We're sandwiched between two great cities, Winchester and Southampton. This museum in Southampton is a very moving and informative tribute to the memory of The Titanic.
Just outside of Southampton is Exbury Garden . What can I say but ..Wow!!!! Home - 200 acre woodland garden | Exbury Gardens
Well....I may be some sort of gardener and I may be a member of GC. I'm also posting on this thread but I'm probably about to get myself banned from the last two! I find estate gardens quite boring! I'd rather wander round a scruffy nursery to see what hidden gems I could find.
To some extent I agree with you @Sheal , but the above gardens that I have posted on , and the theme of this thread are more for an enjoyable day out ...which for us usually includes packing a picnic too. I find some of these gardens quite inspirational, the way different plants work well together, the colour combinations used and the way some are laid out to encourage different habitats for wildlife. I don't go to these places to actually purchase plants. By the way, a lot of 'estate' gardens have large areas left to grow wild ,many are now being reverted back to such natural environments and I, like many, find this very informative . If I was looking to buy something then yes a wander around a nursery is by far the best way to go. Perhaps a new thread would be good recommending the best places to purchase plants in our local areas.
Ah OK, thanks @Sheal , it's not what this thread is about but I'm sure it will be of interest to others.
I totally agree with both Sheal and Upsydaisy. When working, I always hated somewhat bedding out. Lawn edges given a short back and sides then straight lines of lobelia, ageratum,alyssum etc. Then some kind of formal bedding. Such as this probably is a kind of extract from the stately gardens that we see. Many appear to us as photographs. Click and there you have it. The whole display infront of you. Much of this design probably stems from those glory days of ones such as, Capability Brown etc, although he and some others, concentrated more on vast vistas that gave the viewer/observer a panoramic view of the estate whilst perhaps not having to walk too far. Most typical gardens usually have long herbaceous borders. These being banked upto the rear, adding extra height to the already taller plants. Perhaps in a way. Such borders can give us ideas something like looking through the pages of plant catalogue. There are several things we can learn from such borders and plantings. Often border planting was used in the walled gardens of the great houses. So we can get an idea asto what will grow best where. When able to visit such gardens, I find that there are still many things I learn. Yes, of course I can enjoy being out with family and friends, however I so often long for the chance to visit etc along with a friend/s who are as passionate about horticulture as me. Truthfully, and perhaps even now I now hold my head low. Seeing, reading about, elderly women, fiddling and farting about in their gardens. Please forgive the language. Then in time it hit me. These folk were very keen gardeners, often with no formal qualifications etc, but these folk really loved their garden and share a kind of growing togetherness with their plants. I therefore enjoy the formal gardens and the cottage gardens,,,,hey, what's that little plant growing in there? Please never look down on yourself. Gardening is so great and wonderful and beneficial. Be you a religious person or not. One of the early commandments was to cultivate, the earth. C'mon GC members cher up and get digging ,sowing and planting.
I've found that a lot of the gardens open to the public have gradually gone away from the 'plants in a line' planting and moved towards plantings of more interest because of more herbaceous style plantings, and group plantings that help to give ideas as to how they might look in a garden. Some nurseries have also gone over to planting beds to show how plants work together. So both seem to be working on attracting people through the doors whilst giving the chance of a good visit. I mention nurseries as opposed to garden centres which, to me, seem just to be big plant shops - with cafe/restaurants. I rarely go to garden centres (can't remember the last time) but do go to nurseries of different sorts - from the sort above to some of our local ones, individually owned, who don't have plantings but grow their own plants and sell them at a very reasonable price.
Lovely thread @Upsydaisy nothing around here in redditch, but when i lived in Worcester city I've walked the malvern hills a few times. Might have to fast forward a bit.
