During lockdown we got used to staying close to home, but with lockdown easing and nurseries opening, I decided it was time to visit one, and chose Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants because they have a fantastic range of plants, and are a 45 minute drive from Swindon. I also thought Tim and I could have a picnic in the car park, and then have a look at the river Test.
I have really missed rare plant fairs, where you could look at the pick of plants brought by 20 or more nurseries, this year all plant fairs have so far been cancelled due to Covid-19, but there are still 3 which might be held in September, it's worth checking their website regularly.
Back to Hardy's, on arrival, there seem to be plants laid out as far as the eye can see. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but it's great to look at the sheer range of plants. How to decide what to buy? Well if there were lots of bees on the flowers, that was a good indication that I'd like them. In the end I bought 13 different plants including the wonderful Gaura 'Rosy Shimmers' which has been growing wonderfully for the last year, in the bed behind the benches at Mr Cod where it is baked in the sheltered corner and receives no care at all. My first photo is of some plants on a bench, I love the riot of colours:
Here's another view from the end where you go in:
At the ends of rows there are labels guiding the visitor, the one below is plants for spring shade
the one below here for plants with purple flowers
I wanted to look round before deciding what to buy, but photographed these Phlox because these were definitely a winner
This Veronicastrum 'Pink Glow' had lots of bees on the flowers, and I really like the colour, but I have got several of them already.
Now look at this, it's Veronica longifolia 'Marietta' covered in bees and the most wonderful colour
These Lythrum were fabulous, why is everything bigger and better than at home?
I bought a red Monarda and a fantastic Potentilla called 'Monarch's Velvet'
A lovely Comma butterfly on a flower
Even Allium sphaeorocephalon were bigger than mine at home!
The car park is a field beside the nursery where there were two lovely Verbascums
a pale yellow and darker yellow
and masses of wild flowers in the meadow area
On the walk there were some glorious willow herb beside the road
and after walking in the wrong direction for a while, we finally found the river Test.
It felt like we'd had a bit of a holiday.
I have really missed rare plant fairs, where you could look at the pick of plants brought by 20 or more nurseries, this year all plant fairs have so far been cancelled due to Covid-19, but there are still 3 which might be held in September, it's worth checking their website regularly.
Back to Hardy's, on arrival, there seem to be plants laid out as far as the eye can see. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but it's great to look at the sheer range of plants. How to decide what to buy? Well if there were lots of bees on the flowers, that was a good indication that I'd like them. In the end I bought 13 different plants including the wonderful Gaura 'Rosy Shimmers' which has been growing wonderfully for the last year, in the bed behind the benches at Mr Cod where it is baked in the sheltered corner and receives no care at all. My first photo is of some plants on a bench, I love the riot of colours:
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