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Special Cornish gardens for September ...

It's almost the end of August and what better time to go to Cornwall to visit some of the great gardens there? The school holidays are nearly over so the crowds are gone and you'll find many wonderful places to stay once the kids are back at school. One of my favourites is Trebah (above) - one of several really wonderful gardens near Helston, where you'll find all one of the best hydrangea displays in the country right now.

Trebah was purchased by Major Tony Hibbert and his wife Eira in 1981 and they've spent nearly 30 years making this garden what it is today. The 25-acre site is perched on the edge of a ravine that heads down towards Polgwiddon Cove on the Helford Estuary and you'll be treated to spectacular views of the sea as you wander through this magical landscape, and enjoy a walk on the beach if you feel so inclined. You'll find many rare trees here including the tallest Chusan palms in the country and wonderful swathes of gunnera that are reminiscent of Jurassic Park. Open all year from 10.30-5.00 (or dusk if earlier in deep mid-winter).

Combine this a trip to nearby Bonython (above), which is open Tuesday to Friday and you'll see another very different garden, that has only been under development since 1999. This is another magnificent garden, with a large walled area (above) adjacent to the main house; many unusual South African and Mediterranean plants; and great swathes of ornamental grasses around the lakes (below).

The new owners have been hard at work since they moved here 10 years ago and the planting throughout the garden is really striking - there's always something in bloom - but what will impress you is the bold plant combinations. The walled garden is glorious throughout the season and is filled with flowers and bumper-sized vegetables. Then there are the lakes at the bottom of the garden which lead into a woodland dell. There's also a wonderful water garden adjacent to the 18th century house.

Other notable gardens locally include Glendurgan (above) with its maze - also located on the edge of a ravine, although it should be said that this is more of a spring garden. And of course, if you're in this part of the country, you'll be able to treat yourself to a Cornish cream tea!
I'm off to Cuba this week, where I hear there are some fantastic gardens, but I'm also told that internet connections can be slow, so if you don't see any posts for a couple of weeks, you'll know why!

Betong - naturligt kantigt

Det här huset i Uruguay är ritat av arkitektduon Kallos Turin som också står för inredningen. Tanken var att huset ska smälta in i den omgivande naturen. Betong har ju den effekten att det smälter in i naturen på ett sätt rent färgmässigt och med sin råhet som material men kan upplevas som raka motsatsen med sin kantighet. För oftast är det just kantigt när gäller. Ni som känner mig och sett mitt hus, vet att det här gillar jag. De grå nyanserna, trädetaljerna, strikt och kalt men utan att vara tråkigt och kanske är det just den här kluvenheten, om det smälter in i naturen eller inte, som gör det så spännande. De där träpallarna har jag alltid gillat... har suktat efter dem i åratal. Tänk vad vissa saker etsar sig fast. Bilder från mixr.se.

What to do when it rains .... can I have your feedback?

No garden visits this week because the rain hasn't stopped, so I've been at home editing photographs and organising my garden reviews so that I can eventually offer you full information on what to see and when's best to go in my Galloping Gardener Directory. I know that some of you use it when planning garden visits and I'd really appreciate your input on what you want to see there, so now's your chance to let me know what you need to know to get the most out of a directory!

All photographs today are taken before, during or after rain and were taken at different times at year in gardens around the world. The only common theme is rain or damp, or sunlight before or after a rainstorm, but it goes to show that even wet or changeable weather makes interesting pictures!

But back to what you'd like to see in a comprehensive (and growing) Garden Directory - is it special features; best time of year to visit; proximity to other gardens; what plants you'll see there; or just general descriptions that interest you? Do the pictures make a difference ... and for those of you who've used the guide, did the garden live up to your expectations?

I also appreciate that many of the gardens on the list are currently in the southern part of England, but the reason for this is simple - it's where I'm based, and it's not that easy for me to spend days away from home visiting gardens further afield. I plan to cover new areas each year, when the weather is good, and this year I managed to get to Gloucestershire and see some of the great Cotswold gardens.

Information on opening times is more difficult, since many gardens change their opening days and times with little notice. That's why I often put a link straight to the garden in question, so you can check for yourself before visiting. However, when two great gardens are close together like Hidcote and Kiftsgate in Gloucestershire, I do flag up opening days wherever possible.

So please let me know what would be helpful for you in terms of reviews - what you'd like to see and what persuades you whether to visit a garden that you've read about. And on that note, I'll leave you because the sun is coming out for the first time in over a week .... so perhaps I will get to review some new gardens over the weekend.

Tine K Home Private Room

Istället för de stora mässorna Formex och Danmarks motsvarighet Formland valde Tine K Home istället att bjuda in till Private Room. Tine öppnade upp sitt eget hem utanför Odense för kunder och press. Jag var där och fick möjligheten att se detta fantastiska hem som varit med i ett flertal inredningsreportage den senaste tiden. Nu var hemmet fyllt av säsongens nya produkter och det var otroligt spännande att se dem i sin rätta miljö. Allt föll på plats och stilen blev den speciella stil som är så typisk för Tine K - en blandning av gammaldags paradvåning (sammet och draperade lampskärmar), lantliga bruksföremål, lite bohemiskt med inslag av Marocko och lite franskt touch men alltihop ändå så väldigt väldigt danskt. Bilderna är mina egna.

Tävling - trådkorg från Mitt Lilla Hem

Mitt Lilla Hem är en alldeles ny webbutik med vackra lantliga produkter från bl a Gerbera, Bloomingville och En gry. Kika gärna in och titta på sortimentet. Nu har du också chansen att vinna en av dessa produkter - en valfri trådkorg. Om du kan svaret på frågan: Varifrån kommer keramiken? Skriv svaret i kommentarsfältet nedan och håll tummarna för att trådkorgen blir din. Lycka till!

Ev. vinstskatt betalas av vinnaren. Tävlingen pågår t o m den 9:e september.

Obs, du behöver inte ha en blogg för att kommentera - gå nedan på comments, pricka för anonymous och skriv sen bara ditt förnamn efter svaret. Håll koll på bloggen den 10:e när vinnaren presenteras för då ber jag den personen att maila mig.

Another walled wonder - Loseley Park

I found another glorious walled garden yesterday ... in between the rain showers ... Loseley Park in Surrey. I've visited before, but in springtime a couple of years ago, so was really delighted to see that it has something for all seasons and I think that with its summer colours, it's just as spectacular at this time of year as it was in the spring.

The first time I visited was in May a couple of years ago - the walled garden looked glorious then (see left) and what struck me about this garden was the absolutely abundant planting. It's like a wonderful fantasy land! So it was a pleasant surprise to find even more colour in August, after many months of heat and little rain.

The walled garden here dates back to the 16th century, but was revamped nearly a century ago and based on a Gertrude Jekyll design and divided into "rooms", to include a herb garden, rose garden, white garden and flower and vegetable gardens. The rose garden, which is still in bloom and giving off glorious scents, was renovated in some 15 years ago and although I've yet to see it in full splendour in June or July, it's still a wonderful sensory delight at this time of year.

The Elizabethan house was built for Sir William More in 1562 and sits in glorious parkland near Guildford, so is easily accessible from London. It is home to the More-Molyneux family today and they have spent the last 15 years improving the walled garden and making it what is is today. The central avenue of trees (below) makes a wonderful backdrop for crocosmias, dahlias, daylilies and ornamental grasses in high summer.

But it's the white garden (below) that won my heart on this visit - with its central pond overlooked by glorious, ebullient borders, with white flowers swaying in the breeze. I could have sat here for hours if it hadn't rained! The hydrangeas are glorious ...

Patrick Taylor, the UK garden visit guru says that this garden is "not of startling originality, but it is skilfully planted and excellently maintained". I have to say I disagree - I think the garden is both "startling" and "original" and I for one will be visiting again! Loseley remains open until mid-September, so do get there if you can - opening times are 11.00-17.00 daily, except Mondays, but open this weekend for the Bank Holiday.
Another excellent walled garden can be found at Titsey Place, also in Surrey, but if you're looking for gardens close by, don't miss RHS Wisley.

Susannes coola stilmix

Häromdagen mailade Susanne, en av mina läsare här på bloggen, bilder på hennes alldeles nyrenoverade hus. Förutom att det är ett otroligt vackert hus med ett betonggolv som gör mig grön av avund så har det inredningsmässigt en hel del originella detaljer, t ex att man i köket använt både trä, vitt och svart. Betonggolvet tillsammans med äldre mörkbruna möbler och kelimmatta känns som en annorlunda kombination. Gardinerna ger lite hotellkänsla och lampan över bordet känns som en smart lösning. Kul stilmix!

Det är helt riktigt, som någon läsare påpekade, Malin Jensen som har inrett. Så här säger Susanne om det: 'Vi tog in Malin tidigt i projektet så att hon kunde göra alla materialval osv. Något vi är väldigt glada över. Det finns mycket detaljer i huset som är väldigt genomarbetade av henne som man inte ser på bilderna. Bl a kaklet i badrummen är samma vita färg som alla socklar och väggar, dvs inte kritvitt utan stockholmsvitt. Ganska svårt att hitta faktiskt.'

Tack för att jag fick visa bilderna Susanne!