Post Comment Love 21-23 January

Welcome to this week’s #PoCoLo - a friendly linky which I co-host with Suzanne, where you can link any post published in the last week. We know you’ll find some great posts to read, and maybe some new-to-you blogs too, so do pop over and visit some of the posts linked and share some of that love. If you were here last week it was great to have you along, if you’re new here this week we’re pleased you’re here.

We were back at my MIL’s old house last weekend continuing to clear through things that were surplus to requirements in her new place. There were people collecting items for charity and some which had been sold, and some more which went into the skip. There were some (hopefully) last items repatriated, and there are a mountain of cardboard boxes which remain.

Some of these boxes have been put together, carried things, emptied and flattened several times now, and some will still have more work to do before they’re finally done with. While they’re waiting to be brought back into service they’re stored within another box, and the patterns they made caught my eye. Apart from MOH in the skip (as you do), I think this is one of the few photos I’ve taken during the whole process - there was very little time for photos if I’m honest!

This weekend we’re spending time at home, getting things straight in our own house and treating ourselves to a Sunday lunch in a local pub. And I’m very much looking forward to that. Enjoy your weekend, whatever you get up to.

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Revisiting my Visit Seven from 2020

Back in February 2020 when celebrating seven years of my blog I set myself the challenge of visiting seven gardens that year. At the time Coronavirus was something that was happening in the world, but none of us quite knew how it would go, or how long it would go on for, so there was no indication that my garden visit challenge would, well, be challenged. But as we know, quite a lot changed and pretty quickly.

We did get to visit some of the gardens on the list in 2020, both before and as the restrictions eased, but we postponed our Lake District holiday for a year and so my Visit Seven was also delayed.

We had that Lake District holiday last summer - and it was great - so I thought I’d take a look to see how I got on with my Visit Seven challenge, and I realised that I’d been pretty poor in editing my photos, and discovered - and relived - our visit to Holker Hall this past few evenings.

There were some changes along the way too as we didn’t get to Yorkshire - that will hopefully be in our plans for this year. Our Yorkshire trip was for a wedding which is now expected to take place this year, but the holiday we’re hoping to tag on will be different so it may be a while before I can tick that one off my list. Like the bride and groom I’m hoping the wedding will go ahead - third time lucky as they are both saying.

Taking a look back at my Visit Seven for 2020

The dates shown are the dates of my post, not the date of the garden visit.

1. RHS Wisley, Surrey

  • The Giant Houseplant Takeover

2. RHS Hyde Hall, Essex

3. Houghton Hall, Norfolk

4. Nymans, West Sussex

5. Sizergh, Cumbria

6. Holker Hall and Gardens, Cumbria

  • Discovering stunning plants at Holker Hall, January 2022

X 7. Scampston Hall, North Yorkshire

  • I’m keeping this one on my list, we may make it there but it’s likely that we won’t. If we don’t then at some point I think there’ll be another trip to be planned.

So, slow and steady wins the race right?

That’s my mantra for this challenge clearly! I recommend all of these gardens, so if you’re close to any of them do try and get along and see for yourself. Let me know how you get on.

Discovering stunning plants at Holker Hall

I discovered these plants for the first time last June when we were in the Lake District, and then again more recently when I was finally sorting through and editing my photos. With no firm plans on what to post here, and also wanting to finally post the outcomes of a delayed pre-pandemic post, I decided to share them today.

Holker Hall is an independent garden in Cark, Grange-over-Sands which was close to the cottage where we stayed in Cartmel, and just around the corner from Sizergh which we also visited.

Part of the beauty about these plants, is that for most I don’t know what they are - that doesn’t make them any less stunning, but if you can identify any which I can’t then please leave a comment and let me know.

a white delicate flower with petals almost as thin as string against green foliage

The lightness and airiness of the white flowers above is their appeal, but I’m not sure what they are - they look like they could be related to a chrysanthemum but I’m happy to be told otherwise.

an intriguing plant whose flower-like leaves are blue/purple at the tips

It’s not often that you see a blue flower, even bluebells can be more lilac, and I’m not sure I’ve seen plants like the ones above and below before. I’m leaning towards them being some kind of wort or maybe a euphorbia, but I really don’t mind, as I think these are absolutely the most stunning. And if it turns out these are suited to woodland type environments then they’ll go to the top of my wish list.

similarly purple tipped 'leaves' forming around a deep magenta flower (obscured)
a bunch of allium heads against foliage which includes 'granny's bonnets'

Alliums and irises are more well known so I feel on safer ground with the next few photos. Each appeals for their vibrancy and delicacy, in equal measures.

a yellow bearded iris
a pale lilac bearded iris with a sandy path on the left and the flower border on the right hand side

And one final shot which I couldn’t resist including…

A stone 'cat' stretching with paws out and bottom in the air, on a plinth alongside some steps to a higher level

Isn’t it great - the expression, and how good does that stretch look?

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