Japanese anemones: From May 2007 I have written to myself about the happenings around me. Actually further back then that but I deleted the earlier blog because of a troll. So as it is August I shall pick up this 2007 August blog. I actually went to Google Earth and looked at our old house and garden, not wise, it had been turned all to lawn, apple trees gone and pond. Sad but inevitable.
"In my garden are two great displays of these tall Japanese anemones, far too early for this time of the year as they are supposed to be autumn flowering. There exuberance is extraordinary probably down to the strange weather we have been having this summer. But suddenly I realised that they have a story behind them. A small plant of these flowers was given to me about 25 years ago by a person who lived in Box in Wiltshire, and they have now grown from small beginnings to giants dominating their positions. The garden they came from, had the remains of a large roman villa under its surface. This villa was enlarged in the 3rd or 4th century by a wealthy owner, and apparently has the largest collection of roman mosaics in the country, with mosaics being found in 20 of the 41 rooms in the complex. The villa was excavated by Hurst in 1967, there are probably pottery and mosaics at Devizes museum somewhere in a dusty box." .....
I have seen a map of that villa. It is absolutely vast. They say it looked more like a palace or civil administration building than a domestic villa.
ReplyDeleteWell I looked it up, it was the 'Wilderness House' she lost her son to suicide a great tragedy. He died of drugs under a tree somewhere a bit like Nick Drake. But I see Thomas The Tank Engine author W.Awdrey also lived there in his time.
ReplyDeleteYou share so many interesting stories of the past, Thelma! Lovely photo!
ReplyDeleteI miss my flowers Ellen.
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