Topiary in the Potager at Helmingham Hall

It’s been a while since I’ve shared some topiary, so when I stumbled across these photos from our visit to Helmingham Hall back in 2017, I couldn’t wait to share them. I think my favourite is the sombrero, mainly because, why wouldn’t you love a topiary mexican hat? The Japanese anemones dancing against the brick wall help too.

SOMBRERO?

And I suspect you’re already realising this isn’t just any topiary. With Helmingham in the background, with its chimneys-to-die-for, I present a snowman. Surrounded by acorns. Just imagine the work keeping this garden tidy and in shape.

A SNOWMAN, WITH ACORNS ON THE RIGHT

The topiary is part of the Potager, which is always an area of a garden I’ll head to and one which MOH struggles to get me out of. I think here he was just resigned to his fate. I mean, a walled potager and topiary, he stood no chance!

A SNAIL?

A FROG, OR A PRINCE?

The frog, or is it a prince above, is why there was some hesitation about claiming the sombrero as my favourite. There’s so much work in all of these, and for them to be instantly recognisable as the shapes they were intended, is a real skill. The frog, as you can see is starting to grow, and with so many sculptures in the garden, I’m sure whoever manages these must walk around the garden with their topiary tools in their pockets, at the very least.

Which is your favourite?

The parterre at Helmingham Hall

We’re getting about a bit this week with the posts I’m sharing, so in between quick visits to Lisbon on Tuesday and Italy tomorrow, today we’re somewhere a little closer to home and have landed in Suffolk. In the parterre at Helmingham Hall to be precise. It’s a great garden to visit, another independent garden where you’re never quite sure what you’re going to find.

We visited during our Suffolk break, and I was surprised to see I’ve only shared a single post from our visit so far, and if you’re a fan of knot gardens, then this is worth a visit if you’re in the area. I originally planned to share photos from the Potager, but somehow my fingers had other ideas, but who am I to argue?

While first off this garden might look very traditional, and its choice of plants - box hedging and santolina, it’s not quite as traditional as you’d expect. It’s in good company as that’s the combination used in the formal gardens of Chenonceau too, though the santolina (the light coloured plant) was more densely planted in Suffolk, which brought a bolder ‘stripe’ to the parterre.

The other less traditional thing, but gorgeously so, are these pink cosmos which on our visit were used in the central bed.

From a distance, I assumed they were roses, so it was quite a discovery when I got close enough. While I’m converting to roses, i think because these weren’t roses, it was even more of an exciting discovery. It’s quirks like this, or the plant you don’t expect to see that makes a garden a garden and not a forumaic reproduction of what we know works.

It’s a great space, calming and viewable from the house across the moat - which if I’ve not mentioned before is pretty and fascinating, though sadly not open, but I mean, it has a moat. And surely that means you can imagine anything you like about the place and the reality would never match up to it.

The other thing this garden has, which appeals to me, is those gates which lead to the Potager. So soon, I’ll share more of what’s behind them as I’m rather partial to those too, as i discovered at Cheverny.

A wander around Snape Maltings

For today’s post we’re off out and about. We’re off to Suffolk in fact, and as well as travelling there we’re going back in time. We had a few days there a couple of years ago and as I’ve been looking through my photos, these are another rediscovery. It was our first time at Snape Maltings, which now is full of shops and such like. You might remember the velvet yellow sofa from a previous post, or the embroidery project for the future, which is still very much for the future, but no less beautiful.

But there’s some great walks in the area too, and while our wander features mostly the buildings and sculptures close to the buildings, there’s routes which take you further afield. As soon as we were out of the car, the tiles on this roof called my name. Well, they would wouldn’t they?

Next we, or rather I was fascinated by this sculpture called Myriad, whose clean lines and mirrored sections gave an easy view of the sky above.

It was the sort of place, and the sort of day, where it was easy to wander inside and out. And the more I saw of the main building, the more I knew it was one I would like. And I wasn’t wrong, it was a fascinating place. As well as the shops, sculptures and cafes there’s also a concert venue and exhibition space. I’ve a feeling we’ll be back again, and not just for the shops. In fact our visit was prompted by a festering seed planted by a wedding present ten years earlier.

No really. Our neighbours bought us a mosaic tea light lantern, which they bought at Snape Maltings. It’s one we still use, and one they’d bought here, so I had a feeling that it would be a place I liked. Completely true, and it goes to show how much first impressions count.

But back to exploring the buildings. Next up was the Dovecote, I don’t remember what it’s current use is, other than drawing admiring glances for the corten steel and brick structure. It’s previous use is pretty easy to guess though.

The windows. I’d happily have photographed this many which ways, but there’s always more to see - and really there are only so many photos you can take without ending up with at least a few duplicates. But don’t tell MOH that, as it’s something I always deny…

We had some fun with the final sculpture on this wander. There were three stacks to this one, and the round circular gap was just about head height. And as usual, my reluctant model posed for a silly picture or two. And the silly pictures always make it into our photo year books.

I’ve enjoyed this electronic wander, and a wander through memories made on what was actually quite a random way to choose a day’s activity. Have you been to Snape Maltings, or do you have anywhere equally as random for selecting where to visit?