Bridport Gardening Club

September saw two very busy weeks for the Club beginning with a return visit to the Garden House, on the fringe of Dartmoor.   After hearing a brief history members, were free to wander the grounds, still resplendent in late summer colour: hydrangea paniculata catching everyone’s eye.   Of special delight was the walled garden, where dahlias, heleniums, rudbeckias, fuschias and asters glowed. The grasses in the naturalistic borders was a theme continued at the monthly meeting, when Malcolm Mills (Gold Club)[…]

An outing in July 2019, literally, took us to pastures new – Tapeley Park, near Instow, North Devon. The Christie family has owned the Tapeley Park for almost 300 years. It overlooks the Torridge estuary with wonderful views across to Lundy Island and Saunton Sands. It looks out on to terraced gardens in a wide variety of styles and plantings as well as an ice house, a shell house and a permaculture garden developed by Hector Christie demonstrating principles of[…]

The grey rainy day could not dampen spirits as members arrived at Mottisfont in Hampshire for our June outing . Ancient yews and cedars graced the grounds on the walk to the walled gardens, glorious with Old Roses in full bloom. Heavenly scents emanated from flowers in red,pink,creams and white. Above were clematis clinging to the walls and while peonies, foxgloves, viola, alliums and geraniums added to the palette. 

The May 2019 outing took us to the Taunton area.  Firstly,we visited Elworthy Cottage Nurseries which proved a delight of naturalistic planting with flower filled borders amid lovely mature trees.  Later,at Hestercombe, members wandered the restored Edwardian gardens designed by Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens where irises were particularly lovely.  A relaxing stroll beside the lakes was a must to see the waterfall cascading over mosses,beneath ferns and lovely old trees.