2017 – thewelldressedgarden.com

When in Dorset, England, make your way to the Priory Hotel in Wareham. The Priory sits quietly along the River Frome in Wareham, and boasts four acres of intoxicating gardens.

I visited in June, at the height of the perennial show. Below, poppies are just beginning to bloom along the River Frome.

Valerian is ubiquitous in the English countryside. Here, it grows out of stone walls that contain pockets of soil.

Peonies, framing the lawn and the river terrace, are about to burst into bloom.

The Priory’s gardens are filled with roses. To support the climbers and other vines. gardeners have constructed beautiful, rustic, sturdy trellises and arbors from local wood.

The arbors and fence below are made from local raw timbers.

Stonework is the backbone of the Priory’s gardens. Below, a cast stone bench complements the stone walls and walkway.

Roses cascade over the stone wall and arch, below.

The Brits’ use of plant supports is practical and effective. Here, simple chicken wire supports sweet peas climbing a wall.

Water features are around every corner. This one is in a secret courtyard. The geometric stone pond and walkway are softened by pockets of perennials.

Even the garage (pardon, car park!) is charming.

I could get used to poking my head out of this window every morning.

Perennial beds are enclosed by high evergreen hedges with arched entryways.

Other garden rooms are separated by stone retaining walls, with entrances defined by broad stone steps. We played a mean game of croquet on this lawn just before leaving (kicking and screaming).

Calla lilies grow along the water’s edge.

This staddle stone sits happily along the river, nestled near the ginormous leaves of gunnera.

Campanula scampers up the stone.

The gardeners stake the peonies with bamboo sticks and twine.

They take their composting seriously at the Priory!

The Priory exemplifies English gardening at its best. A large expanse of property has been crafted into formally laid out rooms, made intimate and alluring through the use of rustic complementary materials and a rich and informal palette of plants.

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Can we all agree that no city does window boxes like Charleston? Whenever I visit, I prowl the neighborhoods looking for the most recent gorgeous window box plantings. The ever-expanding availability of subtropical and tropical plants in nurseries these days allows those of us in temperate zones to enjoy such exotics in our containers and gardens during the upcoming warm months. I’m hoping that these beautiful Charleston containers will provide inspiration as we enter the “annuals” season. I apologize in advance that I can’t identify all the plants used in these containers, but I’m giving it a shot!

This cool-toned box features plumbago, dusty miller, solanum, ligularia, and “Blackie” sweet potato vine.

From cool to hot — The red bloom of the begonia is repeated in the veining of the caladiums, with variegated ivy tying it all together.

Imagine this streetscape without the creeping fig on the steps and the simple window box (with sweet potato vine and calibrachoa) on the gate. It would be stark indeed.

The variegated cyclamen and heuchera foliage in the picture above complement the dark shutters and window box. The spilling conifer and fern add to the dark mood.

This standard Gardenia is set off nicely by the base annual and ivy plantings.

All the window boxes, with the exception of the one above and below, are mounted on a neutral background. Brick foundation is a bit more challenging, but these boxes pull it off, I think. Above is a soft range of blues and whites, including salvia, sweet alyssum, scaevola, petunia, and maybe some angelonia.

A livelier palette works against this brick foundation. I spy angelonia, calibrachoa, scaevola, solanum, salvia, hibiscus, and caladiums, among other plants.

A simple but effective combination of caladiums, ivy and . . .

Note the ingenious watering mechanism in this window box (above and below). The cord feeding the box is painted black when against the box, white against the clapboard, then black again as it snakes behind the lattice at the base toward its water source.

The window boxes above and below take their cue from the elegant architecture. No need to compete here with a riot of color. Plenty of green, with a hint of color, complements the sophisticated facade.

I love the one mega-box spanning the three windows — a Mediterranean feel.

The final three photos are of one residence in three different years. The plant palette takes full advantage of the home’s gray shades. Above, begonia, fern, setcreasea ‘Purple Queen’ and caldium, among other plants, spill out of the box.