I am procrastinating - I should be at work but thanks to the weather it's been postponed. So I suddenly have a couple of hours free before my next garden - hopefully the rain keeps off.
I had toyed with the idea of working in my own garden however when I took Moss out, it is absolutely sodden out there, so now I am back inside with you lot thinking that I'll stick the kettle on and with a mug of coffee post about our Sunday adventure .... yup, think that is what I'll do. Back in a tick.
When we woke on Sunday morning, it was after a rather hot and muggy fitful night in the van, we had listened off and on to the storms as they continued to roll over the sea, sometimes crashing over the van. At some time through the night a merry group of happy football supporters sang tunelessly home as they wove their way through the lanes. Then just as it became light we both finally fell asleep to awake again at 9am feeling a little groggy.
Throwing open Zeb's door revealed a damp view with more storms drifting across the horizon. The air felt fresh and we could smell the wet grass and it smelt cool and invigorating. We had our breakfast and tidied the van - we had a date to keep before meeting up with Youngest - we were off to visit a garden as part of the
NGS. We used to do this a fair bit when the boys were younger and I decided on a whim I would like to start doing it again. So last week I, checked the garden was dog friendly and served teas then happily booked two tickets on line.
We parked alongside the very attractive Lancaster canal, walked down a lovely little street with cute houses and pretty front gardens, then beneath a rather impressive railway arch and arrived at Carr House Farm.
The description and the website photographs did not do this garden justice. Although not our style of landscaping it was nonetheless an impressive garden which had obvious love and care and hours and hours of labour dedicated to it and it showed by the bucket loads!
We wandered around looking at the plants and hidden sculptures - some which were in plain sight and others that took a moment or two to spot.
The Italian influence could not be missed with huge urns, fastigiated conifers, avenues and statues.
Then equally there were hints of an Oriental influence - the one I particularly liked - the bowls of tumbling Soleirolia soleriolii - one I might try!
Throughout the garden there were water features filling the air with the sound of trickling or gushing which made Moss's ears prick up - we had to gently guide her away (drag her more likely) before she decided a dip was preferable to walking around the garden!
We stayed about two hours, stopping for lemon drizzle and fruit cake and tea before setting off to meet Youngest. I took a fair few photographs - I have only subjected you to a small selection! But I will leave you with some of my favourites .....
He's home now, the dog is delighted as is the cat - we have been demoted by them in preference to Youngest ... nice to know your place in the pack...!
Oh - it's raining again. hmmm.
It really is a lovely garden. We’ve never done any NGS garden visiting but I am thinking of giving it a go. We did do a local village open gardens event a week or so ago, which I will blog about soon, and in our favourite garden we saw sculptures which you would look at in the garden centre and think … never in a million years … but in the right spot they somehow just look so right 😃
ReplyDeleteI do recommend visiting an NGS garden - not only are you supporting a good cause - it is most enjoyable seeing other folk's gardens and if there is tea and cake - even better!
DeleteOh my! that sky looks very dramatic. At least it brightened up for your garden visit. X
ReplyDeleteIt was very dramatic and we managed to visit the garden for a couple of hours but shortly after the rain returned with a vengeance!
DeleteWhat an interesting NGS visit! We’ve visited a few in our area in the past but nothing quite as grand as your visit.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn’t mind that stone trough..and the bowls of tumbling greenery. I think that visits like this certainly inspire!
I rather took a fancy to that stone trough too and yes, I agree - seeing how other gardens certainly inspires :)
DeleteOMG.....that garden is beautiful. Something I'll miss if we can't ever come over again, is visiting gorgeous gardens. Glad Moss could tag along too. Enjoy youngest's company while he's home & hugs to you all(including Moss). Take care & stay safe. BTW, it's perishingly cold here at the minute & very little sunshine....brrrr!
ReplyDeleteImmediately after rain it was cool - now it is warm and muggy and the plants are flourishing! is there not a similar scheme in Australia?
DeleteWhat an absolutely stunning garden, I’m so glad you paid it a visit and recorded it for us all to see.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Lynn xx
It impressive I have to agree - certainly their pride and joy and it showed with all the attention to detail :)
DeleteWhat a lovely Sunday out. Love visiting under the NG scheme. CN x
ReplyDeleteI am now wondering why it took us so long to get back to NGS visits - used to love them, have to make up for lost time!
DeleteWhat a spectacular garden and that is a farm! I imagine it was a question of where to look first. It must have been wonderful to sit munching cake and sipping tea and admiring this magnificent garden. I just love all those different features and the bowls of greenery. I am wondering perhaps I could add a couple of mini ones to my balcony garden. I had actually been thinking of buying some little pottery Buddhas to hide among my plants. At the time I thought it would be a bit too fussy but I don't know now ...I just might! Thanks for sharing your visit to this lovely place. Amanda x
ReplyDeleteThe sculptures, although quite a few, were diluted by the garden so it did not look like the rows and rows of concrete ornaments you see at the garden centre. I have a few in my garden and you have to look hard for them so when you see them it is a surprise 😁
DeleteI have bought my little Buddha and am going to hide it in a plant. (-: A x
DeleteWhat an amazing garden. They (any idea how many people?) must spend hours every day looking after in. I loved the eagle statue and the water-filled stone trough. I do think I have visited an open garden near Haworth at least 25 years ago! x
ReplyDeleteThere was no indication of 'hired staff', the husband is a dairy farmer so wife must be at home in the garden all day - the lawn was cut with a robot permanently - something to consider if you dislike mowing or your lawns are rather extensive like theirs.
DeleteWow, what a stunning garden. But I'm afraid these days I look at a place like that and think that the owner cannot possibly have a life outside of the garden . . .
ReplyDeleteLove seeing Moss desperately wanting to be IN that water trough!
Moss was desperate to jump in all the water! So she had to make do with just tasting each one 😁 The owners must spend every waking hour in their garden - the husband is a dairy farmer so I suspect that she is stuck home while he works.
DeleteI am enjoying your beautiful garden visit pictures along with my elevenses coffee... but I wish I had some lemon drizzle cake too. I was wondering if pond dipping doggies meet the required 'well behaved dog' criteria ;) Now, I do especially love the pots against the bright red wall - so simple (Creeping Jenny in them?) but marvelous! Lulu x
ReplyDeleteSo glad you did 😊 the lemon drizzle had a certain amount of delicious zingy tartness about it! The bright green plant in the pots is called Soleirolia soleriolii also known as babies tears and is such a bright and jolly little thing and makes brilliant ground cover and is much prettier than moss x
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