Bumble bee on dahlia, Picton Castle, Pembrokeshire, August 2013
I’m still ploughing through all the pictures I took on holiday in Pembrokeshire in August. These are from Picton Castle, near Haverfordwest. Here I will mostly focus on the garden, but there is more about the castle itself on this website.
Picton Castle
The Normans tried conquering this part of West Wales in the 11th century, but it was Henry I who made the greatest inroads, sending his Flemish colonists here. One of their leaders, Wizo, set up a castle at Wiston and granted land in the area to his knights. It was probably around this time that a first castle was built at Picton by one of these (unnamed) knights.
Picton Castle, August 2013
By the end of the 13th century Picton was back in the hands of the Wogans, barons of Wiston, and then through successive marriages of heiresses the castle passed through ownership in the names Dwnn and Philipps (the eccentric spellings are correct).
Philippses have lived at Picton since the late 15th century and have been baronets since 1621. The buildings have been reworked several times, much of the structure having been added in the 17th century.
But that’s enough about the buildings. Let’s get back to the plants…
Dahlias and Crocosmias…
Dahlia Bishop of Llandaff – my camera isn’t very good at bright reds and bright purples!…
Bishop of Llandaff is very distinctive with its “black” foliage and I always recognise it. Perhaps because Llandaff is a little old city within a city here in Cardiff.
But I hadn’t realised there are also another couple of “bishop” dahlias with dark foliage…
Dahlia Bishop of York…
Magnificent magenta dahlia Bishop of Canterbury…
Crocosmia Star of the West…
As well as colour, there is plenty in the way of architectural plants…
Gunnera manicata is a giant rhubarb-type plant from South America – sorry there is nothing in the picture to show the scale! These are about three or four feet high…
Not sure what this is…
…I can’t name this one, either
I think this is Macleaya cordata, the plume poppy…
Echinops or globe thistles…
Eryngium bourgatii Picos Blue
Eryngium agavifolium…
It’s called that because the leaves are a bit like agave leaves…
Some kind of posh teasel (Dipsacus)?
An architectural pineapple in stone…
Red hot pokers (Kniphofia) beside an old gate…
Lemon yellow Kniphofia…
…and it looks lovely with the blue Agapanthus
And here’s some more Agapanthus…
Another glorious colour combination – golden grass and red Crocosmia…
A fountain in the walled garden
Pink water-lilies
This subtle purple plant grows well beside the pond…
Phlox?
Diascia, I think…
Echinacea or coneflower…
These red berries of the guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) grew around a bench…
I always love an acid-green Euphorbia – this one is called Abbey Dore
And you can’t go wrong with a horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)…
And finally an unusual one I can name – because it has a label on it – Libertia ixioides, also known as the mikoikoi or New Zealand iris…
And so it was back to the castle’s gift shop and restaurant, for a huge piece of quiche…
Through the archway into the castle courtyard…
The Squirrelbasket 
Hi Pat, Well ! I thought I had visited most Castles in Wales but I don’t remember Picton Castle at all. It looks splendid. Love your photo’s especially the stonework Pineapple that’s great ,and your photo of Pink Water lilies excellent. I have always wanted a pond with water lilies, you have inspired me to do that in my garden for next year. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the comments.
I once tried to grow a mini waterlily in a tub. It looked so easy in the book! But I failed miserably…
Good luck with your garden plans 🙂
Bee looks like Buff-tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris
Thank you Paul. The various species of bumble-bees are yet another thing I have on my list of things to learn!
At least I can recognise a bumble bee. Our photographers again put a picture in the paper the other day that was supposed to be a bee, when it was a bee fly…
I sometimes despair 😦
You’ve captured a beautiful garden in all its August glory. Seen from my perspective of a very foggy October morning, it is cheering.
I think that’s the last of my summer flower images. And autumn still doesn’t seem to have happened here.
The ash trees outside my window are still green apart from one or two yellow leaves. Which is not a good thing when they are forecasting gales this weekend…
Best wishes 🙂
Jumping up and down in excitement (yes, really!).
We have Gunnera manicata in the lower gardens in Bournemouth – never knew what they were or where they came from. Reminds us of The Day of the Triffids … they are HUGE
Fabulous photos Pat.
Shaz
Surprised you were THAT excited!
But yes, they are great – not sure if they taste like giant rhubarb, though.
I first saw them in a woodland garden in West Wales a few years ago, I think.
As for the Day of the Triffids, I’ve read that one, but realised the other day I hadn’t actually read the Midwich Cuckoos – so that’s another one that has gone on to my Kindle.
Still trying to decide whether to get the first Forsaken book after your recent post on the sequel. Mulling it over…
All the best 🙂
The excitement was FINALLY finding out what they were!
Lisa M Stasse’s books are my book hangovers Pat. Loan from the library?
If you mean what I think you mean, I just checked and they are now available on Kindle – but a little expensive!
I’ll wait until I have cleared my virtual “pile” of books before I think again, but it’s on my maybe list 🙂
No doubt there will be a promotion. If I catch it I’ll let you know Pat.
Love the photo of the GUNNERA MANICATA They have this plant in Clyne Gardens in Swansea. I do love their very big leaves.
Your photos are beautiful and a nice read.
Thank you for the kind comments – and for mentioning Clyne Gardens in Swansea. I have now put it on my list of places to visit (with my camera!).
I admit that we always head straight past Swansea to West Wales, but it’s time we started exploring that area, as it is not that far away from us and has many attractions we have missed.
Hope your gallstones problem is sorted soon. That can be SO painful!
I am now following your blog, so will watch out for better news from you.
Best wishes 🙂
Such beautiful plants in this collection of photographs. The Dahlias are indeed magnificent.
Yes, I wish I could grow dahlias. My father did, for a few years, but in those days you had to lift them in winter and put bordeaux mixture on them to stop them going mouldy and it was such a palaver and you always lost some in the end, anyway…
Like fireworks, they are probably best in organised public displays!
Best wishes 🙂
your first unknown might be a fig tree. Purple flower in the pond is pickerel weed, did we ever battle to remove it – grows with fervour and passion!
I think you are right – I will add that info in when I get a minute.
I see pickerel weed is properly called “Pontederia cordata”. Such a pretty plant for an invasive species!
Thanks again…