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a rhode island garden party to benefit dixter

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NO GARDEN IN THE WORLD EVER WOWED ME like Great Dixter, the family home of the late garden writer and plantsman Christopher Lloyd. Yes, the topiaries; yes, the history; yes, the range of plants (all of which I wanted to be able to grow). But most of all, I think it was the use of color, er, colour (for the garden is in East Sussex, England). “I have no segregated colour schemes,” Lloyd wrote. “In fact, I take it as a challenge to combine every sort of colour effectively.” Christo would be happy knowing that some of the most colorful gardeners in America, those in Little Compton, Rhode Island, are opening their places to benefit Dixter, in a daylong garden party June 5. Can you come?

For just $40, plus $10 for lunch, visitors can enjoy Nate and Berta Atwater’s modernist masterpiece, before heading to John Gwynne and Mikel Folcarelli’s rarity-stuffed hidden garden, Sakonnet. Amazing Opus Nursery, the place of master grower Ed Bowen, will be on hand all day for a plant sale that’s every bit as special as the palette of Dixter.

For those within a day’s drive, this is a garden party not to be missed. Get glimpses of all the gardens (as well as of Dixter) and the event details in this pdf about the event. Best of all: Each dollar raised will be matched by the UK’s “lottery board” so that Great Dixter may carry on in its colorful, inspirational style.

(Anthony Chammond photo of pots at Dixter from Flickr.)

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4 comments
May 3, 2010

comments

  1. elizabeth says

    May 3, 2010 at 11:00 am

    mapping my drive from iowa city right now!

    Reply
  2. Sandra B says

    May 9, 2010 at 6:27 pm

    The wonderful Christopher Lloyd answered the telephone at Great Dixter when I was ‘phoning for a plant catalogue – I was amazed!! I have most of his books and loved his style of gardening which is still carrying on with Fergus Garrett his Head Gardener. What a great idea, a garden party to benefit Great Dixter.

    Sandra Barnes – England

    Reply
  3. Julie Murphy says

    May 19, 2010 at 11:48 am

    Hi Maragaret!

    In case you have not heard…

    Fergus Garrett will be at Blithewold on Sunday, June 27, 2010. I hope you can come! Feel free to spread the word! Anyone who mentions hearing about the Fergus event from your Blog we will offer a special rate of $30 per ticket.
    Here are the details…

    Fergus Garrett: The Spirit of Great Dixter
    WHEN: Sunday, June 27, 2010 at 12:00PM – 2:00PM

    WHERE: Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum

    Join us for tea and a talk by special guest Fergus Garrett, Head Gardener of Great Dixter, the house and garden of the late world renowned horticulturist Christopher Lloyd. Located near Northiam in East Sussex, England, Great Dixter’s gardens are regarded as the epitome of English plantsmanship. The property is particularly noted for its wealth of perennials and extensive topiary. Fergus will speak about all aspects of Great Dixter, from its garden color, planting combinations and meadows, to the house and its interiors. He will include an account of his apprenticeship to the great “Christo”. Fergus is also a well known author and authority on innovative garden design in his own right.

    Tea and scones from Russ Morin Caterers is included in the price of admission.

    Learn more about the history of Great Dixter and Fergus Garrett’s work developing and preserving its gardens at http://www.greatdixter.co.uk

    Price: $35 Blithewold Members, $45 Non-Members. Please register early; tickets are limited.

    Thanks and I hope to see you there! Feel free to call or email to register or with any questions.

    Best,

    Julie MurphyJulie Murphy

    Education Coordinator

    Blithewold Mansion Gardens & Arboretum

    101 Ferry Road

    Bristol, RI 02809

    401-253-2707 ext. 16

    fax: 401-253-0412

    http://www.blithewold.org

    An American Garden Treasure … Come, and Be Inspired

    Reply
  4. Donna says

    June 6, 2010 at 2:53 pm

    Thanks for the heads up on this garden party in Little Compton. Without you, I would not have known about it and would have missed a great party. The Atwater garden is sublime. The Sakonnet garden is wildly ridiculous. We saw them in perfect order moving from reverent hushed tones during the morning to giggles burbling up from the various “so zone 7” rooms in the acre of imaginative madness in the afternoon. It was a great day for a worthy cause. Thanks again.

    Reply

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Podcast: Soups, Soups & More Soups

I’VE FOLLOWED a vegetarian diet for decades, but it wasn’t until just a few years ago that I mastered a really good vegetable soup. Now I’m learning variations on vegetable-based soups, plus ones with beans and even ideas for mushroom soups, too–all thanks to Alexandra Stafford and these recipes. (Stream it below, read the transcript or subscribe free.)

https://robinhoodradioondemand.com/podcast-player/6211/vegetable-soup-ideas-with-ali-stafford-november-5-a-way-to-garden-with-margaret-roach.mp3

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awaytogarden

mad gardener, nature addict, award-winning writer & podcaster, rural resident, corporate dropout, creator of awaytogarden dot com and matching book.

Instagram post 2190297402408409324_444552553 Snow day. To be followed by a snow night. #awaytogarden #wavehillchairs
Instagram post 2177779417009402040_444552553 No matter that it was 11F and 17F on mornings this week; my lifelong companions and I are all tucked in, each in our respective offseason spots. Three giant pots of #cliviaminiata that are actually pieces of my long-gone grandmother’s original plant from many, many decades ago, love the offseason bright cold of the mudroom, and get no water till around the new year or so. They need a chill (under 50 but above 35) for about 40 days to trigger timely bloom in late winter/early spring (without it they will bloom whenever, later, like June or even summer). The #alocasia reacts to the cold of the mudroom by shutting down and going dormant and leafless, and then I’ll let it sleep till late winter, when I give it a drink to see if it awakens. That one sleeps and wakes on its own timetable because I do not have a proper spot for it (ideally warm, like 60 or 65 at least, and humid and bright...no can do the humid part here). We have been together probably 10 years anyhow, despite my shortcomings as a #plantparent . #alocasiaamazonica #clivias #houseplantsofinstagram #houseplants #awaytogarden
Instagram post 2172580656557749859_444552553 Gardener: “I raked all the leaves!” Nature: “Oh, really?” (Cue sound of demonic laughter from on high.)
Instagram post 2170506606641504178_444552553 I wanna tell you how it’s gonna be You’re gonna give your love to me I wanna love you night and day You know my love will not fade away Not fade away Nope. Not this #cotinus leaf’s fiery hot love at least. Like the 1957 #buddyholly song I first heard by #therollingstones in 1964, it keeps going. #awaytogarden #fallfoliage2019 #cotinusgrace #notfadeaway
Instagram post 2168987273989949378_444552553 “Jack Frost nipping at your, er, geraniums...” And here it comes.
Instagram post 2166837817953503284_444552553 Constant companions: If you want to keep good company all winter, grow some good keepers. My house is stuffed with piles of #cucurbita awaiting their time in the oven or soup kettle. Each one is a character, distinctive. On one chair in the mudroom two close cousins in #cucurbitamoschata — the horse collar-shaped one called ‘Tromboncino’ or ‘Tromboncino Rampicante’ snuggles with some ‘Butternut.’ The ‘Tromboncino’ are better eaten green and small as #zucchini but I can’t resist their eventual mad size and shape, big enough to wear around your neck. I use their meat for enriching vegetable stock; the ‘Butternut’ are far more rich and delicious. Seed respectively from sandhillpreservation.com #sandhillpreservationcenter and @turtle_tree_seed (whose ‘Butternut,’ selected for “lastingness” for decades, will keep and keep into next spring or more). #wintersquash #awaytogarden #goodkeeper #cucurbitaceae
Instagram post 2162565040882902064_444552553 Furry fall friend: I look forward to crossing paths with this woolly caterpillar of the #giantleopardmoth this time of year, when its fiery intersegmental bands and plush coat seem to be just the right autumn-into-winter look. Miraculously this tiny animal will overwinter in a woodpile or in the leaf litter, even here in the North, building up a concentration of antifreeze (glycerol I think?) in its cells before the worst weather begins to avoid disaster. (Reminds me of the super-hardy #woodfrog who does similarly. Such heroes.) Swipe to see a beat-up pic of the adult moth, tattered with scales missing at its wing margins, but still dramatic. Unlike various spine-covered caterpillars that can sting you, this one’s hairs (or setae) won’t, but he will roll up tight if touched, in self-defense. I am in awe of such complex strategies of survival, I am. #mothsofinstagram #caterpillars #awaytogarden #hypercompescribonia #hypercompe
Instagram post 2161992098629435854_444552553 Beans are life. I mean, not only do I live on them daily (as I have as a vegetarian for 40+ years) but each one is a seed, a living embryo, a distinct and gorgeous little DNA miracle. I have been inspired by the hashtag #31daysofbeans by @lukasvolger lately, loving watching someone unknown to me (um, who shares my oatmeal thing too apparently...also see his #28daysofoatmeal) dish up the #phaseolus. We both admire bean ambassador Steve Sando @rancho_gordo and this photo might be my fave bean of all that I “met” via Steve years back, big and flat and chestnutty ‘Christmas Lima.’ My advice: don’t wait till Dec. 25 to dig in.
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Welcome! I’m Margaret Roach, a leading garden writer for 25 years—at ‘Martha Stewart Living,’ ‘Newsday,’ and in three books. I host a public-radio podcast; I also lecture, plus hold tours at my 2.3-acre Hudson Valley (NY) Zone 5B garden, and always say no to chemicals and yes to great plants.

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