The loo with a garden

Indeed. Who’d have thought? Not that long ago I shared the outside loo, so I should have expected the loo with a garden not to be too far behind. And it’s quite a garden.

HOW MANY YELLOWS?

HOW MANY YELLOWS?

Technically it’s to the side of the loo, but as the loos were the closest building I’m claiming it for them. The toilet block was less pretty though, despite the espaliered purple leaved plant, and plenty of lichen to liken (Sorry. Still not tired of that one).

The loos in a hut

Sadly though, it went downhill from there. Two cubicles. One out of order. And a Brownie pack in front of me. Though they were quite entertaining.

not so useful inside though

So unusually for a Loo Series post, there’s distinctly few loos. But there are exceptional knotted hedges to make up for that.

knotted hedges

And a view. But really, look at the intricate box shapes.

Which reminds me I should look out and share my photos from the Chateau de Villandry, which I’ve still not shared here, and which popped up in my Instagram archive this week. Look out for more hedges shortly, or well my shortly, which could still be a while.

not a bad view while you wait

This picture from the gatehouse shows the small toilet block, the hedges (again) and the garden to the side.

a view of the loos from the gatehouse

I think though for it’s prettiest garden, it deserves its place in the Loo Series.

PoCoLo

The knot garden at Helmingham Hall

On our recent break in Suffolk I was keen to get some garden visits in, as it turned out we only managed one, and that was on our trip home. But what a one. Helmingham Hall is a private garden that's close to Stowmarket and full of garden 'rooms'. Today I'm sharing pictures from the knot garden, and for a hedge fanatic like me, it was bliss.

I mean, just look.

The knot garden at Helmington Hall

It was actually the last part of the garden we visited and despite what you might think, this garden was only formed in 1982. Yes I know that's thirty-five years ago (I don't know how that is either) but it's not as old as the gardens which have a five hundred year history.

The knot garden was created to be "historically sympathetic" to the house and provide visual interest when viewed from the house and the raised walkways that surround it.  And it definitely works.

the central grassed walkway in the knot garden at helmington hall

There are two knot patterns, both divided into four squares. Which is a lot of box. The patterns include the Tollemache fret (the Tollemache family own the estate) and some of the squares are inter-planted with herbs, others with plants themed around those introduced to Britain before 1750.

A close up of the hedges in the knot garden at Helmington Hall
 
agapanthus in the knots in the knot garden at Helmington Hall

MOH was of course resigned to the fact I'd be taking plenty of pictures of hedges. He's used to that by now.

Another of the hedges in the knot garden at Helmington Hall

Eventually I made it through the garden to the statue, where like him I was fascinated by the bubbly plant surrounding its base. Not what I expected at all but I think I quite liked it.

Reaching the statue in the knot garden at Helmington Hall

The beds behind the statue were more formal borders than the front half of the garden, with many more herbs in the planting. The sweeping grass paths were a winner for me.

Exploring the herb beds in the knot garden at Helmington Hall

As was the dill, which was in full flower on our visit. It seems the local wasps were also thankful for that too.

Dill in flower in the knot garden at Helmington Hall

It's great to explore privately run gardens as I think they really do have a different feel to the National Trust gardens that we so often make a beeline for.  These gardens always pique my interest and wonder at how the same plants can be put together to give such a different feel.  I've plenty more posts to come from Helmingham Gardens, and I don't think there'll be a garden you won't enjoy.  So if you're in the area, I can highly recommend a visit in person.

A cloistered garden

The first week we were in France the weather was gorgeous and one of the warmer days coincided with the day we celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary. A day after the actual date, but a cycle-free day so lunch with some bubbles was our plan. One bottle of bubbly down we hatched a plan to have a mini picnic in the pretty garden we'd walked through to get into town.

So with provisions we settled ourselves on one of the benches in what can be best described as a cloistered hedge, with this as our view for the next few hours. 

A cloistered view of Blois

Captivating isn't it?  

Through an archway of hedges

And tranquil too. And here it's easy to see what I mean about cloisters, isn't it?

Arches everywhere

The garden itself was quite formal with oblong beds full of lavender and irises, which were sadly past their best. Not by long, a week or so perhaps. But it was easy to imagine how they'd transform the place. Even as they were dying back though they had a certain charm.

The irises were just past their best

We had the garden to ourselves for much of the afternoon, which was amazing but every so often people would hurry down these stairs, across the garden and down into the lower garden using it as a very pretty cut through to the centre of town. I think it'd be a cut through I'd use regularly too.

Stairs to make a grand entrance

Just imagine the kind of entrances you could make with stairs as grand as these.  Hopefully, most of them upright too!

I decided to see where these people were heading so I followed their path through the upper part of the garden and enjoyed the glimpse of the lower garden. From the top of another set of stairs, I could see the drama of the diagonal hedges alternated with planting.

Looking down to the lower level

As I returned to the cloistered hedge I did find a couple of irises hanging on, not many though.

I did find some iris in flower though

It was wonderfully cool to sit under the cloistered canopy, and the view up was none too shabby either.  

The tree canopy was fantastic and the shade was welcome too

There were more flowers in the lower garden; foxgloves, dahlias, cosmos and more lavender, as well as a pink mystery plant.  

The foxgloves were a welcome sight
a mystery plant, but pretty
A cosmos with some support
The white flower *almost* looked out of place
a flower unfurling

And nestled among all the flowers were vistas to stunning French architecture, and of course the hedges! 

And ah what a view
hollyhocks on the way
Time to move on and we left through the lower part of the garden
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