Saurday started out beautifully sunny and the temperature was soon up to a balmy plus 12C so we decided to make the most of it as we knew that the garden here would still be far too wet to do any work, that was my excuse anyway! We got some new metal parts, you can see Diversified Bronze & Manufacturing for a full selection. We knew that the garden at RHS Rosemoor was holding its annual sculpture exhibition and having enjoyed it so much last year, off we went with son and dil who were staying with us for the weekend. We were greeted at the entrance by this wonderfully lifelike ram.
I think his body is made from willow, but the head with his fantastic horns seems to be bronze.
A pair of resin dancing figures that look as though they could do with a good meal.
An abstract seed pod, I liked the way it was nestled in amongst the ophiopogon.
To follow the trail of sculptures we had to cross the winter garden which was looking very pretty with its dogwood and willow stems, contrasting with the euonymous. Lots of snowdrops between the shrubs, these are all G.Atkinsii.
More snowdrops and hellebore with Rubus thibetanus in the background.
This is how I hope my cornus and snowdrops in the front garden will look, each setting the other off perfectly.
Such fantastic white stems, definitely these have been washed, they were so clean, even on the northern side, no sign of algae or moss, Betula utilis Jaquemontii.
I had no idea that fairies came lifesize! She looks rather tired poor thing, no wonder she needs a rest!
I don’t think I will need to buy these impressions of cow parsley, the lanes here are full of it in the summer and I battle to keep it under control in the garden, however these are probably better behaved!
Two dancers swaying in the breeze, we all liked this one. Even though it was sunny, there was a strong wind blowing and they were swaying backwards and forwards all the time, creating lots of movement.
A stainless steel plant which could be added to the border if it had run out of interest at any time.
A pair of cranes bowing to each other in the breeze. The bodies and wings were on a rocker at the top of the legs and as the wind blew across the garden, it made them bow to each other, neat.
Last year, my favourite sculpture was done by the artist that made this blue lady. Again it was a lady, very similar to this one, but sitting on a bench, this year she is standing in one of the borders.
A gardener’s worst nightmare, meeting a snail this huge! Fantastic texture and detail but it would eat a whole hosta in one go!
By now we are nearly down to the lake and these snowdrops were at the start, or was it the end of the woodland walk?
The lake looking really beautiful with the reflections of the silver birch. Dare I say that I think it would look even better with some red stemmed cornus over the far side as well, so that there are even more reflections?
The stream coming down from the other half of the garden. The path on the right leads through a tunnel, which goes under the road to Gt. Torrington, to lots more gardens nearer to the original house. By this time my muscles were playing up again, so it was time to turn back and head for a coffee in their restaurant!
On the way back we found some very peculiar looking birds which looked as if they had been made out of copper.
This is where background is everything, they don’t show up well against the brown beech hedge, if only it had been in spring or summer when the leaves are such a lovely fresh green , it would have looked wonderful. The birds were supposedly flying up and down, turning the wheels, which then made the basket in the centre grow larger!
After a lovely hot coffee ( the wind was very cold) it was time for us to cross Devon once more, from the north coast to the south east. We just got home when the promised rain arrived adding yet more water to all the flooded fields round about.
It’s nice having your family coming along at your garden visits! I love this garden, I even bought a geranium called rosemoor last year! I remember perfectly your post about last year’s show I was impressed. And I am impressed this time too. The winter garden is amazing and I love those birches. I agree with you about adding some corpus n the far side, we shall tell them.
Hi.Alberto, it is lovely when the family visit and we do like to try and get out somewhere no matter what time of year it is. Neither our son or dil is interested in gardening but they enjoyed the sculptures very much. I agree, the bark of the silver birches is stunning, so glad you agree about the red stemmed cornus by the lake!
Pauline – I am so pleased that you have shared your visit with us and it was a joy to see the sculptures and the gardens through your eyes. I particularly liked the skinny dancers and seeing the seed pod has triggered another woodcarving project for me. I will need to go back to Mike painter to do a fir cone, but I could manage a seed pod on my own I have a nice chunk of oak left from my acorn, so that will do nicely. Hope you will not be affected unduly by the flooding – here it has risen very quickly but seems to be receding equally quickly. Are you still recovering from your operation and the aftermath of your fall? I am so sorry it has knocked you about so much.
I love it Cathy when one piece of sculpture inspires someone to create another, enjoy carving your seed pod!
Fields round here are still flooded, especially round Exeter. We have a friend who is a farmer whose fields have been flooded for months now, he is thinking that there won’t be any grass left in the spring to feed his cattle, a very worrying time for him.
My shoulder is coming on very well, thank you Cathy, my physio is very pleased with my progress and says that I am well ahead of where I should be at this time. My underlying muscle problem, which started 2 yrs ago now and probably caused the fall, is a mystery to the medical profession, it is just so frustrating whenever I try to do anything or go anywhere, just have to take each day at a time, some days are good, some not so good.
Love the ram! Do you know, I think there were Cornus on the other side of the lake when I was last there in winter a few years ago! Maybe there are plans for some planting for later in the year. Thank you so much for sharing your walk. Christina
Christina, we think alike, I would be quite happy to have him in the garden here, loved the horns!
Fancy them taking the cornus away, they would have had wonderful reflections, hope they re-plant them sometime soon.
This is a nice show. So glad you shared it with your readers. The sculptures are nicely situated. Love the cornus and snowdrops combination.
Hi Susie, we all enjoyed the sculptures, trying to decide which ones we would like to take home with us! I’m hoping that in a few years my snowdrops and the red stemmed cornus in the front garden will look something like the ones at Rosemoor!
An excellent time of year for an outdoor sculpture exhibition. I also enjoyed seeing your photos of Rosemoor in the winter. The seed pod, the swaying dancers and the snail took my fancy and I would be more than happy to find a home for any of them 🙂 Was that you who commented on my Wordless Wednesday snowdrop post recently via Blogger? If so thank you for taking the time Pauline.
Hello Anna, yes that was me who left a message, recently I’ve been having problems leaving messages with posts that are with Blogger, as my son was staying for the weekend, I got him to sort it for me, thank goodness!
Like you, there were quite a few sculptures which I would be happy to take home, prices from £30 for one cow parsley, to £6,ooo for the fairy made me stop and think “I’m sure I could do that” ! If we had the huge snail, it might frighten the others away!!
What a lovely walk, some of the sculpture is wonderful – not so sure about the stark siting of some of it though, I am sure it would look better nestled in with some planting, but I suppose that is harder for a temporary exhibition. I love the snowdrops under the birches.
I agree that the sculptures that were in amongst the plants looked very much at home, as if they were meant to be there. The snowdrops are spreading, each time we go there seem to be far more than last time, which reminds me that this year, I really must split my larger groups!
Now that is a very fine piece of ram sculpture.
Yes, Catharine, he’s fantastic isn’t he!!
I love Rosemoor and I’m quite partial to sculpture in the garden. I’d love something for my back garden but need to get saving up for that I think. We’re hoping for a dry day to get over to Wisley. Probably shouldn’t hold my breath. 😉
I too love sculpture in the garden and so far have carved my own from various pieces of wood but somewhere like Rosemoor is a good place to see various artists work at a variety of prices. The sculptures here started at £30 for just 1 piece of cow parsley, or 3 for £85,right up to £6,ooo for the large fairy, with various other prices in between. Hopefully we will get a dry day soon so you can get to Wisley and I can get on the garden again to do some much needed work!
Pauline, what a wonderful day out you had at rosemoor. I have so enjoyed the ‘tour’ around the garden . The snowdrops are a joy to see and a sure sign that Spring is not too far away. The silver birch just a delight to see with their ‘Persil’ white trunks. I’m showing my age now!!. See you soon
Hi Jean, lovely to hear from you! Snowdrops are coming along nicely since we have had our warmer weather, Rosemoor’s were all Atkinsii which is a good one for multiplying quickly. The silver birch trunks were dazzling white, maybe they had used a pressure washer!
Pauline, what a lovely post …
Dont the Betula utilis Jaquemontii look beautiful, like ghostly guardians. I also like the abstract seed pod (I could pick that up and put it in my own garden!). Not keen on the resin dancing figures, but the other sculptures look interesting, would be nice to see them in the flesh!
K
There were quite a few seed pods dotted around Karen, but yes, that one would fit in any ones garden! We did enjoy the sculptures, most of them anyway, and the winter garden, well worth the trip.
I thoroughly enoyed that walk!! You captured the scenes beautifully. Those birch trees are so white – they look like someone when to the bother of wrapping them in pure white bandages!
Some of the sculpture is lovely and others just not my taste – that seed pod, as has been said already, fit into most gardens.
Thank you for sharing your day with us 🙂
Hi Angie, many thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it! I liked your thoughts on wrapping the birches with bandages, yes. I can see what you mean. I feel sculpture is a very personal thing, there were lots that I didn’t photograph simply because I didn’t like them! Hope you will visit again soon!
Hello Pauline
A couple of friends have told me about your blog entry about your visit to the winter sculpture trail at RHS Rosemoor . I am the maker of the ‘abstract seed pod’ nestled in the black ophiopogon. It’s actually called ‘Egg’ and has gone to a new home somewhere in north Devon I believe. It was very nice to read your positive comments and those of your blog followers about it – if anyone would like to get in touch or see more of my work, have a look on my website, http://www.karenedwardsceramics.co.uk. My studio is at Barley Wood Walled Garden, BS40 5SA, just off the A38 near Bristol Airport. Best wishes, Karen
ps I know the makers of the giant snail if anyone wants contact details!
Hello Karen, many thanks indeed for getting in touch with me. My husband and I really enjoyed our trip to the sculpture trail at Rosemoor a while ago. As an artist and woodcarver I am very keen on sculpture in the garden and take every opportunity to see other artists work, my own garden has plenty of my woodcarvings in it as focal points and I hope the carvings and plants enhance each other. I will certainly pass your details on to anyone who gets in touch with me.
Hello Pauline
Plants and individual art just go so well together!
You might already be a regular visitor there, but in case you don’t know about it another sculpture event that’s well worth a visit is the annual art & sculpture show at Delamore, which is at Cornwood, near Ivybridge in Devon. It’s on throughout May and I’ll be showing some of my work there again, hopefully including a couple of new designs if the kiln gods are kind! More information on http://www.delamore-art.co.uk.
Many thanks Karen for the information about Delamore, I have been onto their website and it looks a good place to visit. Must mark my calendar for May, I’m sure we would enjoy the sculpture along with the Azaleas and Rhododendrons.