The Gardeners Yard at Scampston Hall

I said in an earlier post in this series that there’s nothing better on a garden gate than a sign welcoming you in, especially when it’s an invite into a working part of the garden, which for me is just as interesting as the more public facing aspects of a garden.

Do come in - says the sign on the Gardeners Yard gate

So it was great to be so warmly welcomed into the Gardeners Yard and their polytunnel, which even though it was a proper working space still looked pretty with the pink flowers on the right growing up against the bend of the tunnel’s outer covering.

Inside the polytunnel in the Gardeners Yard at Scampston Hall
The three potted plants with pink flowers against the outer covering of the polytunnel

I’m always interested to see the compost area, and this one was pretty sizeable, as you’d expect for a larger garden. I like the open bay approach to these compost ‘bins’ but clearly I won’t need anywhere near as big in my own garden - and where to site that is a bit of a headache too.

A two bay working compost heap

At the far end of the Gardeners Yard was the Arid House and as you can see many of the plants were enjoying the sun when we visited, and with my own growing collection of succulents I was keen to see the leaf shapes, the sizes of pots used and how the pots were organised.

A display of succulents in varying sizes, colours and leaf sizes forming a welcome to the arid house

And also I thought to myself that I should keep an eye out for my own stone trough, as these look great in that don’t they?

A stone trough filled with various succulents and surrounded by more succulents in terracotta pots

The Arid House wasn’t actually open but I did my best to get a shot through the window and to imagine the temperature inside.

Peering into the Arid House from the window in the door
A purple aeonium behind a rusty chain

And as we left the Gardeners Yard behind us I was reminded just how much I love, and how beautiful, the aeoniums are. I need more of these, though I need to learn how to overwinter them properly as my single plant is looking decidedly sorry for itself. There’s always something to learn when we’re gardening though isn’t there?

Striking Art quilts

At the Festival of Quilts there were several categories that seemed quite similar to me, for example an Art quilt and a Pictorial quilt, but each category has clearly defined boundaries which also include what the judges are looking for.

So in case you were wondering an art quilt is ‘a quilt designed to be displayed as artwork’ and which communicates ‘an idea, emotion or concept’ with its textiles and stitching. It has to be an original design with a strong visual impact and non-traditional fabrics and construction methods are encouraged. Whereas a pictorial quilt depicts a scene or subject, so now we both know!

The quilts I’m sharing today - my favourites from this category - definitely meet the strong visual impact criteria. It’s also probably no surprise that I’m starting with a garden related quilt with a strong, positive message.

BUILD WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN, JOHN J COLE-MORGAN, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

BUILD WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN, JOHN J COLE-MORGAN, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

DETAIL OF BUILD WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN, JOHN J COLE-MORGAN, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

BUILD WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN, JOHN J COLE-MORGAN, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

Isn’t it wonderful? Simple, yet complex and definitely strong.

BE PATIENT DIY QUILT, PIA TØNNESEN, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

BE PATIENT DIY QUILT, PIA TØNNESEN, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

I love the colours, the lettering and the quilting on this one. It’s completely different to the first one but yet still meets that criteria.

This next one is just fascinating, the colour palette is obviously monochrome, but it’s the textures for me on this one - and it’s clearly not one for your bed is it?

SOMNAMBULIST SERIES, JOSEPH KOPIEL, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

SOMNAMBULIST SERIES, JOSEPH KOPIEL, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

DETAIL OF SOMNAMBULIST SERIES, JOSEPH KOPIEL, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

SOMNAMBULIST SERIES, JOSEPH KOPIEL, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

A Somnambulist can be what’s more often known as sleepwalking, and knowing that it does give a different perspective and interpretation - and like lots of art, often each of us will see it and react differently, and that’s ok.

This next one is different again, but again it’s the textures in this one for me - and the sparkles!

IRENE’S PICNIC, ANJA GEBLER, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

IRENE’S PICNIC, ANJA GEBLER, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

DETAIL ON IRENE’S PICNIC, ANJA GEBLER, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

IRENE’S PICNIC, ANJA GEBLER, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

I am rather partial to a sequin, and a sequinned beetle just as much as those embroidered insects I saw many years ago at another show.

It was the colours and all those half square triangles that drew my attention to this quilt, and there’s definitely truth in the message.

KILLING OTHERS WILL NOT BRING BACK THE DEAD, ALISON BLACKBURN, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

KILLING OTHERS WILL NOT BRING BACK THE DEAD, ALISON BLACKBURN, FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2025

There’s clearly a lot of work in all of these quilts, in fact in any quilt and it was great to be able to see these up close first hand - and I’m already looking forward to seeing the quilts in this category at this year’s show.

If you enjoyed this post from my visit to the Festival of Quilts 2025 then please do check out my other posts from the show. Even though my mind was blown by the sheer volume of quilts on display, I’ve booked to go again - just for the day - this year.

Enjoying the Golden Hour

* I was invited to the Gardeners’ World Live show and provided with a pair of tickets to the show, therefore all my posts will be marked as 'Ad’ though as usual my views and opinions are very much my own.

I’m not sure if it’s just because I’ve recently finished my pink and orange embroidered pouch, but I seem to be talking a lot on here about my favourite colour scheme of pink, orange and yellow. And that’s continuing with this beautiful border from the 2025 show.

I didn’t realise it at the time - the pink and orange genes clearly run deep - but I suspect that’s what drew me to this space designed by Ellen Tozer, that and the magnificent planting.

Looking at the full border (with the tents and people at the show behind) and enjoying the rusty metal arch with the relaxed planting in the foreground

But first that arch, it would truly feel like you were entering a different space walking through that wouldn’t it? And that could be just what the designer intended as the accompanying blurb says this “is a space for reconnecting with your true self and escaping from the hustle of daily life.”

A meandering path edged with gravel through the border

No doubt you’ve gathered from its name that its inspired by the golden sunrise and sunset hours, but there’s also three key features in this garden which encourage daydreaming and letting go.

They’re the warm earthy tones of the flowers and foliage in hues of amber and orange, which is proven in promoting relaxation. The wild and free planting encourages you to reject formality and adopt a more relaxed approach, and that circular arch is to signify the sun and renewal - so not the stepping through it to a new, more chilled you as I thought - though I still think it’d be pretty chill to have something like this in a garden.

prairie style relaxed planting around the rusty metal arch which has a simple wooden bench beneath

But it was really the planting that I was drawn to.

yellow and orange blooms leaning over the raised bed
deep pink astrantias and bright pink foxgloves in the foiliage

It’s just glorious and full of flowers that I already love, and some of which I have or have been acquiring for my garden. I have foxgloves, though I’m not sure I’ve seen any evidence of them this year; I have an astrantia too, though mine is the paler white/pink version but seeing these deep burgundy flowers I think I need some of these too. They are really beautiful flowers aren’t they?

A beautifully coloured yellow and pink veined iris

I also have an iris that is similarly coloured to the one photographed above, though I missed it flowering last year as that coincided with our holiday, so l I hope there’ll be a repeat this year. I haven’t checked on this either - my focus in my garden at the moment is weeds, and getting rid of them - but it’s still snug in its overwintering sheltered half-in/half-out of the bush position, and is getting ready to put on flowers just as beautiful as these again this year.

Fingers crossed.

* With thanks to Gardeners’ World for inviting me to Gardeners’ World Live, it was quite a show! I’ll be sharing more from my visit to this year’s show throughout the year - I hope you enjoy them as much as I did the show.