Matshead Lodge

Last week we visited our first garden of the year under the National Garden Scheme. Matshead Lodge garden is at Bilsborrow, about 45 minutes from where we live, but was well worth the visit. The garden is not far from Barton Grange Garden Centre and the instructions were to park on the car park there and walk to the garden. We weren't told how far the walk was, just that it was along a public footpath, over the railway footbridge and along by the river. I was hoping it wasn't going to be too far. We both have stiff, achy joints.

It was a lovely little walk apart from the noise from the traffic on the M6 nearby and it was only under a mile, so quite manageable. As we walked along the path we met people coming the other way who told us the garden was well worth the walk. That spurred us on and  I'm pleased to say that they were right, it was worth it.

The garden is about 2 acres and has many interesting features. There was a  little Japanese garden. I didn't go over the bridge, I wasn't sure if I would be allowed. It was safely guarded.

The pond below has a crocodile living in it. Can you see it?

Throughout the garden there were many rhododendrons in bloom, providing lots of vibrant colour.

We wandered around the pathways, through archways and walkways dripping with wisteria and clematis. There were a lot of archways which gave a sense of wanting to know what was beyond, where did they lead to?

There were plenty of seating areas too, which I liked. I always like to try them out, to see what view there is from that particular point.  I love an enclosed sitting area which you just come across in a secret little area. This one was quite special.  We sat on the sofa for a while, thinking it would be good if someone brought us a drink and a meal, but no one did.

Another seating area

Another archway

When we visit open gardens we nearly always come away with an idea to use in our own garden. Our visit to Matshead Lodge made me want to plant more clematis in my garden.  Perhaps I will do that, although I don't have the space for so many archways.

There were no plants on sale at this garden, but back at the garden centre where we had parked the car, we went in to look around. Barton Grange is a big place and the plants are a bit pricey, so I don't buy from there unless there is something I can't get from a local garden centre. But I couldn't resist buying a terracotta bowl and some alpines which I planted up when we got home.

Our new garden project--almost there

 When you're a gardener, your garden is never finished, so I've heard.

That is certainly true for me. In my last garden I seemed to have a new project every year. Not necessarily a big project, sometimes it was just rearranging a border, adding more plants, making a new seating area etc.

The plans we had for our new garden are now completed. I'm sure we will make changes as time goes on, there are still one or two corners of the garden where I'm not sure if it looks right, but time will tell as plants mature.

In the back garden the last thing to do was to make one border bigger and bring it up to the shed. I hadn't been sure what we were going to do with the area in front of the shed, but now it looks good and I have been planting it up with cottage garden plants, lupins, astrantia, achillea, geraniums, poppy. I have put a tall obelisk in the middle and am going to plant sweet peas there soon.

The side border below the shed was a little narrow and crammed with plants. Making it wider has meant I could move plants forward and allow them all to spread out a bit.

In the front and side gardens we have not made any major changes as it didn't look too bad. There are some good mature shrubs in there --weigela, viburnum, lilac, hydrangea and chaenomelese.  We have simply made the borders bigger so I can get more plants in. The original narrow borders were quite dry under the wall and a bit stony making it difficult to plant anything. So I have been busy collecting plants and planting up. I'm hoping for a colourful display this summer. I bought a garden bench, my husband wondered why I would want to sit in the front garden where everyone walking past would be looking at me. It is simply somewhere to plonk myself for a few minutes when I want a break from weeding.

So that's it, our new garden is finished for the time being. When we look at it now we find it hard to believe how much we have achieved in two years. It looks so different to when we first moved in.

It's gone from this 

To this

and from this 

to this

to this

and this

Our garden is now a space that we enjoy being in. We spend a lot of time out there, both relaxing and gardening. I will continue to blog about it, but not as 'our new garden project'.