Nymans

An afternoon of artful promenading was in order this weekend in one of the most exquisite gardens in the south of England. Overlooking the picturesque High Weald in Sussex, the 600 acres of garden at Nymans converge on the ruined ghost of a gothic stone manor house which burned down in the 1940s.

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Home to three generations of the Messel family most notably for me, it was the childhood home of the extraordinary theatrical set, costume and interior designer Oliver Messel.

 

 

Many exotic looking plants flourish here, reflecting the original temperate plant collections grown at Nymans. The Romneya coulteri (Bottom left) took ages to photograph, her papery thin petals modestly shrouding her stamen from my lens with every gust of wind. 

 

The south east facing wall bestowed some very exciting plants growing together. A horticuluralist's exotic feast of Amica zygomeris with gorgeous oar shaped foliage, the whip like spires of Salvia confertifolia, the Mexican sunflower Tithonia rotunifolia and the vicious beauty with dayglo orange teeth, Solanum pyracanthum, ouch!

 

 

Another favourite that we also grow was discovered waving it's large palmate leaves amongst the romantic ruins, Tetrapanax papyrifer 'Rex' or T-Rex as it is fondly known.

 

One of the highlights of a visit to Nymans is to walk the spectacular long summer borders overflowing with an enormous array of dazzling flora punctuated by some rather opulent yew topiary.

 

 

 

 

 

Now, if only I could extend our garden a few hundred feet......