Visit to RHS Rosemoor-20 August 08

[David Nicholson]

Having not yet managed a Wednesday day out throughout August because of bad weather we really intended to go out today whatever the weather. It wasn't a good day, with grey overcast skies and periods of heavy drizzle, but we decided to go to Rosemoor our 'local' RHS garden.

Rosemoor is in North Devon, near the small town of Great Torrington which, as the historians amongst you will know, was the site of a battle in 1646 with the Roundheads victorius and the Royalists slaughtered by the New Model Army under Sir Thomas Fairfax.

Main transport links in Devon, through to Cornwall, run East/West, so the 60ish mile trip to Rosemoor takes me just short of 2 hours and means crossing Dartmoor. Now every sheep and wild pony on Dartmoor appears to have been informed that the Nicholsons were coming and therefore, on spying our car, hurled themselves from the piece of grass they were grazing to the piece of grass on the opposite side of the road directly in front of the car. Thus, the drivers stock of both printable, and indeed un-printable, expletives were well aired!

It would seem also that it was necessary for every driver of a tractor in Devon (and there are many!) to wish to occupy that sector of the road occupied by the Nicholsons car.

Having arrived at Rosemoor, and ready for the soup and a piece of lemon drizzle cake (for I am a creature of habit) I found that today was 'Family Fun Day' and therefore masses of small people, together with their Mums and Dads, had descended on Rosemoor to do all kinds of things to do with Beatrix Potter. Over lunch, and probably because they thought I resembled Mr. McGregor, I was set upon for 'inside' information by a family from Toronto who insisted on addressing me as 'Sir', a title I could get used to!

Apart from the weather which,  to say the least, was mixed it was a very nice day and I hope you will enjoy some pictures of views and plants that caught my eye.

Rosemoor is situated at the bottom of a steep sided valley and is a frost pocket. When it is cold, it is very cold at Rosemoor, and equally when it is hot it can be stifling. Today, as it has been for most of the Summer, it was just wet.

The first three pix are general views; the next three are of the 'Hot Garden' (perhaps not the best name for it this year!).
Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm' 
Dahlia 'Bishop of Oxford'
Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff' 1
Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff' 2

[David Nicholson]

...... and more from Rosemoor.

Dahlia 'Moonfinger'
Kniphofia 'Toffee Nose'
An unknown Nerine-many in good leaf but this was only one I saw in flower.
A bit potty-I didn't do the modelling for this.
Cyclamen hederifolium.
Rhododendron pachysanthum-and full of plump buds
Rhododendron impeditatum 1-should this be in full flower at this time of the year?
Rhododendron impeditatum 2-up close
Lilium longiflorum.
Helleborus Hybrid-dotted around the garden many Hellebores were in flower, what a crazy year!   

   

[David Nicholson]

..... and the final few.

Hibiscus syriacus 'Meehanii'
Roscoea auriculata
Hemerocalis 'Michele Coe'.
Rosa Molyneux 'Ausmol'

[Gerdk]

David,
Thank you for these impressions, especially for showing an idea to create a hot spot in a cold and wet northern summer!

Gerd

[shelagh]

Great pictures David, somewhat different from the trench-foot weather we are having in Bury.

[Katherine J]

Thank you for taking us with you, David, it must be a nice place, and wet or not, your pix are so beautiful!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Nice little outing David and beautiful shots of what looks like a great garden...
I must say, I particularly enjoyed your literary outburst in describing the British countryside and its population...  

[Paul T]

Very nice, David.  Was that a variegated Hibiscus syriacus I spied in there?  oooooooh!    Great looking garden.  Thanks for sharing the pics. 

[David Nicholson]

Yes Paul, it was.

[Paul T]

Thanks David.  I don't think I have ever heard of a variegated one before.  Great to see it (and everything else).  Thanks again.