A National Trust Day
Another sunny frosty day. It seemed right to visit one of our National Trust stately homes. I have been visiting Polesden Lacey for over 20 years, and never tire of what it has to offer. Especially on a day like this.
This gorgeous house was owned by Mrs Ronald Greville, a society hostess who regularly entertained Royalty. She insisted that the house should be enjoyed by the public after her death, and donated it to the National Trust. She is buried in the gardens, as are many generations of her pets.
She held fabulous dinner parties with elaborate French cuisine. I wouldn’t have minded popping in for supper I must say.
The Edwardian garden has a series of walled and hedged enclosures with roses and herbaceous planting. But what I love the most are the lawns and views on the North Downs.
In the enclosed gardens is an ancient wisteria which is magical when in bloom
Today it’s bare, but still lovely as it’s branches are so intricate
The walled garden has a series of portholes which seem to want to frame its contents.
Beyond the garden, but still in its grounds are some little covered bridges
This one has some seats for a quick rest, or, as was the case today, a place for bored children to practice their orienteering skills.
The place was very busy. Time to go before the lunch crowd descended. A lovely sunny place to be. I never tire of Polesden Lacey.
The Lungs of Vienna
It was steaming hot during our trip to Vienna. Where ever you are, there is always a little or big park to dive into for some air. Here is what we saw in the parks we found
Some are huge and formal with spectacular water features
Some were less formal, but had even more interesting water features. These lily pads were enormous!
There are still plenty of flowers blooming
The brighter the better in my view.
These flower beds were shaped in swirls found only in special parks
This must be the oldest glass house in the world.
There was a pumpkin display on. Harvest festival perhaps?
The exotic ferns were gorgeous. Especially on a hot September day.
Perfect July Sunday
The Royal Horticultural Society provided us with the lovely gardens of Borde Hill. A perfect place for a stroll with Poppy and her lovely mummy. There were few other people visiting. Everyone else was watching the men’s final at Wimbledon
Roses are the major feature of any English garden at this time of year. Borde Hill is laden with them
I particularly like these peachy coloured ones. Their scent is delicious
I haven’t seen a day lily this colour before. It clashed perfectly with the daisies behind
So peaceful it was I decided to lie down for a moment. Unfortunately I left my camera unattended…….
Wish I could say this was me. However she was a little my junior I fear…
No point in having a post about lovely flowers without this Poppy feature. Having her pre-outing bath….xxxxx
A British Garden
The National Trust is a very British institution. One of my favourite gardens in Nymans in West Sussex. It has everything I enjoy in a NT visit:
The building behind this sculpted hedge has no roof, but has been preserved as it stands beautifully
There is a border of bee loving flowers, that buzzes as you walk through
Flower beds are not too manicured and the colours clash beautifully
Lovely! The cream tea didn’t stay still long enough to be photographed…….
Oops who’s this? This isn’t a NT garden, it’s an allotment! How did my Grand Kitten sneak in to this post?????
Garden Sightings
The appearance of these flowers despite the hard winter gives me heart
These hellebores keep coming back, even though they haven’t been pruned
This is my favourite coloured anemone, just as well as it’s the only one that seems to survive
My bleeding hearts are starting
The first grape hyacinth pushes past the forget-me-nots which quite ready
Won’t be long before these start showing themselves, can’t remember what colour they are. All the better.
I wasn’t the only one inspecting what was around in my garden today.
My Spring Collection
It’s definitely here. The clocks sprang forward, the sun is shining. I spotted some of my favourites yesterday:
There is a tiny green covered in blossoming trees. These little flowers are so delicate, and from a distance could be mistaken for snow. Not now though!
Probably my favourite spring flowers: wood anemones. They usually form carpets in wooded areas, but these were brazenly displaying themselves out in the open.
Buds in the hedgerow just ready to burst
I don’t know what type these lime green buds are. Just part of the collection.
Sweet violets just making their way through the dead leaves on the floor of the woods.
More often than not the frost plays tricks on magnolia buds and nips them just as they are appearing. This one is slightly burnt but hasn’t surrendered.
Not a spring flower, but still an eye catcher on a lovely sunny walk.
Five Reasons to Visit Wisley
Wisley Gardens put on a good show any time of year. Right now there are some end of line summer flowers along with the autumn collection. There was also a little sunshine and a lot of rain
Pretty pretty……
Five National Trust Blooms
The National Trust is a place to visit when, at this time of year, my garden is resembling a dried flower arrangement and my enthusiasm for regenerating it is low. Nyman’s Gardens did the trick. Their borders are fresh and watered unlike my own.
It costs £8 to get in, but, as we were quite severely reminded by one of the volunteers, it is a first-rate garden, and, if the person who wasn’t a member cared to join, she would save a great deal of money. But…..she doesn’t want to join we said. Preposterous! Was the non verbal reply….. Hummmmm, don’t overdo your selling techniques NT, or you might just lose as seasoned member!
Anyway, they do great teas which we enjoyed!
