Garden Visit : Hermannshof, Weinheim

"Warum in die Ferne schweifen, sieh, das Gute liegt so nah"   - appropriating Goethe, we visited Schau- und Sichtungsgarten Hermannshof, not over in England but on our doorstep, 60 km down south in Weinheim, a German private botanical garden, owned by the Freudenberg family since the 19th century.

This garden has a completely different microclimate, mediterranean and with the ability to grow many exotic and rare plants. Close to the entrance they cultivate plants that neither of us had ever heard of: e.g. Dysosma "China-leaf" in at least four different species. 

Dysosma 

Further down into the garden, we found many more unusual plants or unusual use of plants. 

 Peucedanum officinale looks a bit like fennel, parts of it have been used as medicine since the 17th century. I had never heard of it before. 

something poking up through Angels' Hair

    something familiar: Federmohn "Coral Plume"

the wrong time of year for blue-bells - these are ageratums !

thriving Echinaceae

We came away impressed and with many ideas for our own garden, e.g. the Ageratum underplanting, a yellow flowering Kirengeshoma from the Hydrangea-family to try out and some high growing Bistorta in different colours - and Paul with ideas for exports for his clients in Spain ...

many Bistorta in shades of red, pink and white

Garden Visit : Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons

What's a Graduation without a nice celebratory dinner afterwards? Close to Oxford, Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saison was our favourite haunt when visiting our son. They have a Michelin-starred kitchen and beautiful, comfortable, individually designed hotel rooms. Very expensive, a bit too expensive compared to anything in Europe, but nothing in England is cheap for the time being. The hotel maintains a garden providing not only healthy greens for the kitchen, but also lots of photo opportunities for garden lovers, with its several garden rooms, ponds and strategically placed bronze sculptures.  

 the kitchen garden

the pond with birds' sculptures:

the Japanese garden: 

the wild meadow garden, an apple orchard:

 hotel rooms on the estate

she picks flowers but he is distracted ... 


a crocket lawn:

Another robin to greet me ...

The Gardens at Gravetye Manor

Gravetye Manor in East Grinstead, Sussex, was the home of William Robinson, horticulturist and author of several books on gardening, among them the classics "The English Flower Garden" and "The Wild Garden". He has influenced British and European gardening style for many decades since the end of the 19th century. He advocated a natural, less formal gardening style with plantings in drifts and well devised finely graduated colour schemes. 
Today his house is a beautiful country house hotel, with an excellent Michelin-starred restaurant. We had visited the place several times in the past already - mainly because of its kitchen. With a change of ownership, its gardens now have improved tremendously, offer an additional joy and are well worth a visit.  

So have a look for yourself: 

The gardens are well maintained and gardeners are very helpful and keen to explain about the plantings or plants' names. The head gardener used to work at Great Dixter; this creative influence can clearly be seen. 

Yellow Tropaeolum canariense  delicately draped across a camellia giving her additional flowers extending her showy time. 

a peek over the wall 

 Photogenic Veratrum decorated with flowers from a bush above:

 Veratrum niger - in camera image-overlay: 

a very fine-leaved Euphorbia - I don't know which. 

 a tiny clematis 

Dactylorhiza on the meadows

To the Walled Garden, which not only supplies the kitchen ... 

 Yellow Aquilegia chrysantha "Yellow Queen" that I also admired at Great Dixter

Eremurus 

The Walled Garden is also used for growing flowers for the house.

So, in addition to seeking out this beautiful garden, you can stay overnight in cozy rooms and have an excellent meal - or simply a sumptous afternoon tea on the lawn or one of the numerous places to sit and relax  - which seems like the perfect holiday!  

Yellow Corydalis

"Robinson style"