Synopsis: A drive along the south Devon coast from Strete to Salcombe where Mum and I visit Overbecks (NT) to see their Furcraea recently come into bloom. Includes an evening stroll out on Bolberry Down.
So, what is a Furcraea? I hear you say. Well, I had no idea what one was until I read the article Giant flower peers down on Overbeck’s visitors on the National Trust South West’s blog. Apparently this plant typically only flowers about once in 25 years, and it dies immediately following its flowering. Also reported as Plant flowers in Overbeck's garden after 25 year wait on the BBC News site. Seeing as this was evidently an unusual occurrence, I thought it would be a shame to miss it, so I suggested to Mum we have a day’s outing to Overbecks.
As on a previous trip of ours to Overbecks, I rather like to travel the route from Strete to Salcombe that follows the coastal road. This is a wonderfully scenic route along the coast and through picturesque villages that always adds enormous pleasure to the journey from Exeter.
Cafe - our table with a view out over the garden
Mum and I arrived at Overbecks at about 1 pm and were both ready for something to eat, so first stop was the cafe to grab ourselves a quick snack lunch. Sandwiches and a glass of lemonade was consumed at our table in the bow window. The dining area is rather pleasantly decorated with a wooden surround and fireplace which rather give it the air of an elegant hunting lodge.
One of the things I particularly like about visiting Overbecks is that you are given a Garden Newsletter on entering the property, which is published each month and highlights plants in bloom to be found about the garden at the time of your visit. It’s a simple two sides of A4 sheet with text and photos which I find a really useful pointer as to what to look out for in the garden.
Obviously there are plants aplenty beside those in this sheet, but emphasising highlights is extremely helpful. Of course this month’s Garden Newsletter just had to feature the Furcraea that has hit the news recently, as mentioned above. I’ve included below the feature on the Furcraea from July’s Garden Newsletter ….
Furcraea
After lunch we made it our number one priority to see the Furcraea, which is in sight of the door of the cafe, situated by one of the tall palm trees. The Furcraea itself stands very tall, as can be seen from this photograph. On the blackboard that stands next to the plant is a diary of the steady growth of the plant’s flower stalk since around the middle of May when it started to shoot.
There are quite a few Echium pininana or giant viper's bugloss or tower of jewels growing about the garden, the tall, often as high as 3 metres, blue spike flower makes for easy identification. I don’t have a good photo of one, but there are some shots on the Echium Pininana page of CoolTropicalPlants.com. They’re often found in Cornish gardens, but here at Overbecks the garden is obviously suitably tropical for them to thrive in abundance.
Watsonia Pillansii - or Beatrice Watsonia
In the borders that surround the lawn by the house are to be found Watsonia Pillansii - or Beatrice Watsonia. Apparently this is a close relative of Gladioli, but perhaps this plant is more subtle in appearance.
If you look closely you’ll see Dierama Pulcherrimum in the border. These are otherwise known as Angel’s Fishing Rod; now isn’t that a lovely name, and so descriptive of the plant’s appearance. This variety is the cultivar ‘Blackbird’, described as the darkest of them all (from Garden Newsletter).
Well, as with all garden visits, the photos tell the story far better than I can in words, so, more than enough said by me. Please view my photo set on Flickr (link above) to see more of Overbecks.
We finished our day’s outing with a short drive out to Bolberry Down where we took a pleasant evening stroll along the cliffs. We had hoped for a cup of tea at the Port Light (marked ‘Hotel’ on the map), but that unfortunately was closed.
No comments:
Post a Comment