LE MANOIR AUX QUAT'SAISONS

I know it's been all about gardens on this blog lately,  but I do want to share our one night's experience at Le Manoir aux quat' saisons,  Raymond Blanc's famous hotel and restaurant,  just outside Oxford.

We visited Le Manoir 29 years ago!  I'm not sure why we waited so long to return,  but what a credit to Raymond Blanc that, after all these years, the hotel has gone from strength to strength.  Michael and I were hugely impressed with the outstanding service.  I don't think I've ever experienced this level of cosseting before!

  

Our welcome was warm and efficient,  our room and of course, the dinner,  was superb.  The gardens have changed and there are numerous garden sculptures creating whimsy and humour.  Chris Beardshaw has recently designed a new flower meadow, planted beneath some old apple trees.

The English Water Garden is fed by natural springs.  These gardens were originally dug by the monks who occupied the site in the 16th Century.

The vegetable and herb gardens are very impressive.  The gardens are organically managed. 

The approach to the hotel.  Note the mortar and pestle on the left.

One of the three sitting rooms.  

The wide passages outside the bedrooms

Our beautiful bedroom, 'Hollyhock'.    What a treat it was!  Once the Master bedroom of the Cromwell family.  The wallpaper is hand painted.

A beautiful soap next to the bath and a little muslin bag provided so that the guest may take it home.

The food was out of this world...

The abundant breakfast buffet

The gardens at Le Manoir are special.

A view through the wall to the water garden below.

Unusual way of growing Ceanothus on decorative trellises.

A little buxus collection

I spy more Aliums

Loved this dark ruby Astrantia

Rows of Hidcote Lavender lining the pathway

Chris Beardshaw's flower meadow.

'The two acres of vegetable gardens are overseen by a bronze scarecrow, modelled on Raymond Blanc himself!'

The Japanese Garden and below the English Water Garden.

I do hope we will return very soon to this wonderful place.

HIDCOT MANOR GARDEN

HIDCOTE MANOR GARDEN

I find taking photographs in the rain very difficult while balancing the brolly on my shoulder.  Add a wind gust and the brolly goes flying.   Suddenly rain is everywhere and it's not pleasant anymore!  None of this, however,  could spoil my first visit to Hidcote.   I had been looking forward to visiting this garden for such a long time!  

We are into week two of our garden tour and even more fascinating than the gardens themselves,  is  finding out more about their creators.  

Hidcote Manor Garden is an Arts and Crafts garden and one of the most famous gardens in the world.  When Lawrence Johnston's mother bought Hidcote in early 1900,   there was no garden there with the exception of a few mature trees.  Lawrence began developing the garden in 1907 and his development of the garden continued for the next 40 years.  He travelled the world in search of unusual and interesting plants and created a  'laboratory'  at Hidcote.  After finding the winters at Hidcote a little too harsh for the acclimatisation of these unusual plants,  he bought a series of agricultural terraces called Serre de la Madone in France.  This was to become his Riviera residence.  I am hoping to do a new post on this, his second garden after some more research and hopefully a visit.

Originally an American,  Lawrence Johnston was educated in Paris and Cambridge.  In 1900, after he became a British subject,  he joined the Imperial Yeomanry and was posted to South Africa where he fought in the Second Boer War.  It was during the time he spent there  that Johnston developed a love of South Africa flora.  In 1902, he served  in World War 1 and attained the rank of Major.

I can imagine the relief he experienced when returning to Hidcote after the time spent in the forces.  The peace and beauty of the countryside would have been a balm to his soul.  He was a reserved man and rarely allowed any photographs of his garden.  He shared his plans and the garden with very few. 

Lawrence Johnston acquired an extraordinary knowledge of the plant kingdom and remained a plant hunter all his life.   

Lavender 'Hidcote' and Hypericum 'Hidcote' originated from this garden.    A yellow, semi-double climber bears the name 'Lawrence Johnston'.  The sheer size and scale of the garden was truly impressive and it was thanks to  The National Trust who took over the garden in 1948, that the garden became available to the public and has been enjoyed by so many.

Hidcote Manor House

The White Garden

The Old Garden

The Great Lawn

The photo above is not mine.  I included this  to highlight the problems the Yew bird topiaries are  experiencing which is obvious in my photo above this one.

Auriculas galore.   In 2011 The National Trust commissioned Michael Dillon to paint the mural as seen here in the Italian House.  The original mural painted by Johnston had virtually worn away.

The central Stream Garden

The Long Walk

The Long Walk facing the Gazebos

The Long Walk

The Pillar Garden

The Pillar Garden

The Long Walk

This peaceful scene just off the edge of the garden

The Stilt Garden

The Long Borders. This was at the end of a couple of hours in the garden and the weather greatly improved!

Lawrence Johnston's tool shed