 | Leigh Kelly .: 'Francis Hill', 89 Sawpit Gully Road, Rocky River |
This is the second garden we have had open for St Peters and I am just as nervous the second time around. We have been living at FrancIs Hill for 18 months and have spent much of that time waging war on the rabbits and I am still not sure who has the upper hand. During that time we have concentrated on getting the picking garden up and running, which had to be fenced off from the rabbits. There are now over 2,000 roses; 6,000 iris; 6,000 liliums along with masses of alstromeria, daisies, dahlias, chrysanthemums and whatever else grows well. The only plants that are watered are the dahlia’s, the rest of the garden is heavily mulched.
There is an old cottage near the picking garden, which I have been told housed numerous families during WW11. It has a couple of old walnut trees near it and we have uncovered an old dry stone wall. I am in the process of putting a garden around the cottage, and have planted hundreds of daffodils around it. Jeff is yet to be persuaded that the cottage would make a good restoration project, let’s wait and see.
We have a magnificient weeping cherry in the front yard which was grafted by the original owner, its trunk is too large for me to put my arms around it. Roses dominate with a bed with 100 iceberg roses as well as a bed of the David Austin rose William Shakespeare. I am putting in several rose hedges featuring Carabella, my all-time favourite rose and the Alistair Clarke rose Sunny South. The pond will be complete by November.
The garden covers around 5 acres so wear your walking shoes! There are numerous seats around the garden to sit and enjoy the views to Salisbury Mountain.
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