TRAVEL WORDS

Garden Portrait: RHS Rosemoor

My weekend in Bude, north Cornwall was interrupted by the first named storm of the year – Amy. Sunday looked to be the better day so the one I decided to travel 50 mins across to north Devon and visit RHS Rosemoor. Not as big as RHS Wisley in the south-east, but I thought it would be nice to revisit this garden, last seen in April 2011.

The lesson I have thoroughly learnt, and wish to pass on to others, is to know the enduring happiness that the love of a garden gives – Gertrude Jekyll

Asters and Pompon Dahlias in the Long Border

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Kleine-Silberspinne’

The Herb, Potager and Cottage Garden with shelter

One moves between the new garden and the original garden, created by Lady Anne Palmer, through a tunnel beneath a road passing this little bridge and fabulous Japanese maple.

The Stone Garden has a very Japanese feel

Cercis canadensis commonly known as Redbud trees or Judas trees

Rosemoor House is fairly modest considering it belonged to the Earls of Orford who descended from Horace Walpole. It can now be rented out for holidays. There is a small tea-room at the side.

A Kaleidoscope of colours (Dahlias – some with bees)

The Lakeside in October is ablaze with autumn colour, from the molten leaves of liquidambars to the bright yellow foliage of Cornus sanguinea ‘Winter Beauty’ and the deep red of Acer palmatum ‘Chitose-yama’ – all reflected on the mirror-like water.

All approaches to the garden involve navigating miles of winding roads, hence Rosemoor is also one of the quietest RHS gardens, but utterly charming and demonstrating how colourful a garden can look in early October.

Jo’s Monday Walk

Bench Challenge Anniversary

Way back in 2015 – yes that really is ten years ago – I decided to post photos of the numerous benches sitting in my folders. It seemed that I was not alone and suddenly it turned into the Bench Challenge where I set a particular criterion each month and people joined in posting their bench photos. It was a lot of fun and I met a lot of wonderful bloggers through it.

The River Dart with the Dartford Ferry in Dartmouth

This year I am returning to mark the occasion by posting a bench photo every Sunday. There will not be any particular theme set this year so it’s not really much of a challenge, but if there is anyone out there who still has a bucketful of bench photos and would like to join me, then please do so by adding a link in the comments or a link to my post in yours (a pingback) and I will happily pop along to admire.

Just Back From… Brightlingsea Part Four

Another thing we weren’t short of. Boats. Watching the tide ebb and flow, the wind whipping up waves, the ferryman with his foot passengers, row boats, motor yachts, windsurfers and sailing dinghies was fun.

Perhaps not so much fun for this person who fell foul on a sandbank. We got quite a shock this morning and not just from the look of that sky.

1st September @ 10:40 – and yes there are people on board.

29th August @ 17:28 Our first view of the marina

31st August @ 13:57 – sailing dinghies getting ready for a race

We thoroughly enjoyed our week by the water. So much to look at we were never bored.

Bench Challenge Anniversary

Just Back From… Brightlingsea Part Three

One thing we weren’t short of was a dramatic sky.

29 August @ 18:56 – Rain clouds to the west and south

1st September @ 18:40 towards the west over Mersea Island

1st September @ 19:18 in the west with the water as smooth as silk (zoomed in)

1st September @ 19:26 in the west (zoomed out)

I did a lot of popping in and out of the terrace doors in the evening to capture the sun setting or the rain clouds. We get some stunning sunsets here in west Cornwall, but I have to get in the car to capture one over water.