HIDCOTE MANOR GARDENS

As I look out my office window it is dark, damp and rainy and quite miserable, although I have been entertained by a pair of pigeons having a bath in puddle on top of the garage roof opposite me.


A couple of weeks back hubby and I went out and ended up at Hidcote Manor Gardens which is owned by the National Trust and it is on a miserable day like today I look back on a sunny summer day with fond memories and so I thought I would share the lovely day with you.

Hidocte was designed and created by the horticulturist Major Lawrence Johnston in the Arts & Crafts style, it is made up of  garden rooms, each possessing its own special character, and it is a wonderful place to wind away a few hours just taking in the different plants and also gives you ideas for planting and landscaping.

I rather fancy this as a summer house.

It is funny how plants can lift one's emotions, I am feeling better already, now to get out in the garden and do some dead heading.

FARAWAY IN FARTHINGSTONE

I had a lovely day today Ann & I had a stall at the Bay Tree Cottage Open Day in Farthingstone, the sun shone and the venue was one of the nicest we have attended.

I am leaving the blogging of our fair to Ann but am going to give you a sneek preview of part of our stall...

Ann knows the village very well as most of her mothers family orignate from there but I had never been before and as it was such a nice day I was very crafty and left Ann to man the stall while I had a walk around the village with my sister who had come over.

I have to admit to peeking over the wall to see this wonderful garden

The local pub which Ann advises is like being in someones front room - they even have a three peice suite to sit on.

I know the next two photo's are a little strange but I loved the graveyard of the local church it was so well kept.

There was a demonstration of whicker basket making in the gardens and the man who was making them Bert agreed to pose with a sweet pea willow trainer that he was making - and guess who's garden that is going in....yes you guessed correctly.

If you look behind him the display is of vegetables and flowers in quirky containers, they have used a chest of drawers which was fully planted up - now that gives me an idea.....

DECORATING IN THE GARDEN - A LITTLE BIT OF D.I.Y.

When I was 36 I threw in the towel with my boring office job and went to back college full time to learn horticulture. I had the time of my life as a full time mature student, this time an equal with the tutor so could voice an opinion and soaking up all the knowledge that I could was just a blast. I had the confidence to change courses three times until I found one that suited me and I even received the Student of the Year award for Garden Centre – goodness knows how...

The garden in the new house is tiny compared to the 180 foot that we used to have, it is more of a large yard than a garden. I will not miss the maintenance as it took so much of our time up but this one needs to have some work done on it. Lots of hard landscaping in the form of decking and gravel areas but no plants. I THINK IT IS CALLED LOW MAINTAINANCE.

Yesterday the sun was out and it was time to tackle the problem. There was one small area that had been slabbed over that I could make a bed for some plants. Got hubby to lift the slabs for me and he put in my water feature – I do love to hear the sound of water and that gave me an area to work in.
























I planted French Lavenders, Choiysa Ternata, Hollyhock, Hardy Geraniums, Turks Head Lily, Bleeding Heart mixed with some pansies and now all I have to do is sit back and wait for them to grow.

Talking about downsizing I have only got so much room in the house and so have decided to spill my vintage collecting bug out into the garden – I refuse to be beaten....

I wonder who F Pogson was and what did he store in this trunk.