Saturday 4 May 2013

Green Island Gardens. Part 2.

I guess I should have included this info. from website in previous post, but better late than never.
Quite inspiring
Green Island is a 20 acre triangular piece of land with the house set in the middle of woodland planted just after 1900. The house was designed by Raymond Erith and built in 1958, along with Nightingales, 'the cottage' and two timber chalets. Much of the woodland was destroyed in the 1987 storm with many mature oaks being lost.

In 1996 Fiona Edmond and her husband bought the house and moved to Green Island with their children. Fiona was seriously ill with M.E and over the next few years used the project of redesigning the garden as her 'therapy'. In 1999 the garden was opened to the public along with a plant nursery.

Materials found on the site have been used throughout the garden, which has been carefully designed as a series of areas with different themes, but all in keeping with the natural surroundings.

If you missed part 1 do take a look at the previous post


There is something special about visiting private gardens 
where the owner lives







Well it was lunch at Beth Chatto's and now afternoon tea here 



As you will see above there is a cottage and 2 chalets on the property which are rented out and visitors are welcome to wander these small cottage gardens too









and past the back of the main house




Front of house

garden open to public colchester #02

Fiona - owner and designer of garden


Passing a goose farm on the way home


7 comments:

Bernideen said...

Lovely photos - so enjoyed the journey!

CherryPie said...

The afternoon tea looks delicious and in such a lovely setting too.

Terri said...

Love the gardens, and they are quite different.
Brave farmer, growing geese! They are quite nasty to walk amongst.
Thanks for the look-see.
Hugs

Annie Jeffries said...

omigosh. Look at ALL those geese. I'm stoked.

elizabeth said...

A wonderful outing as always!

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Wonderful nooks and crannies everywhere. That last photo with all the geese was a surprise (I was flipping through the "slide show" feature first without reading your text). That is a lot of garden to care for but it sure is a beautiful place.

Sigrun said...

Hi Barbara, nice to meet you again. I've lost your link.
Your Photographs are wonderful, next week we are at Beth Chatto. I hope, we have nice weather!
Your new glases make you much more junger!

Sigrun