Perfectly Round

There is so much perfection and beauty in nature. On my various trips around gardens I have found quite a few possibilities for No. 17 Something Perfectly Round in this year’s Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt. So many flowers have that perfection. Here are a few.

Look at those Pom Pom Dahlias!

Alliums are another perfect specimen.

This is a variety of marigold.

Perfect red berries 

A visit to the rose garden at RHS Rosemoor was absolute perfection.

Which is your favourite?

Garden Inheritance

One of the choices in this years Sumer Photography Scavenger Hunt is No. 15 Something Inherited. We have a family dahlia that originally came from my Grandparents garden. My mum has kept it going for many years. It is blood red in colour and no longer available. Here they are in her garden.

Mum has an eye for planting for effect and how great they look planted on mum’s suggestion by her gardener so that they can be seen through the arch.

This hollyhock has self seeded in her garden.

The individual flower is just right for No. 17. Something naturally round.

Finally here is mum in her garden today with her new post lockdown hairdo.

Garden Detail

I always spend quite a lot of time gardening but this year I have probably spent longer than usual. I also have new beds to deal with as well as helping farmer daughter with our old garden. You will know from previous posts that I do like to get outside just after it has rained to capture a few close ups. 

I was given this double hollyhock by my brother in law last year and I planted it close to our  kitchen window. It is giving a wonderful show. Brother in Law has admired it several times but had forgotten they had grown them. It seems his didn’t do so well!

Not so many flowers on the agapanthus this year but they are just coming out.

I bought this Alstroemerias called Indian Summer on my visit to Tyntesfield. I was particularly taken by its bronzed leaves. This two is just by our kitchen window.

The evening primrose look beautiful at the moment especially as they open up in the evening to attract moths.

This is the seed pods of a plant that Farmer Husband refers to as the Woman’s Realm plant because that is where his mum originally got the seed!

My cosmos are a but slow this year. The dwarf variety are doing quite well but the Sonata Mix germinated as weedy little plants and are not much better now.

Returning to Familiar Ground

Like many charities The National Trust has not had an easy time during lockdown. All their properties were closed initially and they have started a phased reopening. They have had to address the same social distancing issues, the lack of income and having many of their volunteers shielding. Not all members have been tolerant. Some have cancelled their membership and some have complained about not being able to visit properties.

Our local property is Tyntesfield and we make regular trips there. It was therefore a good choice for my first visit back. You have to prebook and the bookings come out on a Friday morning. You choose a half hour slot in which to arrive and once there can stay all day. The ticket is on your phone and it is a contactless showing as you arrive in your car. I met up with a friend and off we went. The first stop was the toilets. All quiet and all sorted for socially distancing queuing although we were surprised to see a man emerge from the Ladies! (Definitely not a cleaner!).

There is a map available online showing the one way routes. They are also well signposted. We picked the longest route which started through the woods. We had brought a picnic and this bench outside the Summer house seemed an ideal spot to eat it. Not another person in sight.

Then we had a pleasant and very quiet walk.

Eventually we made our way down to the gardens. We were able to peep into the greenhouses but understandably they were out of bounds. There was a good aroma of drying onions.

The garden by the Orangery was looking beautiful especially when you consider that the only gardeners have been the paid ones until the volunteers were allowed to return.

Lots of lovely dahlias and then this plant which I used my Candide plant identifier app to find its name. Monarda also known as Bergamot or Beebalms.

There was plenty of colour in the Kitchen Garden. The lavender was in full bloom.

This mustard plant is explained on this notice board.

The cabbages were huge.

The carrots obviously left from last year had gone to flower. They actually make a good show..

We guessed that this device was to ensure symmetrical trimming of the bush. It made me smile because of a story we were told by one of the gardeners on a previous visit. The late Lord Wraxall who was the last occupant of Tyntesfield liked to do a bit of pruning. He was however not so great on the clearing up. Had his ghost appeared to trim this bush?

We were fascinated by the variety of cones on this tree. A little bit of investigation on google suggests that these are the male and female cones of a Himalayan cedar tree. Beginning to wish I had photographed the whole tree now.

Entry to the rose garden was not permitted for obvious reasons but we could see that it was looking good.

I am sure as time goes on they will find ways of opening more of the estate. We were very happy with out visit and made a point of visiting the newly reopened shop to buy some gifts and plants. The NT all the money they can get to replenish their diminishing funds.

Beating the Weather

We made some very early hay when the weather was very settled. A lot more has been cut and baled in the last few days. The weather hasn’t been so great but all is now safely gathered in and only just in time.

The clouds were threatening on one side of the sky and the sun shining in the other direction. Great conditions for photographs but not so great for farmers.

Luckily other than a few spots the weather held out until they were nearly finished.

Since they came in there has been a heavy shower of rain.

A New Member

This week we have acquired a new “family member “. Farmer daughter has got a kitten. Meet Boris.

He’s rather cute isn’t he? Far more attractive than his namesake. No political reason for the name choice but just seemed and a appropriate lockdown choice.

This morning he came to spend the morning in my kitchen while she was working. Poppy wasn’t bothered but Tiggy wasn’t very impressed.

No Excuses

Where have I been? Perhaps you haven’t missed me! I really haven’t got any real excuses for disappearing for several weeks. I could blame the light evenings when I don’t really stop until after dark. Anyway here I am and ready for a catch up.

What have you all been doing? I shall be calling round to see you all! We have been enjoying a tentative relaxation of lockdown rules. Nothing too dramatic but we have been meeting up with a few friends and relatives. Step one has been to buy a gazebo to allow us to manage a little outside entertaining. I have even managed to hold an afternoon book club. Definitely better than a Zoom book club meeting.

A really big step is having my mum over for Sunday lunch which we finally achieved last Sunday. She did declare that she felt like a leper with us all keeping to the other end of the table! Getting her over is the big thing. Farmer Husband has acted as a masked chauffeur with mum travelling in the back. 

Getting together with the younger generation has been a massive bonus. Seeing one of my great nephews was lovely and he was delighted to visit the farm.

I have even had a cuddle with the newest member of the family. Farmer Husband’s first great nephew born at the very beginning of lockdown.

Infinite pleasure from such ordinary happenings!