Wrest Park

We went down to Bedfordshire recently to visit our daughter and family. She suggested we went to visit Wrest Park which is not far from where she lives and was also a place she had wanted to see. I'm always glad to visit anywhere with a garden.

Wrest Park is a Grade 1 listed mansion house and gardens.  The present mansion was built  in French style for  Thomas de Grey in 1834-39. There was a wedding on that day so some of the rooms in the house were closed to the public, but the rooms we were able to see were quite magnificent.

There are over 90 acres of gardens with parterres, woodland, long avenues, statues and sculptures, lakes and canals.

 

The gardens were modified between 1758 and 1760 by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown.

A cold February day was not a good time to visit but the gardens were vast and a good place for the grandchildren to have a good run around to keep warm. Although I am not a fan of formal gardens I was quite impressed by the parterres and I'm sure that in the summer months when the borders are full of flowers, they will be even more impressive.

There was plenty to see as we wandered around. From the parterre, long tree lined walkways fanned out leading us to statues, pavilions and follies. We didn't count how many statues there were, but there were a lot.

The children enjoyed the woodland, especially when we found the big tree which had massive pine cones and was perfect for climbing.

Wrest Park would be a good place to visit at different times of the year to see the seasonal changes.  On that day the cold weather got the better of us and we didn't stay to explore the whole of the gardens.

Through the garden gate--August

I'm joining Sarah again at 'Down by the Sea' for her monthly 'Through the Garden Gate' slot.

August has just flown by and with grandchildren to look after during the school holidays we haven't had a lot of time for gardening.  The garden itself seemed to take a rest from mid July to mid August, it's been all quiet in the flower borders with not much happening.  It's like the flowers have been charging up their batteries and are now ready to explode, full of energy again. And now in the last couple of weeks things have started to happen. The rudbekias, heleniums and phlox are brightening up the borders, the sedums are starting to show signs of colour and the white buddleia is happily flowering away.

When I have managed to find time to get out in the garden I have been cutting back the alchemilla mollis which has now gone over and also the ferns which pop up all over the place and would take over if left to do their own thing. The ferns grow everywhere and obscure the other plants in the borders so it looks much better after a good tidy up. They soon grow back again though so it's a regular job in the garden. With some of them I can manage to dig out the roots, but others are really tough and some grow out of walls so I can't get rid of them. The recent wet weather has brought out all the slugs which have nibbled the dahlias and had a feast on the hostas leaving them in shreds. 

The good news is that our Bramley apple tree, which is quite old and produced hardly any fruit last year, is now almost bending over with the weight of all this year's fruit. That means I need to tidy up the shed, clear a space to store them all and then start making things.  I found a  recipe for spiced apple chutney recently which I want to try out.

School holidays means lots of days out with the grandchildren and we've visited one or two big gardens recently--Parceval Hall and Tatton Park.  These were both fantastic places to visit and I will save these for another blog.

Into September

Where did August go and July for that matter? The summer holidays have gone by so quickly. I was looking forward to leisurely days, pottering about in the garden, catching up with a few jobs and not watching the clock for school pick ups. Well I didn't have to watch the clock, and my days were probably leisurely but not in the way I'd planned. We had some lovely days out with the grandchildren. We had family to stay and more days out with more grandchildren. We've done garden visits, been to the seaside, explored historic houses and walked a lot. It seems to have been a whirl of activity but lovely too.

So here we are in September. There's a quieter feel to the days now the grandchildren are back at school. And things are different with the eldest now at high school. There are a lot of changes to our routine.

September brings changes to the garden and the countryside as everything changes colour and berries appear. I feel I need to go out and pick blackberries even though there are some in the freezer from last year. And after last year discovering a secret place where we found sloe berries I want to return to pick more, make more sloe gin.

The garden has been very good at looking after itself these last few weeks, but I know there is much to be done. The allotment  is producing plenty, but our work on the two plots we have at the moment is of sorting stuff out and making more storage space as we prepare to give up one of them at the end of the year.
It's like moving house.

We are looking forward to some time away later this month, time to slow down, to rest, to walk, to enjoy new scenery.

 

Little helpers

 

 We've had a bit of help at the allotment recently from the grandchildren. It's not often it happens so we make the most of it--enjoy it and hope they do too.

 I have found that with my own children and now my grandchildren that as they got older they lost that interest in gardening which in the early years was so full of enthusiasm, everything was new and interesting to them.  Now there are other things to interest them and a visit to the allotment is not always welcome. We have found that we need to really work at stimulating some interest whether it is den building, sowing seeds or watering the plants. And although they might moan and groan about having to go to the allotment, they usually enjoy themselves once they are there. Sometimes they just want to run around and play, but other times they like to help, it might slow us down a bit with our work, but it's worth it knowing that they have probably learnt something by being involved.

On their most recent visits to the allotment they have been sowing purple sprouting broccolli and beetroot seeds, planting cabbages, sweet corn, french beans and sunflowers. It helps to talk about what they are planting and explain how it will grow. For example, beetroot grows below the ground, sweetcorn above and beans wind themselves around a post and some things need more space to grow than others. These things might be obvious to us who've been growing vegetables for years, but not to children who are still learning.

My own children who lost interest in gardening as they got older, I am pleased to say, rekindled this interest when they got gardens of their own so there's hope for the grandchildren yet.

Leighton Moss

I joined the RSPB a few weeks ago so was keen to visit one of their reserves in our area. Leighton Moss is not exactly in our area it's about an hour's drive up the M6 but I'd always wanted to visit.  As it was school holidays and we were looking after the grandchildren we thought it would be a good day out.

On arrival at the visitor centre we were made very welcome and as we had never been before were shown a map of the reserve on a computer screen and told which birds or animals we might see in different places.

There were a lot of professional looking birdwatchers about with big expensive looking binoculars and cameras. I kept my tiny binoculars well hidden and only took photographs when there was no one else about.  The 8 year old was given a children's backpack to look after which he appeared to take quite seriously. He had better binoculars in the backpack than I had. He didn't take a lot of interest in the rest of the contents of the backpack except when I suggested we tried to catch something in the bug catcher.  He found a spider in one of the bird hides but my attempt to catch it resulted in it being squashed.  He lost interest after that and I was not very popular.

The 11 year old was put in charge of doing the 'love birds trail' which was the children's activity for that day. We had to find the information boards for various birds and find out what their mating activity was ie sound, food, movement. That was easy.

We walked along the reed bed paths which led to the bird hides, followed at first by several pheasants.  We recognised various birds along the way, spotted nest boxes on trees, a hedgehog home and noticed how branches had been piled up in places to provide homes for wildlife.  I've done that at home in the garden and at the allotment so was pleased to see I was doing things right.

After a time walking and checking out the bird hides I could see the children were losing interest.  Hunger was taking over and we needed to get back to the car for our picnic lunch.  There were picnic benches close to the centre but it was not a day to eat outside.  It was cold, damp and the benches were wet so we settled for eating in the car.

After lunch we explored the garden area and all agreed it would look lovely later on in the year when things were growing properly. I liked this area, there was plenty to interest the children. There was a big bird feeding area where we watched the birds and the squirrel on the feeders.  The children walked through a willow tunnel structure and then sat inside a big tepee made out of thick branches under the trees. We thought we could copy that idea in the woodland den back at the allotment. There was a big bug hotel called 'Bugingham Palace' It was much bigger than our bug hotel at the allotment.

After another walk we went into the shop.  The children had some money to spend and each chose a fluffy bird which made a bird noise when pressed and a bird pen.  They had a blue tit and an owl which made very realistic noises.  I was worried that we would have to suffer these bird calls on the journey home but thankfully both children fell asleep. We must have tired them out.

Snow

Yesterday we woke to see snow on the ground. Just a light covering, but enough to throw the area into chaos as any fall of snow seems to do. There were complaints of roads not being gritted and drivers who didn't know how to drive in snow. We were just glad we didn't have to drive to work any more. All we had to do was walk the grandchildren to school which took longer than usual as we had more clothes to put on.  Then there was the wellies I had to find our granddaughter as she'd grown out of her own. She clomped up the road in a pair two sizes too big for her. And of course there was all the silliness that a fall of snow seems to bring.  I don't find snow that much fun, it's cold, wet and  slippy.  I still have bad memories of falling in the snow two years ago and fracturing my wrist.

I must admit though that snow transforms the landscape in a very beautiful way. We took our usual morning walk after we'd left the children at school.  Some places were quite snowy but there was only a light covering on the fields.

Today everything was completely different, the snow had gone and we just had a cold wind. The fields still looked lovely.

Heysham Head

We've been looking after the grandchildren this week, the first week of the school holidays.  It's probably the best week to have to look after them, before they get really bored and argumentative and you're wishing they were back at school. We've had a few outings and activities planned, both indoor and outdoor and none of these have involved any great expense.

We decided to make the most of the warm weather on Monday as the forecast for the rest of the week was not looking as good. We headed off to the coast to Heysham Head, which is just south of Morecambe.  Richard and I like to visit here from time to time and thought the children would enjoy it too.

The quiet little street of Heysham village is lined with old stone cottages and pots of bright, colourful flowers. There are one or two cafes and a pub, but that is all. The street leads down to the beach, but the tide was in when we arrived, so we walked up towards the headland and the church of St. Peter. This beautiful old church is set in a stunning location overlooking Morecambe Bay.

The oldest parts of the church date from the 8th century and there are some very interesting features.The church was really quiet, but I found a man eating his lunch in the choir stalls. I think he was as surprised as I was. He was apparently 'on duty' so he proceeded to tell us about the church. He pointed out a Viking gravestone and the children sat on the floor whilst he explained the story behind the symbols. I was worried they might be bored but they were quite entranced by his story telling.

Back outside we walked up to the top of  the headland to the ruined St. Patrick's Chapel. Here the views across Morecambe Bay are wonderful. The area around here was once a burial site. An interesting feature  is the eight stone coffins. This area was excavated during the 1970s and skeletons were found. The skeletons were dated around the 10th century and the bones have now been buried in the churchyard.

I have heard this place described by one of our diocesan bishops as a 'thin place'. This means there is not much to separate the heavenly from the earthly. It's an expression used to describe 'spiritual' places. Richard and I have always felt there was something  about this place which was very special. It's a place where you feel very peaceful, very close to God.

We found a place to have our picnic, then we followed a path which led down to a little sandy beach.  We had to do a bit of scrambling over rocks to get down there but it was worth it.  The children loved playing on the beach and paddling in the sea. Beautiful as it is, Morecambe Bay is a dangerous place with strong tides and quicksands so we didn't allow them to go far.

We made sand castles as always and of course had an ice cream before we went back home. The general opinion from the grandchildren was that they had really enjoyed the whole day, but the best thing was the beach.

Raspberry time

This morning on my garden walk about, I noticed the first raspberries were ripe. Time to get out there and pick them before the birds do, I thought. Time to pick them before the grandchildren spot them too. I don't mind sharing with either of them, but I like to get a good amount, some to eat fresh, some to freeze. So for the next two or three weeks I will be checking daily for ripe raspberries.  I scrambled about amongst the swaying branches thinking they seemed to have grown an awful lot recently and realised I'd not tied the canes to the frame which Richard had made earlier this year. That's another job to add to my 'to do' list.

I got a small amount of raspberries from these first pickings. I gave them to the grandchildren as an after school treat with ice cream. I think they will love me forever.

Making a woodland garden

The first day of the half term holidays, Helen and the grandchildren arrived to whisk me off to the allotment.  I was surprised. Firstly because it was raining and secondly because the children are not usually so enthusiastic about going to the allotment.  Gardening with children is often a bit hit and miss, so when they are keen to go it's best to encourage them. And I had a few jobs for them to do which I thought they would enjoy.

Last year I helped them to make a woodland den at the top of plot 8. It's an area where we can't grow any fruit or vegetables, there's a big sycamore tree, an elder bush and a holly, with a privet hedge along the plot boundary at the top and lots of ivy. The ground slopes down from the privet hedge forming a steep bank. Last year this bank was full of weeds, but I thought we could make a woodland wildlife garden here.  There are a lot of birds about in the trees and shrubs, we have put bird feeders up around the plot and built a bug house.

A couple of weeks ago I tried digging the soil in this area. As I expected, it was full of roots from the trees and shrubs, but after getting rid of some weeds I did find some pockets of soil where I could dig to some depth. So I cleared a few patches where I thought we could grow some woodland plants and made a start by planting some pots of spring bulbs, crocus, snowdrops, tete a tete narcissus and also some bluebells which Richard had dug up last year when he was clearing some of the ground in another part of the plot.

When we arrived at the allotment this week the grandchildren were quite enthusiastic about having a garden area in and around their den.  They set to work defining these planting spots with stones and pebbles and making paths.  Somehow I managed to end up being the labourer, collecting buckets of stones. We also planted up another little border with spring flowers.

By the time they had finished their jobs, it was all looking really good. I'm looking forward to seeing the woodland garden spring into life soon and we will be adding more plants as time goes on.

Building work in the den

Back from our holiday and the allotment was in need of some work.  We took the grandchildren, so of course I didn't get any allotment work done.  Instead we built a den and a bug house, well it was good fun.
We started the woodland den a few weeks ago and the children have some great plans for it.  The 9 year old had sorted herself out early on with her own little space.

But the seven year old needed some help so we gathered together some long twiggy branches and built a tepee under his climbing tree which Granddad has made easier to climb by fixing some wooden blocks onto the trunk.

Next we put the finishing touches to the bug hotel which we started a few weeks ago, it may need some refurbishment from time to time.

My new chalk marker pen proved a great success with the children and after selecting a few pieces of slate from our store of many things we had found on the plot, they set to work making some signs. There was the 'welcome to our den' , the health and safety notice, 'beware of the tree you cud fall out', and the invitation for insects to stay awhile in the newly built 'bug hotel, the place to bee'

The great garden adventure

When the school summer holidays are here and we are looking after the grandchildren we start to think of activities which we can all enjoy together and which don't cost too much money. My thoughts always turn to RHS Harlow Carr and when I suggest a visit, the children always say YES! I'm  surprised because to me Harlow Carr is a garden and if I was to suggest going to visit a garden they would probably not want to go. But to them Harlow Carr is fun.  There are always childrens' activities during the school holidays and there are the usual fun things in the woods. Our 7 year old grandson wanted to see the new Log Ness Monster. So with a picnic, our RHS members card and our kids go free vouchers we set off.

The 'Great garden adventure' is the theme for this year's summer activities for kids at Harlow Carr, with lots of garden related activities to keep them interested.  We followed the 'Great garden explorer trail'. We had to go to different points around the garden and find out about things which were important for the planet. As always on our visits here we  went to the woodland area where the children played in the log maze and the tree house.  The giant musical instruments are good fun and we also found some willow teepee structures.  Finally we found the Log Ness Monster. It was quite a friendly monster.

Well  the day wasn't just for the kids, there were things for us to enjoy too. I love the kitchen garden, this is where I like to get ideas for our allotment. We tried to get the children interested although they just enjoyed running around most of the time.  We did manage to find some runner beans with white flowers just like our grandson is growing on the allotment, and we did a bit of squash spotting in the big squash and pumpkin bed.

At this time of year I love the big herbaceous borders, they are just amazing for their drifts of colour and if you're wondering where the country's bee population has disappeared to then I think they were all there on the flowers. The borders were buzzing. The children were impressed with the massive allium seed heads, but what they probably loved most was rolling down the grassy hill.

 

I loved the big containers in the 'gardens through time' area planted up with amaranthus.  The children were fascinated by the huge red tassel like flowers.

 I was also pleased to see quite a lot of areas planted up with annual meadow flowers to attract the bees and butterflies.

Those are some of the highlights of our visit, not forgetting  the warm sunshine, a picnic in a quiet corner of the garden and an ice cream from Betty's tea house.

Woodland den

On the day of the teachers' strike this week we were looking after our two grandchildren.  When I suggested going to the allotment I got the usual response--"oh yes!" from our grandson who loves going and "oh nooo" from our granddaughter who doesn't.  At my next suggestion, to make a woodland den at  the top of the allotment, all eyes lit up--yes this was much more interesting.

At the top end of plot8 is a slope with a big sycamore tree and some bushes, an elder and a holly.  It's not possible to use the space for growing vegetables or fruit.  The grandchildren always enjoy playing up there, it's a good place to hide and run around, but there are lots of weeds and rubbish- nettles, brambles, glass and plastic.  It wasn't a very safe area for children.  So I've had a plan in mind to make it into a safe area where the children could play and have their own space.

Armed with strong gloves, rubbish bags and secateurs, the children and I set to work clearing the area and cutting back branches.  My 9 year old granddaughter normally has no interest in the allotment, preferring to stay at home and read a book.  So it was good to see her full of enthusiasm for the project and to have her say that it was the best day she had ever spent on the allotment.  I had to admit that I was quite enjoying myself too. 

We managed to clear the nettles, cut back the brambles, trim the holly and clear up most of the rubbish. Under my granddaughter's supervision I cut back overhanging branches to her height and made an archway of branches at the entrance to the woodland, a soft curtain of leaves in the middle to provide a hiding place and a pathway all the way through. As we worked away we thought about what we could do to make the woodland area into a good den.

We got rained off later and after adjourning to the shed for our lunch we went home to make plans.  I got them to think about what they would like to have in their woodland den.

So we now have a list of ideas:

• Make seats out of some of the bricks and planks of wood lying around on the allotment
• Bird feeders in the trees
• Make a bug house
• Make a shelf to put interesting nature finds/treasures
• Make things like mobiles or sculptures out of twigs, stones, pebbles, leaves etc
• Have a rope ladder so they can climb the big tree (Hmm, well maybe granddad can fix something up)
• Have a camouflage awning (this could cost money)
• Make a hideout from long branches like a teepee (we could collect branches from the woods across the lane)

I have to say that I'm quite excited about this project myself, but I'm wondering if adults might not be allowed in there once it's finished. I'll keep you up to date with our progress.

Not completely useless

Here I am recovering from a broken wrist. I'll try not  to dwell on it too much, but sometimes I feel useless. I'm trying to get back to normal, I'm told to do things to exercise my wrist but then I suffer with pain and I'm told I'm doing too much. What I really want to do is dig the allotment, but I know that's a long way off. The very thought of digging makes me want to squeal in pain.

So, longing to get out in the garden and do things, I've been thinking about what I can do in the garden, gentle things which don't overtax my wrist. I 've been able to do a little bit of tidying up in the borders, clearing away dead foliage and a bit of hand weeding. I enjoyed that. I  chitted the potatoes. That was an easy job. At the allotment my daughter Helen and I planted onion and garlic sets in modules. That was a nice gentle job, it didn't hurt.

At home I have been sowing salad seeds for micro greens and baby leaves. I can manage that. I sowed pea seeds for pea shoots, rocket, radish, mustard, mixed leaves, kale, cabbage, beetroot. All these can be sown at this time of year for baby salad leaves. They grow quickly if sown indoors and are kept on a windowsill. They are great to cut and add to salads and sandwiches. I even got the grandchildren involved one day when they got home from school. I filled a big tray of compost and brought it indoors. I then found some recycled plastic food containers to use as seed trays. I let them choose what they wanted to grow. The fact that they were going to grow salad leaves was of no interest to them, as they said they didn't like salad. I suggested that mummy would like to have some, but the thing which really grabbed it for them was that it was a messy job. They dug their hands into the compost, got dirty and made a mess.

So in the end they enjoyed their after school activity and they had a tray of newly sown seeds to take home. Their mum was pleased. I just had a lot of mess to clear up afterwards. It was a bit painful, but I managed. (ouch!). Hopefully they will get more interested when they start to see the seeds germinate.