The Salutation in Sandwich town is an award winning RHS Partner Garden, and has glowing reviews which are well deserved. It's a gem of a garden nestling in a side street in the town, from the minute you walk in, it's obvious there are many unusual and interesting plants.
Whether we would arrive at the garden before it closed was rather uncertain because we caught a bus from Margate, hoping to get to Ramsgate, changing there for Sandwich. We should have caught the 'loop' bus, but didn't know the loop bus was faster and took a shorter route, so sat in traffic for a long while and ended up at some out of town shopping centre between Margate and Ramsgate. In the end, we realised if we got off the bus perhaps we could catch a train, to Sandwich. After half a mile walk from the bus discovered a train to Sandwich was due in 5 minutes and we could arrive there before closing!
I'm going to add a bit here. Since posting this piece on The Salutation garden, Steve Edney, head gardener won a gold medal at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival and best in show. Here he is receiving his award from Carol Klein:
and alone with his award.
To find an exquisite garden after a long Friday afternoon bus and train journey made it all worthwhile.
The garden was designed by Lutyens in 1911 and Jekyll is believed to have designed the planting, although Head Gardener, Steve Edney has clearly had an influence on making some interesting additions to the planting like this fascinating delphinium requienii seen below which grows in 'hot dry sun, seems slug proof and is best sown in the autumn for summer flowering the following year'
The echiums of course were magnificent
and growing behind the unusual delphiniums were some unusual salvias whose name I've already forgotten. I wonder if I can also grow those from seed?
The geraniums above and penstemon below looked in perfect condition
As were the Aeonium schwartzkopf
The greenhouse was fascinating, lots of plants being brought on
More aeoniums being grown in a sort of desert bed area
This was a raised bed area
Greta long borders with the impressive house in the background
I think these were the same alliums we saw at Wisley, if they are, they're called 'Ambassador'
These columnar structures appeared to be trees shaped into columns. They looked magnificent.
And here's the classic view of the house, now a boutique hotel.
We thought it would be wonderful to stay there and wander round the garden late at night and very early in the morning.
There were also some good plants for sale. I bought a grey agave and a variegated plectranthus; they have a National Collection of them. It's also great to have the head gardener on hand to answer questions. After the garden tour, there's a tea room and shop, and the river is very close, a walk down the river into the ancient town of Sandwich is worth doing.
Whether we would arrive at the garden before it closed was rather uncertain because we caught a bus from Margate, hoping to get to Ramsgate, changing there for Sandwich. We should have caught the 'loop' bus, but didn't know the loop bus was faster and took a shorter route, so sat in traffic for a long while and ended up at some out of town shopping centre between Margate and Ramsgate. In the end, we realised if we got off the bus perhaps we could catch a train, to Sandwich. After half a mile walk from the bus discovered a train to Sandwich was due in 5 minutes and we could arrive there before closing!
I'm going to add a bit here. Since posting this piece on The Salutation garden, Steve Edney, head gardener won a gold medal at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival and best in show. Here he is receiving his award from Carol Klein:
There were also some good plants for sale. I bought a grey agave and a variegated plectranthus; they have a National Collection of them. It's also great to have the head gardener on hand to answer questions. After the garden tour, there's a tea room and shop, and the river is very close, a walk down the river into the ancient town of Sandwich is worth doing.
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