Dixter Diary – Day 10

Today started with some drizzle but ended up being quite sunny this afternoon.  My full rain suit was on, then off, then on, then off, etc.  When I went out for my morning stroll though, it wasn’t raining at all and I caught more beautiful images.  Morning is my favorite time out in the gardens and while the heavy dew can get you damp quickly, the fresh look of the garden is amazing.  Early evening is nice too and today seemed to be another busy one with a bus tour and plenty of visitors.

 

 turnip in the Vegetable Garden and artichokes below

 

 

 

 the meadows are being cut daily
 Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus ‘Compactum’) is looking good with heavy fruit set
 another look at the impressive house
I’m sure it’s something that was done in the past but I can’t help but envision the masons saying in their English accents many years ago…”You say you want three chimneys but the middle one rotated 45 degrees from the others?  Are you mad?”  Neat look though and below is a pebble mosaic of a daschund in the Wall Garden which I sweep every morning. My understanding is that Christopher Lloyd had two dachshunds for many years and was very partial to them.  There are still two at Great Dixter and Aaron takes care of them.

 

 

 clematis (Clematis sp.) seedheads on the roof of the potting shed
 fall color on this sprig of Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) accents the ancient doorway
 fall color has arrived for the ‘Aconitifolium’ fullmoon maple (Acer japonicum) in the entrance pot display

After morning garden duties, I spent time in the area above processing plants to be composted (they save and re-use soil) and collecting, sorting and storing lilies (Lilium) from many containers for replanting next spring.  The area below was used by Susan and Thies (second photo down) as both potted up hundreds of plants to a larger pot.  The third photo down shows Yuko (student from Japan) who I worked with on the lily processing project.  She has been at the gardens for a year and a half and is one of the hardest workers there for sure.  More fun tomorrow!

 

Thies and Susan
 Yuko
tools ready to go
These signs are at the entrance road to the gardens
 a view from one of my bedroom windows this evening
some of the East Sussex countryside adjacent to Great Dixter