The Osterley Park estate, including Robert Adam House, formal gardens, parkland and extensive farmland, is rather a surprise, a great swathe of greenery within the urban sprawl of Hounslow, airplanes cutting across the skies from nearby Heathrow.
It is one of the last remaining ‘country estates’ in London and under the care of the National Trust and a mention of their winter garden in one of the gardening magazines prompted me to brave the icy chill wind and have a look.
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/osterley-park/
The first view of the colonnaded house is across a half-frozen lake – parkland to the front, formal gardens, meadows and woodland to the rear.
While a turn around to the back of the house –
No formal, elaborate gardens immediately behind the house but a rough meadow butts right up to the gravel terrace – and I have a mind to think it was always so, rather than being a ‘lost’ garden. Must check this!
A rather languid Oriental Plane tree, planted in 1755, sits to the side of the House and by Dickie’s Border.
The Tudor Walled Garden, a Cutting and separate vegetable garden – with distinctive deep yellow obelisks –
The American Border – not a great view just now so just the plan.
Before moving on into the newly developed Winter Garden
Snowdrop Magnet
The absolute star of the winter garden is this Clematis Winter Beauty which has been trained to wander through the low bare branches of a convenient tree. The swags of white bell-shaped blossom are gorgeous!
Hydrangea Annabelle, Cornus Midwinter Fire and a Viburnum x bodnantense with contrasting forms working quite successfully together.
Looking back to the Garden House (in white) and Mrs Childs’ Flower Garden, as we head out across the Great Meadow to Pan’s Temple. The grass was being mown…
These Magnolia grandiflora have had a significant haircut…
The stable block – including the restaurant with seating in the original stalls –
The second lake stretching out towards the M4/A4?
There is an excellent Farm Shop on the drive (Wednesday to Sunday) where I bought cauliflower, cabbage, purple sprouting broccoli and some substantial Bramley Apples. Watched over by these diminutive fellows –
The interior of the House was used as a double for Wayne Manor in the 2012 Batman franchise, The Dark Knight Rises…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osterley_Park
Finally, a Facebook Gallery from September 2010 – a little more colour but then again, a lot of work has gone on in the last few years.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.147096355329319.30181.100000868662665&type=1&l=b32a0341fb
The Teddington Gardener 