sometimes known as Windflowers - the flowers do dance very prettily in the wind.A long path
then led past the rose garden (currently sans roses) and this very prehistoric looking mossy stone pillar with strange holes in it and lots of luxuriant moss. Hmmm, intriguing! Religious significance? Pagan fertility symbol? Nothing so interesting apparently, this is an old farm gate pillar! OK, then, on to this rustic looking summerhouse
. And inside that, in direct contrast to the English country house garden all around was this very modern water garden - this was the first glimpse we got - This garden has been created by the current custodians, as their addition to the garden and was created in the old tennis courts which had become uneven and unplayable. So the old (immaculately trimmed) yew hedges were retained, this striking black pool created edged with white stones. In the pool are these bronze leaves
mounted on steel pipes which have water running through and over them! Very effective and very peaceful, a lovely place to sit and cogitate. You can walk over the stepping stones to the island - here is one of R and his reflection and I ventured over to get this shot with the leaves and their reflections in the water. Very modern, very elegant and not a flower in sight!Then we wandered down the side of the hill, past various seats
and benches for the weary, all positioned in front of viewpoints, past summerhouses and flowering trees , and down steps and rustic paths (Yes, they were a bit rough in places, good ankle turning potential here!) to another pool at the bottom of the hill! This one had wonderful views over the Vale which was still unhelpfully hazy but this gives you an idea of the view! And this is the little temple style building there which may have been a changing room as this was apparently once used as a swimming pool! Brrr! There was also a wooden summerhouse on the hillside which you can see here behind R & S. Another good pool for reflections!Were there flowers? Well, yes, some but obviously not as many as in summer. There were magnolias,
euphorbias - these and these
, and this broom and a plant called a trillium which was new to me but quite pretty, colourful foliage! . And, of course, you wouldn't expect me to pass by this hellebore without taking a piccie, would you? Back up the hill then,
with primroses growing in the steps , and a magnolia tree , past a woodland proper with bluebells, just a few so far, and perfect little new leaves just breaking out on the hazel tree. And, to my great pleasure, there was an area of woodland where there were dozens of hellebores growing semi-wild, mixed in with primroses, grasses and bluebells, just as I imagine they would in their natural habitat. Do look at this larger to see how many different flowers there are here. I have never seen them growing like this before and thought this was beautiful! (Surprise, surprise there then!) And then we were back to the house and, dragged reluctantly past the plant stalls by my ruthless son (who knew he'd get his ear bent by the Head Gardener if we turned up with a carboot full of plants. Just because he claims the garden is full and all new plants need to come with a shoehorn. There always room for one more, is my motto!), we were off to Hidcote two minutes away up the lane. But a very different garden in many ways, as you will see in my next post!
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Date: 2008-04-23 07:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-01 03:16 pm (UTC)I thought this was an interesting looking plant - in fact I even e-mailed Kiftsgate with a picture of it and asked what it was and they didn't know. Yes, that's what I said, they didn't know. So there's a mystery for us!
But you have a point about the daffodil, y'know....
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Date: 2008-04-23 08:37 pm (UTC)How dramatic with the air ambulance.
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Date: 2008-05-01 03:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-24 01:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-24 03:36 am (UTC)Thank you for sharing.
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Date: 2008-05-01 03:49 pm (UTC)I'll try to post a few more over the weekend!
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Date: 2008-04-24 10:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-01 03:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-25 03:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-01 03:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-02 03:59 pm (UTC)