Haddon Hall

Last Monday blessed with a glorious weather my friends Jenny Lena and Val went to lovely Derbyshire for the day. We started early leaving Doncaster and called to pick up Roberts mum before we travelled a few miles to Youlgrave. There was a church flower festival and it was also the village well dressing and Youlgrave is one of the best. I will post photo's another day as I want to share our afternoon at Haddon Hall. Unlike Chatsworth house it is much smaller but goes back in time much further. A fortified medieval manor house dating back to the 12 century the home of Lord and Lady Edward Manners who have owned it since 1567. for more info www.haddonhall.co.uk. I love this house because of its age from the worn out steps where people have walked on for century's, wood paneling, very basic kitchens to the grand hall. well worth the visit if you can.

The way into the hall, there is now a new stairway, shame.

The gardeners cottage with lovely rose growing to the roof.

In the gardeners garden the boars head and the peacock just vi sable behind the tall tree in the middle the two symbols of Hadden the Vernons and Maners family.

Inside the chapel the paintings can still be seen.

The lovely family chapel

The entrance from the the court yard into the house

The smell from the rose's was heavenly

A mass of rose's

I loved this little window with the rose's growing round

Looking over the garden wall at the little foot bridge

The chapel on the left and the long hall

Birds at it again

A few months ago we noticed all the petals from the primulas were disappearing and discovered it was the birds, i did mention this before, they are now eating all my Livingston daisy's. Its doubly worse as my friend Lynda grew them from seed as i commented last year you don't get them so much in garden center's (saying that we had them for sale in my shop this year). In this months RHS magazine a couple wrote saying they tried everything to stop the birds eating their prims and in the end put out Niger seed and it stopped as it was the Goldfinch and the siskins. But I have seen the sparrows eating mine but did put out Niger seed last week outside the garden on the big tree and within two days the feeder was empty. I had the feeder in the garden last year but the seed went everywhere and I had to cut a patch from the lawn and replace it., that's why I have put the feeder out side the garden.
The rest of the garden is doing very well. Below are just some of the things growing.

The flowers on the black elder are beautiful

Tubs outside the back door are coming on fine

Last year I managed to throw two stems of honeysuckle and this year it was spectacular.

One side of the garden two weeks ago

One of the hanging baskets from work, they were so cheep it would have cost me more to make them this big with all the things in them.

When our neighbours left at the Begining of the year they gave us this swing seat, its in the shade Robert likes it as its cool in the hot weather we have been having of late.

Some of the delphiniums are over 6foot now. I hope we don't have high winds I never know weather to stake them as this sometimes makes them snap where the tie is or take the chance that they can bend ans sway with the wind.

Last photo's of Chelsea 2010

The Upwardly Mobile Garden

designed Chris Deakin and Jason Loch and won a gold medal

Taken from the land scape of east Anglia this garden is for a young professional couple, clean and contemporary

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A City Roof Garden

by Geoff and Kas whiten they got a bronze

Designed for outside living, entertaining for people with smaller town houses.

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Sun Golden Wedding Garden

by Val Christman and he achieved a silver gilt

A garden celebrating 50 years of family life

Thease are the last photo's of Chelsea for this year, there is so much more to see. All the stands with the expert growers all the overseas visitor stands showing the more unusual flowers and plants. There is more floristy exhibits and a large range of garden ornaments and sculptures. It still gives me great pleasure to visit and I know I could never afford any of the gardens or the sculpture's and its getting expensive to go but its my one treat for the year for my birthday and will still keep going for as long as I can. Well done to all the designers and organisers. Thank you.

Flower arrangements at Chelsea 2010

The floristry competition this year was to design a parasol, the first photo won a gold and overall winner Chelsea 2010

Always at Chelsea there is a marque for the flower arrangers. This year four hotels were invited the do a display for there hotel representing afternoon tea. Center stage was the most magnificent display iv seen for ages. ginormous cup cakes filled to the brim with lovely flowers. The designer Yan Skates presenting Bespokeflowers for the Flemming Hotel Mayfair won a well deserved Gold medal.

I'm sorry but I don't have any names or medal results for the next set of photo's but still good to look at.