Sunday morning gardening

It’s been ages since I’ve had the luxury of spending a morning on the garden at my house.  I can’t show you the pots I’ve planted up for spring as they’re mostly bulbs but hopefully they will resemble these illustrations on the packets.

 

I was trying to emulate Monty Don’s ideas but the Cornus and Mahonia he suggested for the centre of the pots were too large and expensive at the nursery I visited.    I used cuttings I had of Hebe and Euonymus for my centre pieces and planted various bulbs around them.   I planted the wallflowers in a trough with some miniature daffies.  These were mixed colours.  I prefer them bare-rooted and one colour but I had to purchase them in a hurry last week. 

I also tarted up some other pots, wall and borders with what I had left over plus some bellis daisies and ivy.  One of my resolutions this year was to extend the season in my garden and I definitely have more interest at the end of October.  The display table at my gardening club had a whole array of flowers and foliage which our members brought in from their gardens gave me plenty of inspiration for next year http://gardenersfridayforum.blogspot.co.uk/

as did Angie on her blog

http://mygardenblogs.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-october-2015.html

My quandary was whether to cut down some of the plants for the winter or leave for the wildlife and as protection against this severe winter which the media are forecasting, so I compromised.

Visit to Burnby Hall Garden and Museum, Pocklington

We had an enjoyable visit to Burnby Hall in Pocklington in the Yorkshire Wolds,   The gardens have been on my “to see” list for ages.  The museum houses hundreds of interesting exhibits, collected by the previous owner of Burnby Hall, Major Percy Stewart, during his travels to every continent in the early 1900s, often accompanied by his wife.

There was still plenty of colour at the end of the Summer plus other delightful touches, although I thought that some of the contemporary sculptures were rather out of place especially in the Victorian Garden.

 The Secret Garden opened out into this lovely open area with statue.

The Upper and Lower Lakes are home to a National Collection of over 100 varieties of Hardy Water Lily.

 The Hall is now used as council offices

 

 

The cafe didn’t offer much for vegetarians but I found this in the gift shop reduced from £2.95 to 50p – who else would want post-its with a Yiddish phrase!

While not my favourite garden, it is well worth seeing for the surprises which are revealed around every corner