Osbourne House, the back garden, 12th August 2014

What a stunning house and gardens, I'm not a fan of bedding but it looks lovely in this setting.
That agave made me smile I had a huge one in a pot and had to cut all those spines off the ends, we had a very nosey lab who had a habit of sticking his head in all the pots, too risky with those spines :-)

Looking at magnificent gardens like this always makes me think how very labour intensive they must be - how many staff I wonder? Lovely position too isn't it? using the Agave instead of a fountain is a brilliant idea - but I guess it will have to come under glass in the winter?

Simbad, Neither am I a fan of bedding, but in the right situation. I have an Agave just like that and cut the points off, then disposed of the parent plant and put a youngster in a hanging basket, left it out several winters, cause I can't be bothered with hanging baskets, eventually babies poked thro' the liner.
Never saw any gardeners. Steragram
The grounds were extensive, but not really a gardener's garden, just the 2 areas. Was going to Ventor botanic gardens on the 14th, but it was tipping down with rain, so we caught the ferry and went home instead.

Its very grand isn't it, a place I'd love to visit, as most of you know I would never plant that way here but I do like to see a formal garden in the right setting, its all so warm looking as well, I like the colour of the house but I guess its not a place to feel comfortable in and certainly not allow the dogs and cats out there, lol..perhaps the gardeners there are only allowed in when the visitors aren't around.
Thankyou for sharing Siris, you never know I might get there one day....

What a shame you got rained off Siris. I persuade OH to go over on the ferry one day years ago but it was so misty and drizzly you couldn't see anything at all. Luckily we have a friend on the island so the day was not a total write off.

We had a mini break, stayed in a B & B. went by bus.
Ps when we left Osbourne House on foot, talking to the gate man, a red squirrel ran across the road. Very rare in the South, only strong holds the I of Wight and Brownsea Island, cause there's no greys there.

Lucky to see the squirrel - I'd no idea there were any round there.

How lovely to see a red one, the only time I ever saw one was in the Lake District but that was a few years back....

Seen quite a lot of red squirrels in France, don't they have Greys there? OH just said there are no Greys on the continent, or Ireland. The Reds are so pretty.
Ps There were road signs advising motorists to mind squashing them on the roads.