I often feel that I’m a tad gushing when I write about Great Dixter, but I just can’t help myself. If you’re ever feeling a bit jaded about gardening (or despair about Brexit), then a day spent soaking up the gorgeous borders will lift your spirits and help you to think anew about the planting in your own garden.
On this visit, the towering but delicately airy Thalictrum ‘Elin’ was one of the plants that really moved me (rubbing shoulders here with nodding plumes of Ampelodesmos mauritanica and Cortaderia richardii, giant fennels and teasels). (Should you be heading towards Normandy for your holidays, then Jardin Plume also has some very inspiring planting with Thalictrums).
Rachael Dodd is one of Fergus Garrett’s knowledgeable and enthusiastic team at Great Dixter, and illustrated on part of our garden tour how Thalictrum are carefully staked to (seemingly invisibly) support the plant in this windier part of the garden. Good to know how much careful planning and work is carried out to achieve such glorious planting schemes.
It also struck me that there are no half measures at Great Dixter. This is high-octane gardening (with lovely soft, dreamy edges), and the transformation of different areas from season to season is always experimental and innovative, packed with ever-changing colours and textures, and this is what makes the gardens so enticing and inspiring.
The ‘all singing all dancing’ long border was glowing, as ever, with wonderful plant combinations,
looking lush from any angle. I think the pink flowers at the bottom of the frame are Viscaria oculata and to their left, parsnip flowers have been given the ‘Chelsea chop’ to avoid the need for staking. The purple above is Salvia nemerosa.
Poppies were at the height of their flowering in many areas,
dotting their jewel like qualities throughout different borders. This variety (above) is Papaver glaucum (seeds available from Chiltern Seeds). A beautiful annual poppy, with further buds on side shoots that will supply continuous flowering for around 5 weeks.
And then the gardens flow into wildflower meadows,
tying in the estate to the countryside,
with orchids and hay rattle and many other natives that will encourage and protect wildlife diversity.
Further additions, such as these Andy Goldsworthy-esque woodpiles are being constructed around the estate to further increase wildlife habitats to invite in other insects and fauna.
And the nursery was as intriguing as ever, packed full of desirable plants so you can go home (as I always do) with another little bit of Great Dixter for your own garden. (Above are Clerodendron bungei cuttings growing for future sales).
At the end of the day, I dragged myself away from the voluptuous planting, but I can’t wait for my next visit to see how the gardens progress throughout the year.
Out of my shed 
A fine antidote to Brexit gloom 🙂
Yes indeed Tish!
Brilliant post… I am going there this coming week for my first ever visit. Can’t wait…..
Hi Sue, Hope you have a great day.
A perfect reward for Brexit joy
Hmm
Gush away. What fabulous planting and yes you almost managed to lift my spirits post Brexit despair. I look forward to seeing it later in the summer since it goes a bit quiet here in August and I could do with some new ideas..
Hi Sue, I often reach for Christopher Lloyd’s tomes when I’m looking for ideas, but there’s nothing like seeing the garden itself. Hope you have a great visit and find much inspiration.
It’s fabulous isn’t it. The profusion, exuberance and sheer riot of colour and form put a smile on my face and a joy in my heart that lasted for days! Never seen anything so riotously extravagant!!
Hi Clarabeaux, Yes, exuberant is a great description. What I find so impressive is that successional planting will carry that exuberance from spring all the way through to autumn.
How lovely it was to be there and to catch up with you again 🙂 I realised on the way home I was driving with a HUGE grin on my face. Great Dixter was the antidote so sorely needed to lift my gloom.
Hi Michelle, Yes great to catch up and thoroughly enjoyed the day. What a treat to spend a whole day at Great Dixter. Looking forward to seeing how the exotic garden develops over summer. The autumn plant fair may be the perfect time to see it, if I can wait that long…Nx
Yes, there’s always something fresh to see there, and loads to learn too. Have a great time with Veronica and give her my love 🙂
Thanks for identifying the intensely blue salvia that I keep seeing – and envying – around the Rhodes Estate. I don’t seem to have much dark blue in my garden at the height of summer but salvia nemerosa is obviously what I should be adding for that, to counter-balance what seems to be a rather overall pinkness.
Hi Diana, Yes, my garden can get a bit too pink at times too. Salvias are the perfect antidote. I also bought a couple of gorgeous orange Trollius ‘Dancing Flame from Hardy’s Nursery at Grow London, and planted next to some Geranium psilostemon, really liven up a slightly monotone pink border.
Oh your day out must have been the perfect antidote to all the recent doom and gloom Naomi. Funnily enough we are in our camper van at the moment on a site about a mile away from Great Dixter and will be heading there tomorrow. I shall be looking out for thalictrum ‘Elin’ in the nursery 🙂
Hi Anna, Hope you have a great day at Great Dixter and that they’ll be a good supply of Thalictrum ‘Elin’ in the nursery!
Beautiful images, and it has made me determind this year to go to the Autumn fair. Sally
Hi Sally, Definitely worth going to the Autumn Fair for many reasons. The visiting nurseries are wonderful, there are loads of fantastic talks, plus you get to visit the gardens and Great Dixter’s own nursery. Fergus’ plans for the Exotic garden are “Skandia shaking hands with Jamaica”, & am really looking forward to seeing how this develops!
Thanks Naomi, it is in my diary, and I think a bit of organising will turn it into a fantastic long weekend, with my friend Carolyn – we studied landscape
Architecture together and love our horticultural trips away! Sally
My daughter and I visited Dixter for the first time last month (from Australia!) and we loved the plant combinations in the borders. It’s lovely to see how they’ve come on in the last few weeks…
Pam
Hi Pam, Yes, I’m always wowed by how different the gardens look every time I visit. The bones are always there (yew hedging, shrubs, trees and roses), but the experimentation with different perennials and annuals is always a delight. Did you get to see other gardens while you were over? V.best Naomi
I haven’t been there in decades. Literally. Thanks so much for the lovely photos. Very inspirational.
[…] via Great Dixter in June — Out of my shed […]
Dixter continues to impress. Some great photos. Unfortunately it is a long trip from leicestershire but we must sort something out soon. The last time Christo was still alive and very much taking part in the course Fergus was running. The poppies looked great and just indicate that you do not need to spend a fortune to have a wonderful display. This year I have a similar poppy which was a self set so a real surprise and looks terrific.
Dixter is the best and most inspiring garden to visit. I have been there a number of times and last year found it to be just the tonic to lift my spirits. Your write up captures the spirit of the place and I should imagine anyone who has yet to visit will feel inspired to add it to their list.
Hi Dorris, yes, it does indeed lift your spirits and I’ve always been inspired after visiting.
Must also say that I visited Bryan’s Ground (in Heredfordhsire) for the first time this year too and it had a similar effect- a really joyous garden to spend time in. Hoping to blog about this soon…. Definitely worth a visit. V.best Naomi
Thanks Naomi, I shall look it up, I am not familiar with it.
Looks fantastic! But doesn’t everything in June… January is the worst month for everything outdoors! Apart from the odd crisp morning when the grass has a tinge of white with frost.
Point taken John, but I don’t know many gardens that look quite this spectacular, with such gorgeous textures, colours and heights knitted together, any month of the year!
You’re right, a bit of frost is magical at this time of the year, but still can’t wait for spring!