Five on Friday

Joining in this week with  Amy at Love Made my Home and Five on Friday.  Click on the link at the bottom of this post to find others who are joining in too.

Just a simple post this week with photos of some of the flowers I've seen both at home and out and about.

On Wednesday we went to visit my sister and from there drove the short distance to Clumber Park which is a place we used to visit regularly as children.  We sat outside with sandwiches from the cafe and then walked by the lake and up to the walled kitchen garden.  I wanted to see an exhibition which I will write about in a few days time.  The poppies above were in the walled garden.  Californian poppies according to one of the gardeners.  They were very pretty, I looked in vain for them in the plant sales outside the garden.  I'm not a huge lover of orange flowers leaning more towards, blues, mauves and pinks but these were so bright and cheerful.

Growing at the side of our house is Valerian.  A few years ago we bought a seed pod home that we picked up from the roadside down a lane near Abersoch on the Llyn Peninsular in Wales and to start with planted it in a pot. It self seeds everywhere and grows in the strangest of places. Paul calls it 'the Welsh weed' but has planted some up near the pond anyway.  I like it though.

Delicate pale pink peonies a bargain from the supermarket reduced to £2.39. I just couldn't resist them.

The peony bush in our front garden was getting top heavy and flopping about so on our way to Nottingham last Friday we stopped at a garden centre and I saw a pack of two plant supports which now they are in place have lifted the heavy blooms and leaves but we really could have done with three supports in there.

Lastly, from our visit to Moseley Old Hall a photo of another of my favourites the Philadelphus or Mock Orange, I think this one is Belle Etoile.  The scent from the two bushes towards the front of the house was amazing and the bees were buzzing all over them.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend and for those of you in the UK stay safe in the heavy rain and thunder storms that are forecast for later today.
Right, after gadding about a bit earlier in the week I'm off to spend as much of the day in the garden as I can before that rain sets in.

Monday at Moseley Old Hall

Moseley Old Hall, a National Trust property, is south of Stafford and quite close to the city of Wolverhampton near the village of Coven.  We'd visited ages ago, in fact so long ago that it was before we had digital cameras, so I was looking forward to going back to view it again and see what changes had been made.

It is an Elizabethan farmhouse which was brick clad in the early 19th century when the ravages of its sitting over former coal mines became apparent.  It is still very much an Elizabethan house inside and as its owners the Whitgreaves were Roman Catholic in faith, in an era when this was quite a dangerous thing to be, the place is riddled with priest's holes and hiding places with a chapel in the attic which could be quickly dismantled and hidden away.

It's main claim to fame though is its connection with royalty namely King Charles II.  After the battle of Worcester in 1651 Charles, then Prince of Wales, was on the run for 41 days in all, so our very able guide informed us, until he finally escaped to France.  He was hidden first at the White Ladies Priory and then at nearby Boscobel House which is about ten miles from Moselely Old Hall, he famously spent a night there in an oak tree.  This is where the old celebration of Oak Apple day originates. He was then moved from there to  Moseley Old Hall.  Here is a - link - to more of the story.

We gathered for our tour near the wood pile and entered into the former brew house - now a kitchen area.

 

Downstairs is an Oak panelled room with many portraits of the Stuart Family and of the Whitgreave family plus a portrait of Jane Lane who took Charles, Prince of Wales as far as Bristol dressed as her servant.  All these people were rewarded well for their help when Charles returned as King in 1660.
 We were shown the priest holes and hiding places as we went around the house but I'm afraid it was too dark to get a decent photo as it was to get a photo of King Charles's bed.

This bed was in the attic close to the temporary chapel

A view of the knot garden from an upstairs window

Up in the roof is another 'hidey hole'

Original Elizabethan bricks in the chimney

The lady was grinding coffee for the Coffee House.  Each Monday in June there is a re-enactment of what it may have been like in a 17th century coffee house.

When we arrived the men - (only men were allowed in coffee houses - the only women allowed were servants) -  were discussing the issues of the day when the news came in and a proclamation read out informing of the death of King Charles II and the accession of his brother James as James II - immediately there was great dissent to this as he was known to be of the Roman Catholic faith.  The year was 1685.

Whilst in the coffee house I was given a pamphlet to read about the women's objections to their menfolk frequenting  the coffee houses, coffee they thought was the devil's brew.  We tasted the coffee which was served in little white dishes.

We then sought out the tree hide in the woods which was brilliant and a firm favourite with children.

 We had a lovely morning walking around the house and gardens

 the people in costume made it extra special.

 Everything here is quite photogenic and , as you can imagine, I took loads of photos.

We had a great time

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post, I'll get around to answering them soon and also to visiting you all.  This week so far is proving to be quite busy.

30 Days Wild

I've been spending time this week taking part in the Wildlife Trusts'  project of finding time for nature in random acts of wildness, just a little wildness every day for 30 days.  Doesn't have to be a huge thing - perhaps just sitting reading in the garden or spotting something seasonal and interesting on your way to work or school, making something for wildlife in your garden.  There are lots of ideas on the website  here

So far this week I have 

Remembered my childhood and blowing Dandelion clocks on the school field to release the seeds which we used to call fairies.

Fed the birds in the garden and spotted an unusual visitor for a city garden.

Taken a woodland walk and identified some trees by their leaves.

Identified a wild flower that was taking over in our front garden and wondered how it got there, not birds in this case but on the fur of an animal - badger, fox or cat?  All visit our garden.

Spotted a wall up an alley way on my way to meet friends for lunch which was covered in three types of ferns and identified them all when I got home.

Walked by the nearby lake and taken photos of young coots on the bank.  Looked up coots when I got home to see if there was a name for a young coot.  I couldn't find one.

Sat outside in the sunshine with a picnic lunch listening to the birds singing.

Here is a link to the blog I started for this project. 

Now what am I going to do next week?  I've no idea but I'm sure I'll find something.

Five on Friday

Joining in this week with  Amy at Love Made my Home and Five on Friday.  Click on the link at the bottom of this post to find others who are joining in too.

Five things that have made me smile this week

1.  An unusual visitor to the garden - it isn't often you see a Jay in a city garden but this one spent a morning here picking up bits of some home made, wholemeal bread that had been put on the lawn for the sparrows - they do get other food as well of course, sunflower hearts, fat balls, buggy nibbles and nyger seed.  The Jay would fly off with the crumbs and then return for more so we think he or she may have been feeding young not too far away.

2.  I love Wisteria and this was a particularly lovely one in the pleasure gardens at Keddleston Hall in Derbyshire.  We visited on Saturday to do the long walk which I always enjoy but had a picnic first in the gardens.

 3.  Yesterday it was warm enough to sit in our garden for morning coffee.  A break from cutting the grass with sheets blowing gently in the breeze. It really does feel as if summer is here.  Perfect!  Of course our favourite hare mugs added to the pleasure of the coffee.

 4.  I saw these pan holders in Ikea and couldn't resits them.  I love the little birds and they make me smile quite a bit too.

5.  I always enjoy going to see live theatre performances and we always enjoy going to see Northern Broadsides when they visit locally.  King Lear is quite a dour play but it came alive in the hands of this wonderful company of players. 

I'm off to Nottingham today so I'll catch up with all your Five on Friday posts over the weekend.

Photo Scavenger Hunt - May

May has been such a lovely month with blooms in the garden and burgeoning growth in the fields and hedgerows, birds nesting, baby birds in the garden and the dawn chorus in the bright early mornings.  Once again it's time to join in  with the Photo Scavenger Hunt kindly organised by greenthumb at Made with Love  just click on the link to find other participants.

Blue

 Blue ceanothus flowering against a stone wall at Bridgemere Garden World

Crystal

Pieces of Amethyst and Rose Quartz

Vintage

An old advertising board at Consall Railway Station on the Churnet Valley Steam Railway.

Fluff

A few strands of fluff or sheeps wool caught in an old bit of tree

Global

Nearest I could get to Global on my travels glowing globe balls on sale at the book shop and cafe at Hassop Station on the High Peak trail.

Mask

 Small decorative masks at Bridgemere Garden World

Bus

Three routemaster London buses on a card I bought recently for a friend's birthday.  He comes from London, loves buses and often writes about them on his blog and for his local paper.

Frame

A window framed by solid stone walls at Peveril Castle, Castleton, Derbyshire

Collection

 

Refuse collection day.  Recycling week, brown bins for garden waste and blue bins for plastics, cardboard and glass.  The refuse collection lorries passed each other at the bottom of the street.

Poster

 An old railway poster at the station at Consall on the Churnet Valley Railway.

Ribbon

 More ribbon than you can shake a stick at - rows and rows of pretty, shiny, colourful ribbon at Hobbycraft, Bridgemere Garden World.

Whatever you Want

I was playing with the panorama setting on my camera at Peveril Castle so you can see in the distance, from left to right according to the map at the castle, Mam Tor, Grinslow Knoll, Hollins Cross, Back Tor and Lose Hill - I think, I may be wrong of course.  Please correct me if I am.

Five on Friday

Joining in this week with  Amy at Love Made my Home and Five on Friday.  Click on the link at the bottom of this post to find others who are joining in too.

On Monday morning this week we decided to visit the Dorothy Clive Garden on the Staffordshire/Shropshire border and which is just a few miles away from us.  The garden is always beautiful at this time of year.  Below are photos of five of the features that are at their best at the moment.

 The Pond

The Laburnum Arch

 The Azalea Walk

 The Quarry Garden 

 The lower flower borders

Not forgetting the tea rooms where  the cherry scones were soft, warm and delicious........

......and the shop which is full of lovely garden related things.
 

Have a lovely weekend everyone