The Quarry
A place of arrival or beginnings. Originally, before the stone was quarried, the lane trundled on past here towards the house. Now it forms an ante-room, a lobby, to the garden proper, somewhere to pause and set your bearings.
There are three ways from here, three approaches meaning a choice to be made. This garden has no set route but is rather a place for exploration, a place to construct your own journey.
Eucalyptus
Originally a working and parking area The Quarry was gradually planted with specimen trees and shrubs. The large coppiced Eucalyptus I grew from seed and brought with me in 1994. As a seedling it is indeterminate and I have no varietal name for it. Other ‘specials’ followed.
Stuartia monadelpha winter bark
Shrub view, autumn
Stuartia flowers
Rosa Kiftsgate
The central oak, Quercus coccinea, was planted for my eldest son and has led to the family all having a personal oak tree here. Gradually this area has become more planted, cars and the stuff of earthly travail (the muck heap!) moved further out.
Quercus coccinea (Scarlet Oak) This one is planted for my eldest son, Rupert.
There are currently plans to refresh the planting by removing most of the herbaceous plants and bringing greater cohesion with an evergreen understorey. This will be made up from Sarcococca, Choiysa, Hebe, Bergenia et. al.
