Foliage Plants

Hi all. New here but is there any other Margery Fish style of gardening enthusiasts here pse. Rgards. Sydney.

 

Hi Sydney,

to GC! I'm another new gardener and didn't know anything about Margery Fish so I had a Google and I do now! Very interesting indeed. She sounds like my kind of gardener!

 

Hi all. Thanks for the response and kind welcome. Margery Fish was a wonderful and very well known gardener who gardened along the lines of Jekyll, West etc - a modern version of her style would be Mrs. Beth Chatto with her garden near Colchester. Mrs Fish had a beautiful garden full of many plants of all types including rare and unusual all put together in the "cottagey" style. She lived in a beautiful old Manor House at South Petherton in Somerset called East Lambrook Manor, wrote a number of excellent books which can still be bought new or S/H , I have most of them. Well worth a read and with much much plant info and growing methods etc covering all months of the year though not written in the text book stye - I always feel that I am walking round her garden with her when I read them. She also toured and lectured.
I bought plants from East lambrook back in the 60's- 70's and by division etc still have some of them today. There is also a web site telling all about the gardens there. Please note that I have no connectgion with it all - just a very great admirer of the lady herself and her wonderful skills and knowledge. Hope that helps.Regards. Syd.

 

Hi Sydney, I don't know as much about her as I should but I believe that she did introduce, or have named after her, lots of really good garden plants. You've jogged my memory now..Some internet research coming up!!

 

Hi all again. Sorry but I forgot to mention that I also grow a decent assortment of the kind of plants grown there and along the same lines though on a much smaller plot and in a much less skilled and knowledgeable way of course. The accent is on foliage colour and shape contrast, height and form etc though flowers always welcome - all evergreen or herbaceous perennials. Happy always to natter about it all if of interest. Apologies for any typing/spelling mistakes in my posts. Regards. Syd.

 

Hi noisette47. She was and still is a very great autority on gardening and plants. Ther was/is quite a number of plants named after her. Camn thoroughly recommen a good look at all her wonderful efforts and the books as a great read. Regards. Syd.

 

Bet your garden looks good all year round IMHO, foliage is the basis for a really good garden, with flowers as a bonus! Whereabouts is your garden Syd? Have you got good nurseries nearby? Looking forward to seeing photos......

 

Hi noisette47 - a name would be nice. I have been gardening since 57 and the interest has grown and grown over all these years. I do keep a tidy plot and keep it ship shape all year round - reluctant to make claims for myself but thank you yes it does look quite nice and interesting. I live next to a wood and have my own garden and a plot next to it very kindly lent by the local landowner. The garden proper is the special one and the other plot is what I call "woodsy" with trees, shrubs and plants which blend in nicely with the woods next to it.
I will send some pics as I am also a very keen wildlife and birdwatcher and do love my cameras. Regards. Syd
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Noisette is my name...in French I use it all the time now because the French can't get to grips with the pronunciation of the English version...The '47' is my departement number.
If you succeed in creating an album on here, please tell me how you manage it!
Do you like the other popular garden writers like Christopher Lloyd, Beth Chatto, et al? The two I always found over-rated were Gertrude Jekyll and Vita Sackville-West, although no doubt they did contribute enormously to the wealth of UK gardening expertise.
Can't wait to see the photos!

 

Hi Noisette (what is it in English). I agree with your comments here in that Jekyll and West were far too starchy ( and Capability Brownish) in spite of their obvious knowledge. Margery Fish, Beth Chatto, Christopher Lloyd (I loved and learned much from he's "Foliage Plants" and "The Well Tempered Garden") as others more modern are all more relaxed and I feel more in tune with their nice less "regimental" form of gardening which I try to emulate and to an extent do like to think I achieve. I think we have a lot we can natter about but please understand whilst over my 56 years of gardenning I have learned a lot I am by no means an expert and would never claim to be or even really want to be. I am happy with all the wonderful plants and experiences I have had over so many years. I know my plant names and to me they are all good friends of long standing - nothing better than in Spring ( amongst all else) seing them reappear happily. Sorry but I am a complete gardening nut. Let us talk more pse. Regards. Syd.

 

Hi John. Thanks for that. No I have never been to East Lambrook ( at the time I was buying plants their) I was unnable to afford such things - children/mortgage and the like) but have all the books about the garden and as I said I bought wonderful plants their up till and for a while after her sad death. Her book can tell you the complete story of all the gardens development over the years - it commences with one titled "We Made a Garden" and describes how she and her husband ( he with many differing ideas) did all the initial garden forming and shaping. Pse do look at all her book titles - I would heartlily recommend them all for a first class, interesting and very plant/garden read and learning experience. Always happy to have a natter with you and share thoughts and ideas plus my experiences such as they are over 56 yrs. Regards. Syd.