A real treat!
Did you watch the ‘Gardeners’ World’ programme where they visited Cothay Manor Garden in Somerset – it was on last week.
Remember this shot of the path to the front door, between lavender bushes?
You won’t have seen this shot, though – because I took it at Cothay! Admittedly, it’s her back, but the lady wearing trousers is Mary-Anne Robb, the owner and ‘Head Gardener’ – her words – of the beautiful gardens at Cothay Manor.
What a treat – and an afternoon to remember.
NGS garden owners in Somerset were invited to go to Cothay last Thursday to hear a talk by Mrs Robb, to have tea, and to look round the gardens.
They’d thought of everything – the awning you can see was one of three on the lawn, with chairs underneath in case it rained. It didn’t – we had lovely weather for our visit.
After an entertaining and interesting talk on the house and garden, and a cream tea, we were free to look around. Mrs Robb was about in the garden, to answer the many questions we all had.
A view of the house – dating back to mediaeval times.
This avenue of Robinia pseudoacacia trees, underplanted with Nepeta, featured in her talk. Every part of the garden has a name. This avenue was originally called ‘44 Street’, as there were 44 trees there. Then two died, and shortly after they were removed, Mrs Robb showed a party of Americans round the garden. Knowing she couldn’t now call the area ‘44 Street’, she made a quick decision, and told the group it was called ‘Unicorn Avenue’. Somehow, she carried on with the tour – but a statue of a unicorn was commissioned and placed in the centre.
The garden has what seems to be miles of yew hedging and topiary. Every avenue or vista has a focal point, and this urn caught my eye. I suppose that if you’re lucky enough to have huge containers, the planting must match it – think big!
Not every urn was planted in such an exuberant way, though – the simplicity of this one really struck me.
Walk down the grass paths between yew hedges, but turn off through every arch in the hedge, to see what hidden wonders await you. Each of the ‘rooms’ so formed had a different feel and colour scheme. My absolute favourite was the white garden.
Back on the terrace outside the house, the herbaceous borders were a joy to see – the planting was triumphant, full of colour, unexpected in the choice of some plants, but always beautiful. I got the impression that plants were allowed to seed themselves, and did.
Clematis and roses clothed the walls of the house.
This Clematis viticella had climbed to the roof and was making its way up to the chimney!
I’m not sure if this beauty is another C. viticella, but it was full of flowers.
I told you about the topiary – this part of the garden was simply an outer circle of tall yew hedging, an inner circle around a fountain, with the ‘sentry’ like forms spaced round. It was green and peaceful.
Not all of the gardens are as formal, though – leaving the yew hedges behind, there’s a wild-flower meadow, a river running through the grounds, and a mound overlooking the house – with a metal stag standing proudly on its summit as if he were on guard.
Gardeners are the same, whether they own a wonderful garden like Cothay Manor or a small suburban plot – they enjoy sharing plants or seeds with other gardeners. Mrs Robb is no exception – I asked her for the name of a beautiful Geranium I’d spotted – and she offered to send me some seeds when they’re ripe.
I do apologise for the blurred photo – but this is it.
She didn’t know the name, as it was one of many Geraniums sent to her when a French National collection had to be moved.
Well – if you’re ever in the area, Cothay Manor is open to the public, and I can recommend it as a stunning place to visit.
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