A few days in the Lake District

 Mr S and I spent a few days up in the Lake District.  This entailed two days travelling there and back on an arranged coaching holiday.  Our seats were comfortable, the views great and we had a great driver Martin who lifted all the worries regarding congestion and stop starts along the motorway whilst we read, and I knitted from time to time.

Our hotel for the four nights was The Grange at Grange over Sands. It was very interesting for Mr S to visit this hotel since he stayed there many times when he was working up in The Lake District.  It has since been thoroughly refurbished and is quite smart.  We did of course have 'The coaching holiday' evening meals which were not quite as luxurious as the menu for regular visitors, but it was excellent and the meat was first class.  Breakfasts were very good too and for those we mixed with the regular visitors.

View from the promenade Grange over Sands

It is just a short walk to the long promenade of Grange over Sands, and we enjoyed walking along that whenever we felt like stretching our legs.  On the short day that we visited Kendal, we returned and walked the full length of the coastal promenade enjoying the sound of the Oyster Catchers and other birds. The views across the bay and the cloud scape on one side and a long border of mixed shrubs and perennials separated us from the railway line. One pleasant little discovery was a small gardening shop with inspirational planters ready to just take away.  

Small pots by Chris Whiting suitable for Kusamono

In their little shop I found some little studio pottery containers that would have done nicely for my garden shelf and my budding interest in Kusamono style mini planters.  I even went back to the shop to see which I would like, and now regret not getting two or three.

We met some lovely people along the promenade and were able to ask about the coloured bands painted on the handrail along the walk, and these had been placed there so that people could relay their location to the emergency responders so that they could access the promenade at the most convenient entry point.  Another time we had a very friendly dog suddenly sit between Mr S and I as we were enjoying the sun on a bench, and got to know the owner a little.  'Bear' had to have his photograph taken and a day or so later Bear's owner came to say hello as she caught a glimpse of us in the bar after she had been to the spa at the hotel where she is a member.

On our first full day we took a steam train and boat along up the Lake to Windermere. The Scenery along with the beautiful houses and house boats along the shore was beautiful and we were lucky that the rain held off.  We even had sunshine as we passed 

We had a walk around Bowness in Windermere and lunch, but it was our visit to the Church of St Martins which formed the memorable event of the visit.  As our wont we stepped into the Church of St Martin's where we had a look around, and since they were serving teas it would have been 'rude' not to take part. As we approached and Mr S having already mentioned that the scones looks really good, we were met with the news that they had a power cut and could not serve any hot drinks.  We did return later to find the electricity still off, but were offered what remained of their apple juice to share and also bought a piece of scone each.  It had been a very large scone but cut into quarters.  I was so pleased we returned as should a Michelin Star be awarded for scones, this one was right at the top!

The following day we were driven to Kendal for a half day, and there again good tea and coffee and home made cakes were on offer.  They had a rather good looking angel up on the wall and if I remember rightly there were four each with something different in their arms.  This Angel has a ladder, and I have just checked and learnt that there are four angels carrying the symbols of the Crucifixion – cross, crown of thorns, ladder, hammer and nails.

On our last full day in the Lake District we arrived first at Ambleside where we again headed towards the shore line.

there were some interesting clouds possibly lenticular clouds

after that we headed for Keswick where we had previously holidayed, and having bought a little bag of candied almonds in the market headed through the well kept park towards the shore. 

Our route back to the hotel took us through the spectacular scenery including through the Kirkstone Pass, which at 454m is the highest pass open to motor traffic in the Lake District. 

I had been poorly with a bad cold for a fortnight before, and although no longer sneezing and coughing excessively,  I still have not been able to shake it off, however I still enjoyed the holiday very much.

Six on Saturday - 18th October 2025

We are so lucky that it is past the middle of October, and days have still been mild, washing has dried outside, and the garden is still a place to enjoy and to spend time in, even to sit and enjoy a cuppa in the sunshine.  I'm joining in with a few blogging friends writing about six items from the garden, we congregate over on Jim's blog. 

 1. Autumn colours have started in the back garden, whilst in the front garden the Amelanchier trees are now totally devoid of leaves.

The little Acer 'Wakaranai'.  Its 'Godmother' is my gardening Sis who came up with its name as its label was lost.  It has grown very much over to one side but is far too long in my opinion.  Advice gives the dormant period as being the best time to prune the acer, so one not frosty day I shall have to pluck up courage and decide how to approach the task.

2. There is still a lot of colour and other plants are just starting their flowering.

Out in the front garden, despite the drought, the Nerine bowdenii are in flower.  Last year I was given this big clump by my friend Hilary. They were so hard packed together it was impossible for me to divide them, so they went in just as they were.

3.  Bulbs full of promise?

This week I potted up the bulbs I had received from Pottertons:

2 pots of Fritillaria Michailovskyi, 5 bulbs in each

4 pots of Fritillaria Meleagris alba aphrodite, 5 bulbs in each  

2 pots of Fritillaria Meleagris, 5 bulbs in each

5 pots of Tulipa sylvestris, 5 bulbs in each

You may well wonder why not plant straight in the garden?  Good question, I can't exactly say where the snowdrops and other spring flowers are, so I have put the bulbs in plastic pots and in the spring when spring beauties are coming up, I shall be able to guage where best to site them.

4. More autumn colour

Ginkgo biloba 'Mariken'

5. This is the season of spiders and spiders webs, but I saw no webs yesterday when I spied these two sunning themselves on Chrysanthemum blooms.

Pisaura mirabilis

6. Yesterday morning during breakfast Mr S started to enquire about the flowers growing just outside the conservatory window, 

I bought these as very little plants and could not have known how tall they would grow.  Here there are different coloured flowers on separate stems. Further along the bed is a much taller plant, even taller than me with Magenta coloured blooms:

Then over in the bed alongside the gravel garden this is the first of three large Cosmos plants that is yet to flower:

It just goes to show that for less than a cup of coffee ie £2.00, half a dozen little seedling plants from a charity stall can give one such late beautiful colour, blooms and so much pleasure, in a garden. From a seed to flowers in one season, the wonder of annuals.

Last weekend as I sat after a pleasurable spell of work in the garden, I took a rest and listened to the Twin Doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken discuss the scientific findings regarding the question: Is nature good for us?  It included some interesting aspects regarding being out in nature and gardening and was well worth a listen. Of course those of us whose happy place is outside in the garden would have already felt the benefits they were talking about with Baroness Kathy Willis, Professor of Biodiversity at Oxford University.

Six on Saturday - 11 October 2025

We have had dry days on the whole, and fairly warm for this time of the year.  What I have noticed especially is the shortening of the days.  For more Six on Saturdays Jim's post is the place to go to.

1. 

Serratula tinctoria var. seoanei 

The Serratula tinctoria var. seoanei had been divided and moved early this year and placed separately in different parts of the former vegetable bed.  However, I came to appreciate from visits to different gardens this year, than a bold statement of several plants does work much better.  Last week the separate clumps were reunited albeit several inches apart, and the effect has worked out far better.  This is a plant that I know from experience, having left the ones in the front garden unpruned,  have attractive  dried seeds heads throughout the winter.

2.

Germinated between a wall and paving stones

A few years back I had a row of cyclamen hederifolium in pots along a boundary wall where it is shady and cooler during the summer months.  Those are now in the ground around the garden, but here are some seedlings at the foot of the wall: crosses make by bees and scattered by ants.  Who would have believed that the narrow gravel patch could support such beautifully leaved plants.

3. 

Pelargonium Salmon Angel

After a good trim a few weeks back, when I also took some cuttings, this lovely Pelargonium has sprung back and is in flower again.  I have two pots each with  three rooted cuttings in each to use next year.  They will stand in the shed unless we enter a long freezing period, and they will then come into the conservatory.

4. 

Chrysanthemum Chatsworth?

Chrysanthemum Chatsworth wins the medal for being the longest in flower.  I showed it on 28th June this year when it had already been in flower for about two weeks. For some reason this season it is much more golden than previous years.  However did I get its name wrong? Maybe I should just call it the golden yellow chrysanthemum?

5.  The ginkgos are turning buttery yellow.  The one in the background is one of my original Ginkgo 'Mariken'.  In front of it is an unnamed Ginkgo what I picked up at a bargain price from Rocky Mountain Nursery.  Its leaves are more elongated, and is described as ideal for making into a bonsai. 

6. Sitting in the conservatory in my line of sight sit this little splattering of  violet-blue flowers of  Crocus speciosus ‘Oxonian’. Up close when they are open their deep orange pistils seem to glow.

 

Crocus speciosus ‘Oxonian’

It is coming through the self seeded white flowering Omphalodes linifolia, which I grew for the first time last year.   

In a Vase on Monday - after the storm

For beautiful and interesting flower arrangements you can head off to Cathy's post and also view what other gardeners are posting in their vases this Monday. 

The first storm of the year called Amy has now past. We had little serious damage apart from tall plants being broken off,  however on the plus side we have had rain, which was very welcome. The Cosmos photographed yesterday evening were picked before the storm. As a cut garden flower they have surprised me by how well they have done, even though these plants have only just started flowering. 

For the first time I have grown Cosmos in this garden.  My blog search did come up with some cosmos in my old garden in 2015 which was featured in an early IAVOM but this time I have observed them more carefully.  Last week knowing that the storm was arrivings and having already had a couple of the very long stems break, I went out to cut all the flowers that had opened.  The main stems below these cut flowers are around four to five feet high. These cosmos were bought as small unnamed seedlings from Wells Bishop's Palace.  

As many of you know, I rather like the form of dried flowers, twigs or seedheads. With the dry summer many of the plants set good seed and several weeks ago, I decided to cut these to arrange albeit with a view to collecting the seed to share, or sow later in the year or in the spring time. Also because they are pollen free can stay around with no effect on our allergies. All the larger and some of the medium sized vases are now stood around the house but mainly in conservatory offering some interesting silhouettes especially in the lower autumn light such as this Phlomis fruticosa.

Phlomis Bourgaei seed heads

I shall show some of the other seed heads in the coming weeks.  

 

In a Vase on Monday - End of September 2025

 
I haven't posted for nearly a month, but that does not mean I wasn't bringing material into the house.  Mostly I have been cutting seed heads from a number of plants, in order to collect the seed to share.  I'll post about the seeds in case you would like some in a week or so. Today's vase includes a number of new to the garden this year flowers. This is post is linked into Cathy's where you may also see and enjoy a number of interesting arrangements from our garden grown plants. Cathy mentions that it is Michaelmas Day today, so I am quite out of sync for not including those today, but I seem to be out of sync with my posts for IAVOM, so maybe it was to be expected, and I hope I am forgiven.   

The Snapdragons and the cosmos were bought as young seedlings from the Bishop's Palace and are unnamed.  They were simply labeled without a cultivar or colour details.  In a way it was a easy way to enjoy the unexpected.  The Cosmos have grown to over 4 feet in height before flowering, and what large flowers they have. The snapdragons have a preponderance to lounge around hence their curved shape in the vase. 

Both the white Dahlia and the pink Dahlia Karma Sangria which doesn't quite live up to the online pictures or description of being floriferous and more apricot in colour, have been somewhat disappointing.  On the other hand the lovely white phlox also new to the garden this year, is a pass along from my friend Maggie.  It was a plant left in her garden when she bought her house, and has no name, but is really charming.  Finally the purple Verbena bonariensis is self seeding over the garden. I am cutting the flowers from the better plants and planting them in a clump.

We are enjoying some fine autumn weather, and have escaped frosts so far.  We are yet to need the heating on, but the wool dressing gowns were unpacked yesterday.

Pot holders - Sewing Project

The story of how I came to make two sets of pot holders this Saturday afternoon.

I am not a sewer; yes I can sew on a button, make a hem, enjoy a little hand sewing, but am not a machinist.  I usually have to get out the instruction manual for 15 year old Singer 7463 to check on how to use the machine.  More and more I have been watching demonstrations on line, and this year I joined a group set up within my WI to help us novices get to know our way around our sewing machines and tackle a small project.

After the summer break, I had no idea what to make, and suddenly necessity came to my aid.  I am a knitter, and really enjoy that craft.  However the cotton threads of the first set of pan holders I made in 2008 were beginning to fray, and not really fit to hold hot dishes or bread tins from the oven.  The second set made in 2014 are in better condition.  Considering each set is washed fortnightly they have lasted well.

First I went through my stash of cotton yarn, and didn't have sufficient to knit a pair. I was on the point of ordering some double knit cotton, when I had a lightbulb moment: I might be able to sew some.  I went on line and found a good tutorial.

Easy Pot holders with Carmen Geddes

Having watched that, I knew I had some heat resistant batting which I bought over 10 years ago, and of course I had some left over fabric from some of the sewing projects I was tutored through by the wonderful Kay at the Kenilworth WI weekly sewing group. 

I never quite got into patchwork, although have tried, and in this instance I thought to bypass making a patchwork side and just use fabric on the theme of green to match accessories in the kitchen.  I had fabric left over in sufficient quantity from making my Pen Roll for my calligraphy pens and brushes.  

I haven't even opened the boxes with the stash of fabrics or sewing things for some time, and to my amazement came across a few trial patchwork pieces that I had made up at a county WI workshop in Warwick.  So the potholders would be made as per the video after all.

I had a few problems with thread bunching up on the bottom of the fabric, a couple of broken needles etc, but I remained patient.  I was quite pleased with the effect of sewing in the valleys type of straight quilting.

I am learning about different sizes of needles and which to use for different fabrics etc.  I was meant to keep this as a project to do when we meet up, but I was on a roll, and just got on with finished two sets yesterday.  Today one set was used and I am delighted with them. Whilst I cooking I can use the drawer knob to hang them from, but after that I prefer to put them away in the drawer.

It would have taken me several weeks to knit two sets, so all in all, these are excellent use of existing material and time.

There is probably a few years left in the newest of the knitted pot holders, so they will continue in service for a while.

Using the old pot holders to guage the size

Now I need to understand more about needles and order some more.  It was interesting to read the price on the ones I bought years ago, with hand written price and those available now!

Since first posting this I have had feedback and advice from my sewing guru Kay:

"The thread bunching, known also as birds nesting, can be caused by uneven tension.  I have found on more than one machine this happened but have cured it by using Guttermann sew all thread.  For some reason sewing machine are very fussy about thread spools.  You could also use try cleaning out the spool area. Lint and dust accumulate after a while."

"The thread in the shuttle should be the same as the top thread.  Older threads tend to be hairy to aid hand sewing so it is well worth investing in a couple of neutral coloured sew all threads."

Sewing machine needles 

Six more things from my garden - SOS - 27 September 25

Over the past three weeks or so we have had good colour in the front garden as the Amelanchier trees change and this week they are shedding their leaves, meaning summer is over according to the Amelanchiers.  Whether we can still call this late summer or early autumn depends on your local conditions, here we are yet to have any frosts. I am linking this post to Jim's post in the same way that several of us do each week, you too may should you feel inclined to keep a record or share Six things from your garden.

1. I bought this Fatsia Japonica Spider's Web five years ago and it has been subjected to a number of disasters and tribulations over its sojourn in the garden.  One year,  in its pot but outside the whole root system got eaten by the horrible vine weevil grubs over the winter but I managed to salvage the top just in time and used it as a cutting. Last year it had lots of leaves eaten by snails, so I cut it down again to remove the damaged leaves. It has had its best year so far, and not a damaged leaf in sight. It was amazingly resistant to the drought, but is in the small shaded part of the garden, so has suffered no scorching.

2. Sedum 'Autumn Joy' is looking at its best in the back garden.  Sadly the one I divided and replanted in several bits in the front garden this year are very poor in comparison.  They did not have time to get established properly before the heat and long dry spell. Hopefully with the winter rain and rest they will spring up next summer.

3. The low angle of the sun shows up the form of this rosemary beautifully.  This is the softest and tastiest of my rosemary plants and my favourite one. Although I showed it a few weeks back it is in this one that you can see the upward arching stems.

4. The Ginkgo biloba 'Mariken' which I acquired a couple of years ago and planted in a large slate pot is still in its green state and again a plant which looks lovely in the early morning light.

Ginkgo biloba 'Mariken'

5. I've been out in the garden digging out plants that have not been performing or declining such as my Iceberg Rose and one of the Rose Grace shrubs. On this little corner lifting plants or removing them just so that I can have a little rearrangement of plants in front of the Dierama 'Snowbells'. The ones I dug up were divided with plenty to  be repositioned elsewhere as well as to be given away as divisions.My Hori Hori is of our my great helper and comes out with me each time I am shifting and dividing plants. I wanted lower growing plants to allow the dierma plenty of room.  The Betonica officinalis 'Ukkie' was completely overwhelmed by the other plants growing there, and when I removed those, and lifted the betonica I could see that it was easily dividable, and now I have several little plants.  It only grows to about 25 cm to the tip of its flower spike. This is another plant that had had its name changed; it used to named Stachys.

I did the same type of division for a nicely performing white Betonica 'Wisley White' given to me by gardening friend Maggie. It went in the area where the large and aging clump of Marjoram Bristol Cross was growing.  It all feels a little like rearranging the furniture but with plants. 

6. Bang in the middle of this picture is a delightful small grey leaved Fuchsia 'Silver Linings'. It was first given to me by a great plantswoman, Janet, who like me was one of the members of the 'Kenilworth in Bloom' committee.  Each year a reminder of her birthday comes up on my Facebook: I was able to send her birthday wishes this week and attached this picture to show her that I am still thinking of her after all this time. It was Janet that spotted a small plant during a memorable day out, which we of course all immediately admired and coveted.  By the end of the season she presented each of us a small plant.  

Fuchsia microphylla ssp. hemsleyana 'Silver Lining'

I found out that the full name is Fuchsia microphylla ssp. hemsleyana 'Silver Lining', and being of the curious type I wanted to find out what hemsleyana stood for and within a few minutes have understood not only a little more about the name but also the type of terrain Fuchsias such as this comes from. 

Royal Surrey Day 2 -The Savill Garden

 Following on from a delightful day 1, our second day's outing was to The Savill Garden which forms part of the Windsor Estate and is absolutely one of my favourite gardens.  I do recall visiting it when I was quite young, however it surpassed all expectation, and should I have the opportunity to visit it again, I would jump at the opportunity.  

Considering it had been so dry, they had made the most of their own lakes using water to irrigate sensitive parts of the garden.  However the dry garden was having to work for its name and there was much there to inspire.  As this was a 'holiday' and I was very much aware that it was a holiday for the two of us, it was very much a companionable time together walking to all the corners of the garden, rather than an in depth plant admiration tour.  I took just a few pictures and caught only a few of the names.

The plantings of different varieties of Ophiopogon under some of the trees near the New Zealand Garden were very effective, and I particularly like the Ophiopogon Japonicus minor.  Just how many small clumps did they plant? 

Ophiopogon Japonicus minor

Being very shade and dry tolerant'  they made very effective ground cover...

Ophiopogon intermedius argenteomarginata

In the vicinity of the Summer garden stood this large magnificent tree.  We could not but be drawn to it.  With its dark profile and branches reaching the ground, it formed a good focal point along the wide grass avenue

Savill Garden - Podocarpus Salignus

The raised bed gravel mulched beds had several plants which drew my attention such as this Luma apiculata 'Nana'.

Luma apiculata 'Nana'

The Queen Elizabeth Temperate House had some delightful plant combinations, with everything very well maintained and the plants well looked after.

Our walk around The Summer Wood was made all the more interesting for all the woodland planting under the trees, as well as display in beds of various forms of Hydrangea Paniculata with single variety beds showing off the form and structure of these to great advantage. There is a good cultivar selected at the Savill Gardens called Hydrangea paniculata 'Savill Lace', though I don't think it is the one below.

I think one would need at least two consecutive days in the gardens to do them justice, and that is before taking into consideration that visits at different times of the year would highlight different groups of plants.  

Of course I have not forgotten that the park land around our hotel had some beauties, and after a rest we took a late afternoon stroll and will post some pictures of The Elvetham Hotel another time. 
 

Six on Saturday - 20 September 2025

The garden has finally started to recover with the rain, so it is with a lighter heart that gardened this week, and according to custom Six items from the garden are being posted, and linked into Jim's post.  Lots to see there from several other SOSers.  You are welcome to join in if you wish, with Jim explaining the guidelines.

1. When I posted this  Allium senescens ssp. glaucum growing in the gravel garden in 2023, I wrote that I intended to divide it.  I didn't and now it is even wider and full of flower.  It may flower late but all summer it has still been attractive with its curling grey green leaves. Yesterday the sunshine brought out the butterflies and they just loved this, but could I get near enough to photograph clearly...they certainly were camera shy.

Allium senescens ssp glaucum

2. One of the trees I have enjoyed particularly in the autumn when visiting other gardens is Cercidiphyllum japonicum -   I love scents in   garden and The Katsura Tree as it is called in Japan gives off a lovely toffee apple scent.  Of course the garden is far too small for such a tree, but I could start to grow one and keep it small, and to my delight found that you can buy very young trees.  I got this one from Jurassic Plants, and it shall get lots of tlc and we shall see how it develops over the years.

Cercidiphyllum japonicum

3. Since I found the tree that I really wanted on line at Jurassic Plants, I had a look to see what other little plant caught my fancy and I decided to give Corylopsis sinensis a go.  Its common name is Chinese Winter Hazel and again with its fragrance in the spring, and good autumn colour. I hope to bring it on for a few years till it starts to flower.  The planting instructions were clear and straight forward and very detailed.  They were very well packed, and planted up as per the instructions within an hour of their arrival.  It seems strange to plant the pot with its pot into the larger pot which I shall use, but knowing the reasons why it makes sense to me. 

Corylopsis sinensis - Chinese Winter Hazel

4. Early morning low light in the garden: a special time and a plant from Special Plants: 

Miscanthus nepalensis

5.  Some of the cyclamen I grew from seeds received from the Cyclamen Society are throwing up flowers for the first time. I was not quite sure that it was as the packet said, and thanks to posting on the Cyclamen Society Facebook page, I had identification by Steve Walters and John Lonsdale that the two plants I showed were Cyclamen intaminatum. Isn't wonderful that such experts give time and help through these societies.  I even had the comment 'nice leaf'! New labels with the correct name are now in the pot.

Cyclamen intaminatum

The flowers are much smaller than Cyclamen hederifolium, so I shall be keeping these in a pot rather than releasing them into the garden.

6. The cosmos that I bought as seedlings are finally flowering.  The plants are very tall but finally they are showing their colours.

and only when I was looking at some of the pictures and blowing them up on the computer did I see that one of the blooms was host to a Flower Crab Spider, it is still small and if you want a hint it is at about 31 minutes past.

I'm out this morning to my local HPS monthly meeting, and taking a great specimen of the Chrysanthemum Picasso.  I took the tiniest of material early in the year as cutting, and it has made an extraordinary good plant in just one season.