The most inspiring garden are not always those on which vast pecuniary resource are lavished or indeed the well known ones . Often they are the garden where the visitant finds something or someone that they can relate to . Such was the case for me with Foamlea , an extraordinary coastal garden in North Devon .
In 2002 Beth Smith took over this scenically blessed spot of coastline in Mortehoe , near Woolacombe , when her mother could no longer contend with the maintenance . In stages she has create a gently terraced garden commit to the cultivation of sun - loving plants , peculiarly phlomis , of which there is a National Collection . I wo n’t claim that phlomis are my favourite plant grouping , but a collection of any genus is a fascinating thing for a plantsman . Beth has over 40 species and hybrid , drift from pretty pinkPhlomis italica(Balearic Island sage ) to an attractively variegated sport named P. ‘ Rougemont ’ , discovered in the garden of a hotel by the same name in Exeter . reserve a National Collection is quite a responsibility , requiring regular inspections as well as ad hoc visit from interested botanists and taxonomist . Beth ’s plants are in rude health and clearly enjoy the conditions at Foamlea . Beth pointed out to me P. ‘ herba - venti ’ , Iranian Jerusalem sage , which is a tall repeated phlomis with arrow - shape , gray - immature leave and upright stems carrying 4 to 7 dense whorls of large , rose - pink flowers . When the seed has set the flower stalks only fail off from the basis and blow aside , hence herba - venti or ‘ herbaceous plant of the wind ’ . I am intimate with the shrubby phlomis , but the perennial are young to me and sound likeable .
If you ’re not a phlomis lover then do n’t be discourage from visiting the garden on one of the forthcoming NGS open days . Even at this slightly awkward time of the year , Foamlea is awash with flowers . In the vertical there is attractively perfumedMoraea huttonii(below ) , rocketing Echiums , rose pink watsonias and strikingWachendorfia thyrsiflorafrom South Africa . Hunkering down low you ’ll notice even more treasures , including helianthemums , genus Cistus and osteospermums . Evergreen body structure ( and all important shelter ) comes in the form of a fascinating assemblage of ozothamnus and corokia coinage . I fell in making love withOzothamnus rosmarinifolius‘Silver Jubilee ’ with its blue - unripe needle - like leaves and pink blossom buds which eventually clear to white-hot . Beth color theme some region of the garden and I thought the yellow and orange border looked especially potent at this time of year .
The growing conditions at Foamlea are both hallow and thought-provoking . The patch slop to the due west , facing the island of Lundy in the Bristol Channel . On the bright side this affords the garden sun and auspices from hoarfrost , which never settle down for more than an time of day or so . The temporary hookup was once farmland so is fertile and mainly clay - based . Thanks to the constant addition of grit and sand the dirt is very destitute draining . On the other hand the debunk position means that Foamlea is at the mercifulness of gale from the south and due west . Plants have to be tough to endure here , although plentiful rainfall prevents common salt from building up to troublesome levels . Beth has found that Echiums other than E.pininananeed staking to keep them upright . Her regime is one of depleted alimentation in order that plants grow firmly and not so lush that they topple in the current of air .
I was surprised to receive moisture lovers such as cannas , hedychiums and irises flourishing on seemingly dry incline . They are situated in damper patches , feed by water system that drains from the Benny Hill above Chapel Lane . It ’s exonerated that Beth understands and have advantage of every inch of her garden . Her intuition has develop over meter and only after careful observation . Someone like me , with limited experience and relatively trivial discipline , has a great deal to read from someone who , herself , has take from trial and error .
Beth claim her garden is not ‘ design ’ . However , presented with a serial of terraces link up by steps and itinerary bounded by low Harlan Stone walls , descending lazily towards the drop ’s border , it ’s hard to reckon how better Foamlea could have been conceived . On a still evening , surrounded by exotic scents , enjoying a gin rummy and tonic and watching the sun set over Lundy Island , there could sure enough be nowhere more sublime .
Foamlea is open for the National Gardens Schemeon Sundays June 14 , 21 and 28 2015 , 2 - 5pm . Foamlea , Mortehoe , Woolacombe , EX34 7DZ , United Kingdom .
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category : Flowers , Foliage , Garden Design , Other People ’s Gardens , Perennials , Photography , Planting Design , industrial plant , Small Gardens , Trees and Shrubs
Posted by The Frustrated Gardener
