Large gardens at chelsea

On to the large show gardens, These tend to be contemporary gardens with bold structures and this year was just so.

The perfume garden by Laurie Chetwood and Patrick Collins won a gold medal and most creative award, all the plants and flowers all were to have a sent but you could not get to close and could only smell the perfume being made and the sample being given out.

With the wet summers we have had the last few years the Leeds city council with designer Martin Walker with water and floods in mind designed the Hesco garden which they won a silver gilt medal.

The Cancer research UK garden by Robert Myers won a silver gilt. The structure at the back of the garden represents Impact and sends ripples through the garden the water feacher was very clever, I can't make up my mind if this was my best garden.

I love this garden this avenue of trees was fabulous. laurent Perrier Garden by Luciano Giubbilei got a gold with its calm atmosphere, simple classical structure of the planting.

Look at the way the trees have been shaped with ivy growing all very neat in the black wall.

The Sweadish designer Ulf Nordfjell designed this garden for the Daily Telegraph and not only a gold but best in show. A modern take on a rock garden it was wonderful, I especially loved the rocks in the water.

Foreign and Colonial Investment garden by Thomas Hoblyn. The wood was very dominant in colour there were some similar coloured flowers dotted throughout the garden but I felt should have been stronger, but what do I know it got a silver medal.

Future Nature designed by Nigel Dunnett, Adrian Hallam and Chris Arrowsmith won a silver gilt. The aim was the wider environment and wildlife saving water and wild planting.

Not really sure about this garden. I like large stepping stones but the design at the back is well !!The flowers are pink Impatients and the garden title is the quilted velvet garden by Tony Smith and if I'm right the sponsors were the toilet tissue and that's all I can see as the advert says soft soft soft. Sorry, It did however get a silver medal.

The next garden I thought was very brave, instead of one large garden the designer Ian Dexter for Marshalls created four modern urban street gardens for the times we are living in. All were different and earned him a silver gilt.

Room to park the car but still space for plants, up the wall there was a lot of this at Chelsea this year. There is also a water feature running down the wall.

The second garden is soft planting like a meadow and cottage garden. All have a seating area.

The third garden is for a couple who like to grow their own with an edible wall of herbs, salads, tomatoes. In the garden there are vegetables, fruit trees and vines growing up the coloms.

The forth and final garden has an oriental feel with clean lines and a water river running through the garden with water lilies.
There is a lot more I would like to show you but don't want you to get fed up and must really go and feed Robert so if you are still interested I will post more at the end of the week. There are all flower arrangements and the NAFAS stand and more gardens still yet to show.

Everything Is Growing.

Well at last, the space behind the door in the porch has had the log basket taken away to be replaced with the sun lounger. What a lovely hot day, makes up for the day before, my birthday. We had intentions to visit a garden but the traffic was so bad after an hour and half we did a u turn and came home. I had a good afternoon in the garden. We have never gone out on bank holidays and now we know why.

As I mention I had a week of work last week, starting the week with Robert and our 5Th and final trip to the cancer hospital Weston Park in Sheffield.With the doctors reassurance that after five years the cancer is unlikely to come back we give thanks to God whom I have had faith in all these years. After our appointment as we are near Dearbyshire we go and see the parents stopping of at a garden center where we usually buy something.

I chose a Euphorbia Craigieburn with purple/red stems and a contrast Salvis ergentea, large silver grey leaves and tall stems with pinkish-white flowers. I have planted them next to each other. I also got a Limonium latifolium and an other Viburnum as mine again this year don't seem to good.

I have managed to get the honeysuckle to grow over the porch just needs to thicken up next year.

The garden is growing fast now but still have some gaps so there is always plants to buy. When we moved here four years this August one of the first jobs in the garden after we designed it was to plant the box hedge, the trouble is some of the plants must have had the disease box blight and i must have replaced nearly half. So I have dug up the whole back row replanted them in all the gaps and Robert has planted a privet hedge and if the box continues to die we will plant all privet. We want to keep it short and with the mulit planting it keeps a frame to the garden.

Hannah

What a week Iv had. I have had a weeks holiday mainly to go to the Chelsea flower show, to take Robert to the hospital ( l tell all later) and to see my lovely Hannah. I went to Coventry to stay with my sister Julie to have a few days with all the family before Julie and I went to the Chelsea flower show on Thursday. Hannah is 16 months old now and has her own little personality she is walking all round the furniture but will just not let go.

After some serious baby shopping we went to the park. After feeding the ducks and swans we headed for the swings Hannah's favourite, she laughs all the time she is swinging.

Hannah with her mum, she never stopped laughing.

Im am thankfull

Last Sunday I made some lovely flowers for a wedding they turned out very well.

Two weeks ago whilst listening to Alid Jones on radio 2 Sunday morning show his guests were a Christian group. The poem below was aired and it really touched me and would like to share it with you. sometimes we think we have nothing and everything is against us I shall read this when I'm feeling low.

I AM THANKFUL:
For the wife Who says it's hot dogs tonight,

Because she is home with me,And not out with someone else.
For the husband Who is on the sofa Being a couch potato,

Because he is home with me And not out at the bars.
For the teenager Who is complaining about doing dishes

Because it means she is at home,Not on the streets.
For the taxes I pay Because it means I am employed.
For the mess to clean after a party

Because it means I have Been surrounded by friends.
For the clothes that fit a little too snug

Because it means I have enough to eat.
For my shadow that watches me work

Because it means I am out in the sunshine
For a lawn that needs mowing,Windows that need cleaning,

And gutters that need fixing Because it means I have a home.
For all the complaining I hear about the government

Because it means We have freedom of speech.
For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot

Because it means I am capable of walking

And I have been blessed with transportation.
For my huge heating bill Because it means I am warm.
For the lady behind me in church

Who sings off key because it means I can hear.
For the pile of laundry and ironing

Because it means I have clothes to wear.
For weariness and aching muscles At the end of the day

Because it means I have been Capable of working hard.

For the alarm that goes off In the early morning hours

Because it means I am alive.
And finally, for too much e-mail

Because it means I have Friends who are thinking of me.
Live well, laugh often, & love with all of your heart!

Everythings growing

It seams a while since i have had time to write but wanted to share some of my latest photo's. My college at work has been away for the last week and a half and i had a Sunday wedding last week so any time has been spent cleaning washing ironing and stuff. Its been so cold and windy all week and now the rains set in the photos would look better if there had been a blue sky. I'm off on holiday next week and off to the Chelsea flower show with my sister, spend a day with my friend and some time with Hannah and her mum. I hope the weather picks up and my thoughts are with the men and women who are trying to get their gardens ready for the Chelsea flower show. I don't know if its the return of the cold weather but I'm in a lot of pain with arthritis this week.

The chestnut tree is in full flower at the moment i really like the blossom it produces.

This is the drive from our house to the road. The first two trees have red blossom, I prefer the white.

The start of the dog walk, different blossoms are out lilac on the left.

The snow drops from winter have been replaced with cow parsley under the huge chestnut tree.

The path is considerably thinner now the cow parsley is in full flower.

wild garlic

The hawthorn looks spectacular, its everywhere all along the motorway and lanes and when i see a really good stretch there 's no where to stop the car to take a photo so this small tree opposite our house is just a sample.

One of our neighbors clematis looking stunning.

I wish you could smell this night scented stock, I have them on ether side of the front door and in the evening the smell is heavenly. The pansy's are from winter and will have to come out which is a shame but they are getting leggy know and I will want to put in some summer bedding soon and if they survived the winter there should be white Dalias coming up.

The garden plants are growing fast the Aquilega's is out

Blue bells look better in the wild but these keep coming up every year in my garden.

Newby Hall

On my way to church this morning i passed this wonderful wisteria growing on this old building. It looks like it could be quite old.

After we left Riply castle we went on to Newby Hall. The last time we were there it was in September when the Dalia's were at there best. This time plants and trees were just coming out. The tree in the foreground a viburnum was in full flower with a wonderful smell.

This was the sensory garden if I remember when the flowers are in bloom they are all pastel colours.

I loved this stone urn it was placed on a pillow leaving the sensory garden to the next garden.

The blossom is spectacular at this time of year, I just hope that the wind doesn't blow it off prematurely.

The borders are starting to grow they are fantastic in the summer.

I love the white bark tree's with the fresh lime green of the new foliage. The sun was out all day and made lovely shadows.

The photo doesn't do this wild piece of land justice, bluebells, wild garlic were just some of the flowers.

A lovely avenue of white blossom.

Robert having a rest waiting for me to take another photo.

There were many Azalea's but this one was such a lovely colour.