GARDEN VISITS

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Thanks very much for the extra's of your garden Shelagh !
A great display of a wonderful diversity !
Beautiful ! 

[ChrisB]

Thanks for the info on the Gizzo, Shelagh, what a stunning plant.  Must try that one.  I'm a great fan of S African plants anyway....  Well done flowering it in just 4 years. Not bad.  I'm still waiting patiently for a flower on my Scilla natalensis, seed sown 2001 I think.  Bulb is getting pretty big now though.  Also Silverhills.

[ruweiss]

2 weeks ago we visited the garden of Klaus Patzner in Bavaria,situated beside a very busy street.
The elevation is about 700 m above sea level with reliable snow cover in winter.Situated in full sun
he is able to cultivate many 'goodies',even Paeonia cambessedesii since many years.
Degenia velebitica sowed itself in the rainshade of the neighboured house and flowered profusely. An enormous Rhodothamnus chamaecistus was another surprise for us rockgardeners.
This floral paradise was founded about 30 years ago.

[ChrisB]

That is one impressive garden!

[Maggi Young]

A wonderful garden, Rudi. Thank you for this visit to Klaus' lovely rock garden... complete with his own "mountains" 
The Rhodothamnus chamecistus is a marvel... what a superb plant it is. I am jealous

[ranunculus]

Utterly magnificent Rudi...please pass on our compliments to a supreme grower.

[Maggi Young]

Utterly magnificent Rudi...please pass on our compliments to a supreme grower.

Grower and designer, I think.... great style to the rock outcrops and planting 

[Lesley Cox]

A brilliant garden and in such an unlikely setting, with the cars whizzing by, right beside it. Such an outstanding Rhodothamnus, and a fantastic group of Degenia. Two plants I struggle with I'm afraid. Good for my soul to see what they REALLY should look like. My thanks too please, to Mr Platzner.

[Maggi Young]

The large size of the Rhodothamnus reminds me of the advice given to us by Lyn Bezzant ( who can be seen in Sandy Leven's Dunblane Show Report in the main website... here: http://www.srgc.org.uk/shows/stirling/report.html )
Lyn said she divided her plant, when necessary ( !!!!!!) by cutting across it with an old bread knife....    Sadly, we have never felt the need to reduce or divide our plants that way, so I cannot say if this method would work for us... I can only wish we had  big, bold plants like Klaus Patzner !

[Lesley Cox]

Sounds a bit like having to slice one's Picasso in half because it wouldn't fit in the space over the mantlepiece.      (And NO I don't have a Picasso.)

[Maggi Young]

Sounds a bit like having to slice one's Picasso in half because it wouldn't fit in the space over the mantlepiece.      (And NO I don't have a Picasso.)

Tee Hee!
 Actually, Lyn's reason for taking the bread knife to her plants were always to make new plants to give away 
She is a generous lady as well as a great grower!

[Lvandelft]

Rudi, that is a beautiful alpine garden.
Klaus seems to know a lot about plants, but even more he knows about rocks,
which is so important when making such a garden on a smaller scale!
The plants are great too.
Would be worth to make a detour when driving south to the Alps.

[Lampwick]

Beautiful gardens and beautiful plants, thanks for posting them folks!
I can think of no pleasanter a pastime, than to visit a lovely garden on a Sunday afternoon/evening, to chat with like-minded people, and to enjoy the plants, and the tea and biscuits. Some of my happiest and most treasured memories are of doing just this. Sadly, some of these people have passed on; and with them their gardens, but they live on in ones memory and in the pictures taken on such events.

Do try and visit as many of these garden open days as you can, and do take your camera along with you and just take loads of pictures. Sometimes we are given a choice plant by the garden host, and we should always treasure these gifts, for in years to come, your memories will be rekindled anew when such a plant blooms yet again!

There are some great plants in this forum....
 

[ranunculus]

Reasonably quiet on the forum this evening so I will take the opportunity to post a series of images captured today (24th May 2008) at a garden in Carrington, Manchester.  The Vicarage garden (and small garden centre) is under threat of closure due to the Charity Commission threatening to withdraw it's charitable status (rules have been changed quite recently) and this beautiful resource for the disabled, for gardeners and for nature lovers in the Manchester area is now under serious threat.  The 5 acre site is run by a Christian Community and they maintain a very beautiful garden that is an oasis of peace and quiet in an otherwise industrialised and urbanised sprawl.  The garden is free to visit and highly reommended if you happen to be in the area.
As I only spent an hour or so in the gardens this sunny (but incredibly windy) morning I am unable to supply names for the plants but, as many are extremely common, then you will possibly not require them?
Hope you enjoy.

[ranunculus]

Batch Two from the Vicarage Garden, Manchester...