I visited Special Plants for the first time this year on their last day of opening on the 22nd of October on a wonderfully sunny day, with the garden still looking very good. If you haven't been, it's a beautiful garden, in a valley about 5 miles out of Bath with 24 distinct areas, all with their own plants listed in a handout as 'looking good on Garden Open Day'. Each of these areas has around 30 different plants listed in it, so you get the idea, there are many different species and varieties of plants. The garden belongs to Derry Watkins, an extraordinarily versatile plantswoman who seems to know the names and requirements of all the plants in the garden. Derry has earned lots of accolades, including being featured as a 'garden guru' in the Telegraph in 2014, and there was an appearance on Gardeners' World a few years ago.
This is my favourite photo taken this trip, it features a yellow flowered beautycalled Argryanthemum 'Jamaica Primrose'. I can't remember where the flowers in the photo below were situated, so I can't identify them from Derry Watkins' plan, it looks like a red Ipomea and a hydrangea still flowering
this bed on the left of the path was a mass of Salvias, but they haven't come out well at all in the photo
I really liked this Salvia with greyish leaves in the new gravel garden, I think it's Salvia chaemaedryoides 'Silver'
I love the prairie planting bed, especially the Echinacea pallida and Rudbeckia triloba
This Dahlia is absolutely glorious
I do like this water filled container
and here's the pond which hasn't really turned out very well as a photo
This was at the back of the pond, I think it's Dahlia 'Dark Desire'
This climber was very impressive, but I'm not sure what it is.
Having looked round the garden, it was time to visit the nursery where there was 30% off the cost of plants.I bought 2 Salvias, a Diascia and something else. Looking forward to visiting earlier in the season next year and replenishing some of my Pelargoniums.
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