Lacock Abbey is located near Chippenham in Wiltshire and has been around in various forms since 1232, when Lady Ela the Countess of Salisbury laid the first stone. It has had a varied history and is probably most famously known as the birthplace of photography - specifically they type that uses negatives - the process invented by Fox Talbot.
The abbey and surrounding village were given to the National Trust in 1944. Both abbey and village are commonly used in television and film, appearing in productions such as Harry Potter and recently Wolf Hall.
While all of this is wonderful, today we'll have a short wander through the greenhouse (by today I obviously mean 23 November last year!).
Near the entrance both Abutilon 'Cloth of Gold' and Cape Leadwort were putting on a welcoming show.
This pink beauty is highlighted by the bright yellow anthers. It looks like a species of Grewia, but I couldn't see a name tag for confirmation.
A lovely pot of Sarracenia pitcher plants and hung by the wall was a pot of Polygonum capitatum, which can also go by the name of pink buttons - quite adorable.
Hybrids of Streptocarpus were potted up on one of the benches, providing a splash of colour. These are best served by life in a greenhouse or conservatory, but can survive on a windowsill - however they don't seem to flower quite as often. High up in the greenhouse are grapes: I'd have quite liked a bowl of grapes that day!
Until last year, I'd only ever seen alstroemeria in bouquets in England, so was very happy to hear that they thrive outdoors here. I'm hoping to grow some at some point as I really like the patterns the petals provide - they're so cheering and a joy to behold.
Imagine having a garden that could accommodate a greenhouse of this size! All the plants that could be grow, a place to hide off and have a cup of tea. All the experiments to be done and exotic plants to observe. Perhaps that's for another lifetime! Until then, thankfully Lacock is down the road for me and membership means I can always pop in for a quick look.
Note: Thanks to members of Grows On You for identification help with the Polygonum and Grewia.
Lucky you, to live so close to this greenhouse! The pitcher plants are so fascinating, aren't they? Our local conservatory has them on display, and I always pause a bit to study them when I visit there. Thanks for this post: It helped me to warm up from cold winter day here. :)
ReplyDeleteWe're always so appreciative that we're so close to the abbey. I don't venture into the greenhouse as often as I should. I really like pitcher plants, there are some really lovely ones. No problem, glad it helped warm you up :)
DeleteHi Tim, looks a lovely place to visit! I love seeing exotic plants!
ReplyDeleteIt really is! Nice to hear from you Lou Mary.
DeleteAnnoyingly I only ever see Lacock as we zoom past on the way from Wales to Dorset and with a car full of holiday luggage. But it looks well worth a visit.
ReplyDeleteI particularly like the Abutilon...
All the best :)
That's a shame, Wiltshire has a lot to offer - not just Lacock, but places like Devizes and Avebury.
DeleteHowever, I can understand the rush to get to Dorset - it's been our favourite county for a few years now. We're going down to Brownsea Island again in a few months and will probably go across to Portland too. :)
Well, that's neat!--I recently read about Talbot and his calotypes, as part of my current photography studies. I just reread that section, and I see that Lacock Abbey was his "house in the country ... And this building I believe to be the first that was ever yet known to have drawn its own picture." (Talbot's words)
ReplyDeleteYes, that's right :) The oldest known negative is of one of the windows at Lacock Abbey!
DeleteFox Talbot was quite a polymath, even writing a book on the flora and fauna of a placed called Harrow. There's a Fox Talbot museum located in the entrance building of the Abbey grounds, which includes dozens of cameras since their invention.