A Very Local Attraction

We met up with friends at Castle Drogo yesterday, a country home built by the famous friend of Gertrude Jekyll, Edwin Lutyens, now owned by The National Trust. The castle is under wraps at the moment, there has always been a problem with the flat roof,  hopefully they are now going to fix it. 

There was a 'country fayre' on but it was a lot smaller than expected, BUT, the Punch and Judy show was superb, well done Mr Poulton! Proper old fashioned entertainment, though I guess some would suggest its not very 'politically correct'!

Had a good wander through the gardens, came across this unusual looking plant

A Shoo - Fly Plant, Nicandra physaloides (it happens to be in Gardeners World magazine that came through the door yesterday!).  Its an annual originating in South America, and a member of the potato family (Solanaceae), that can sometimes turn up unexpectedly as its seeds are often in bird seed mixes.The flowers are a lovely blue and the fruits are encased in green/black mottled calyces, similar to the Chinese Lantern (Physalis alkekengi), these can be dried and used for decoration. The plant stands around 5 feet tall, with large leaves, and black stems, so a striking addition to the garden.

I spotted a butterfly feeding on a Rudbeckia laciniata .My friend thought it was a Skipper, though just having a look online, it is actually a Small Copper. The Rudbeckia was looking fab, great for late colour and as a cut flower.

 Heres a few other flower pics...

I think this is Crinium x powellii 'Album', also known as a Cape Lily. Can be bought as a bulb from specialist nurseries, there is a pink form which is more widely available. Beware, slugs and snails can cause unsightly damage to the thick strappy leaves.

 

Red Hot Pokers are easily recognisable and make a real statement. Also known as Tritoma, Torch Lily and Knofflers (my personal fave!). Give them lots of room, though keep an eye on them if you want contain them as they tend to be pretty vigorous! I  didn't see a label for this one but think it may be Kniphofia caulescens. There are lots of varieties to chose from, some being more suitable for a smaller space like K. Little Maid.

These autumn flowering Cyclamen hederifolium were looking gorgeous, great for covering a partly shaded spot near a tree. They are happiest with a soil rich in leafmould, and if content they will self seed.

Cornus Kousa. This is one of the flowering dogwoods, very different to the dogwoods grown for the bright winter stems. These beautiful small trees are grown for their large bracts of white or pink, depending on variety, followed by lovely autumnal foliage and these amazing looking fruits.

I do love this time of year, there's a huge choice of plants that really show off right now, whether through their flowers, fruits or leaves. There is so much colour that seems to glow on these dull days.. I'm actually quite looking forward to getting wrapped up, and heading out onto Dartmoor to soak up the Autumnal atmosphere. Lovely!