An Exotic Garden At East Ruston

This is just one of the gardens within the fabulous 32 acre garden at East Ruston Old Vicarage in North Norfolk I mistakenly called this a Mediterranean garden but its not. Its in the guide books as a Desert Wash and represents Californian planting.
 As I wandered in I felt reminded of the fragrance of Portugal, in particulary along the coast in the area around Sesimbra and the National park land below Lisbon, though if I had visited California I may have had different thoughts.

Often this type of planting is not that successful when replicated here. I am thinking of dated seaside towns but this garden with its informality and windy paths felt so natural in its landscape and there is such attention to detail throughout as there is in the whole garden. I was lucky to see it with rich blue Sky and not on a grey day but it was still rather magical and it took me to another place.

 The planting with the grasses and spiky palms was soft and fluid. It felt calm and easy to wander amongst the foliage and alone the meandering gravel trails.

 This garden made you feel relaxed and you did feel like you were away on holiday somewhere sunny.

Cortaderia selloana (Pampas Grass

I have never been a fan of this grass having accidentally planted a pot with no label and ending up with a large clump next to a twisted hazel which was just wrong. It was a victim of fashion and in the wrong pace instantly draws me to the 1970 but here it was refreshing and and with the light through the feathery plumes rather beautiful.

 Palms, yuccas agapanthus create height and and punctuate the landscape accross the whole field of vision with a lovely variety of textures and within this space there is a lot of colour but not all from flowers.There are no brash colours there is a degree of harmony.

Verbena bodnariensis at its best. Thriving in a great club in well drained soil providing a cloud of purple haze.
The standard of the whole 32 acres not just this area is immense. This is a garden to go back to and probably one of the most stimulating and enjoyable gardens I have visited.