Wednesday 13 June 2012

Lytes Cary and Hound's Tongue.....

    Today we were off on a visit to Lytes Cary Manor, a 15th century  manor house in Somerset, originally the home of Henry Lyte, the translator of the Nuewe Herball (New Herbal) - he was a herbalist, and this was translated from the Dutch.  Under a glass cover is a first edition of this book to which he had added ms notes of his own findings..... imagine! a 600 year old book - dedicated to Elizabeth the First - now available to view in the reign of Elizabeth the Second.  Ignoring the Victorian additons, this was a small manor house, and was restored in the early 20th century, when the gardens with a nod to the Arts and Crafts movement were laid out, Henry Lyte's original gardens having been long lost.  Lovely little house in a lovely setting.  Yew hedges in abundance, and the roses just starting to perform around and about.  I spotted a climbing rose with blooms like little pink balls - the petals did not open further - I coveted that, I can tell you!
And in the plant shop I spent too much money...... no, never too much if stuff is coming into my garden.  But why had I never seen or heard of this lovely thing before?  This is Hound's Tongue (Cynoglossum Nervosum) and yes, they really are that exquisite blue!

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