Friday 7 May 2021

Open Garden (not mine!!)

 I nearly forgot to do this blog post:



On Sunday afternoon, Tam and I had booked tickets to go to an Open Garden about 7 or 8 miles from us, Pontsioni House.  The grounds were lovely, and not a weed to be seen!  There was a plant stand as we came in and I couldn't resist a couple of plants - a lovely blue Lungwort (Pulmonaria) as there aren't any here, and one called Telima grandiflora.  They got planted on the Bank this afternoon, along with a few other shrubs, so tomorrow's heavy rain can water them in properly.



This area was called the Walled Garden, as it was set inside the ruins of presumably the original farmhouse on the site.  What a great micro-climate for plants.  One of the rooms had been turned into a soft fruit cage with netting.


Two different Hellebores still flowering.


This was called the Owl Tree and the broken off top of the trunk had a little roof on it.


A handy little storage shed covered in a clematis I think.  There was quite a bit of garden to roam and we could have walked up to see the view from Aberedw Rocks, but it was a steep climb and a windy day and we had had our exercise at Gilfach that morning.
 

As you can see, it was a lovely house and had quite extensive grounds.


Veronica gentianoides - I'd like this in the garden.  Growing next to it on the right are Avens Geum Tempo yellow.  I have lots of the pinker version of this growing on the bank here.


An unusual primula with dark leaves. I've looked it up and think it is a variety called Kennedy Irish Drumcliff or else Primula Dunbeg.



They had used huge slabs of rock to provide backdrops for plantings.  Our bits of rock here are considerably smaller!!


Some more horizontal slabs of rock in their natural setting . . .


Bluebells were in flower beside what had been the old railway line to Builth.  They needed another week or 10 days to be at their best though.



What a lovely little cottage, perhaps something to do with a departed stable block in the past, because of the clock on the roof.


A last view of the house.  Personally I would have had roses everywhere, but that's me!  It made a nice change to see someone else's plantings anyway and we will go to more gardens this summer.


20 comments:

  1. What an absolutely charming place! So good to be getting out and about now in open spaces. Will it be open again, or is it a one off?

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    1. That's the perfect adjective - it WAS charming. Not so much for the plantings but the setting. It's open again tomorrow, but I think that's it for the year. There are two booklets for Other Gardens that we've picked up - one for Powys and one for Herefordshire (though some are admittedly too far away).

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  2. Beautiful house and cottage! The Walled Garden is delightful. Such an interesting old ruin, at least to my American eyes. I love how the ruin was repurposed.

    You must be so thrilled to be able to go out again, and enjoy things beyond the confines of your home!

    lizzy

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    1. They had really made the most of what they had there, and it was a lovely setting. I think the folk had been there since 2001 (being nosy on Zoopla!)

      It IS lovely to be out and about again, although to be truthful, we were a little uncomfortable about going to get tea and cake before we left - the outbuilding was full of people sat down, none with masks on, and you had to queue beside them. We went and sat outside on the steps by the house.

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  3. What incredible sights. The closest I have seen to that sort of beauty was in Delaware, on the grounds of Winterthur. Thank you for sharing those gorgeous grounds.

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    1. Glad that this garden brought you pleasure, across the waves. It is so good to see aa garden taking advantage of the natural landscape around it. There will be more gardens visited this summer . . .

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  4. A very lovely garden - it is always good to visit a new garden and see what someone else has created - you can get so many ideas :)

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    1. Isn't it? Not too much in the plant line to lust over here, but I got some nice ideas and it was a very pleasant wander round.

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  5. Oh what a lovely tour! Thank you for taking us along. :) ~Andrea xoxo

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    1. I hope it was nearly as good as being there Andrea.

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  6. Not your typical garden but enchanting anyway, the house was pretty to.

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    1. Indeed, the setting seemed to be the most important part. Lovely house.

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  7. These open gardens are just private homes that open their gardens for tours? What a wonderful idea! This is a beautiful place. Looking forward to seeing more.

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    1. Yes, a couple of days a year, for charity. They raise lots of money.

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  8. What a beautiful house and garden! I agree with you I would have had roses everywhere too. I love them.

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    1. Wasn't it beautiful? We're looking to visit more this year.

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  9. I like that tin building - but then I'm a bit obsessed with tin tabernacles and the like

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    1. I recall someone once doing their dissertation on all the Tin Village Halls of Dorset . . . At least they are honest and not pretentious like these modern cube houses clad in black wriggly tin. They don't hack it for me.

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  10. What an interesting place to visit. That is the size outing I can appreciate--not something too grand to take in, and with ideas that one could use in a home garden.

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    1. It was a lovely setting, I have to say that, but the spring plantings held back by by the cold weather, so those were a little underwhelming. I'm sure it is stunning in the summer.

      We're looking forward to exploring some more private gardens and also going to the AMAZING gardens at Powis Castle again.

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