The gardens of England

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anothersam

SMIDSMe
Location
Far East Sussex
and Wales and Scotland. (Sorry, the gardens of Britain doesn't have quite the same ring. Oh, and Northern Ireland.) We begin our tour with marvellous Marle Place, a private garden in Kent. Peaceful green spaces flowing one into another, whimsical topiary, a pool for eye candy, amphibians for an earful, and sculpture which isn't at all objectionable even to philistines like myself who more often than not give anything more modern than Michelangelo short shrift

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Not David, but not bad

I'll admit here and now that I mostly go to gardens because my wife likes them and I like her. Our usual routine is that she flits about the flowers like a honeybee while I seek out the nearest shade.

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However, something about Marle Place captivated me. I think it started with the pool

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Pretty standard as small bodies of chlorinated water go, but something about it pulled me out of my usual drowsinated garden state and made me thirsty for more.

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What more can you ask for than a swing? The National Trust doesn't provide swings (and if they did they'd probably charge extra for it.) Even the knot seemed pleasingly tied. I was never a Scout and have no idea what kind it was.

Sculpture was scattered about, fitting right in wherever we stumbled upon it. I was particularly taken by

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And what's this?

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Could it be…?

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That was very hard for my autofocus to latch on to. Of course, a rusty old bike is almost de rigueur in a garden

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We were served a very nice lunch much coveted by some of the locals

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then left, entirely satisfied.
 
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twentysix by twentyfive

Clinging on tightly
Location
Over the Hill
So pleased you had a great visit. Looks like a super spot - and quiet too

And you've really discovered the garden experience :okay:
 

Hill Wimp

Fair weathered,fair minded but easily persuaded.
Have you done Scotney Castle and Penshurst ?@anothersam .

Both very lovely and along the coast Walmer Castle has just finished some of its garden restoration. It's Englush Heritage so i admit it will not be as quirky as Marle Place but it is still very nice.
 

Hill Wimp

Fair weathered,fair minded but easily persuaded.
This thread has got me thinking of popping up to the castle today as it's so lovely.

I am on holiday you know:becool:
 

rich p

ridiculous old lush
Location
Brighton
and Wales and Scotland. (Sorry, the gardens of Britain doesn't have quite the same ring. Oh, and Northern Ireland.) We begin our tour with marvellous Marle Place, a private garden in Kent. Peaceful green spaces flowing one into another, whimsical topiary, a pool for eye candy, amphibians for an earful, and sculpture which isn't at all objectionable even to philistines like myself who more often than not give anything more modern than Michelangelo short shrift

View attachment 93818
Not David, but not bad

I'll admit here and now that I mostly go to gardens because my wife likes them and I like her. Our usual routine is that she flits about the flowers like a honeybee while I seek out the nearest shade.

View attachment 93819

View attachment 93831

However, something about Marle Place captivated me. I think it started with the pool

View attachment 93822

Pretty standard as small bodies of chlorinated water go, but something about it pulled me out of my usual drowsinated garden experience and made me thirsty for more.

View attachment 93823

What more can you ask for than a swing? The National Trust doesn't provide swings (and if they did they'd probably charge extra for it.) Even the knot seemed pleasingly tied. I was never a Scout and have no idea what kind it was.

Sculpture was scattered about, fitting right in wherever we stumbled upon it. I was particularly taken by

View attachment 93824

And what's this?

View attachment 93825

Could it be…?

View attachment 93826

That was very hard for my autofocus to latch on to. Of course, a rusty old bike is almost de rigueur in a garden

View attachment 93827

We were served a very nice lunch much coveted by some of the locals

View attachment 93828

then left, entirely satisfied.
Not aware of this one, but, solely on your recommendation, the van Rentals shall pay a visit before the end of July! :thumbsup:
 
OP
OP
anothersam

anothersam

SMIDSMe
Location
Far East Sussex
Have you done Scotney Castle and Penshurst? Both very lovely and along the coast Walmer Castle has just finished some of its garden restoration. It's Englush Heritage so i admit it will not be as quirky as Marle Place but it is still very nice.
Yes to all three, more on Scotney later.
I visited the Alnwick Garden last week. It's probably a bit manicured for some people's taste, but it was full of the sight and sound of water which I really liked.
We recently went to Hall Place in Bexley, which has an artist in residence and is currently running an interesting exhibition on the subject of...

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Mother Nature's hydration. Let's call this one Robbing Peter to pay Paul to split it with Mary.

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Video installation of a performance artist bobbing for radiation, courtesy Fukushima.

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Don't try dunking your head in this, it's an illusion. Light shows aren't just for the O2.

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Does my head look hot in this? When they turn the tap on, water spits over his heated scalp where it immediately turns into steam. It's a comment on creativity, said the liner notes.

Not aware of this one, but, solely on your recommendation, the van Rentals shall pay a visit before the end of July!

I highly recommend the swing! But you knew that.
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Check your sculpture at the door.
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If somebody tells you it's pointless to visit a garden with your camera set to b&w, point to the rocks, too.
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See if you can get the owners to bring this to the next Antiques Roadshow. Whatever it is.
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Why are gardens always tea-fuelled frenzies?
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Another fab garden is or was Leonardslee near Horsham, West Sussex, "one of the largest and most spectacular landscaped woodland gardens in England" according to Wikipedia. Even the wallabies liked it. Unfortunately it closed to the public in 2010. The only digital picture I have decorates a page on one of my scattered sites.

Today was open garden day in the village, but I had a bike that wasn't going to ride itself, and anyway, we did our snooping in years past

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Bansky was here
 
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