Hopton Hall Gardens

 Hopton Hall is in Carsington, Derbyshire, and it is open in February for the Snowdrop walk and in July for the Rose Gardens.There is a pop-up cafe that serves drinks, cakes and sandwiches at these opening events.

The Gardens are a tranquil escape (It is in an internet and mobile phone blind-spot) and there is a lot to see.  This is the large pond.

I did try to take a photo of a flying dragonfly with my camera,  This is at 80mm focal length with a fast flying insect.  Not so bad!

The general shot across the rose garden was taken in bright sunlight and the temperature was 28 degrees Centigrade.  This was the hottest day recorded so far this year.

This is the long walk, below the rose garden.  What a delightful day.

An oasis in the middle of Changing Plans

This week we had planned to spend a few days away in Yorkshire, but we beset by unforeseen issues.  I had 2 fillings come out, then our neighbour was taken into hospital, so we offered to look after her pet cat and dog for a week, then the weather forecast put a damper on any other plans.

My fillings will be treated tomorrow, so in the interim we decided to visit a relative at Holmesfield near Sheffield for a day.  On the way back we stopped off at Hartington Meadows to see if the orchids were out.  It is a challenge requiring a level of determination.

Go to Hartington Signal Box car park on the Tissington Trail - just off of the A515 on the B5053 and turn in near the old railway bridge.  Facing the signal box in the car park, turn left an walk 100 yards.  That will take you to the Meadows Path.

The steps lead up to the entrance to the Meadow access path.

At the top is the old wall stile, with a new support rail.

Then the path leads on, it is a bit overgrown and the vegetation is shoulder height.

The path runs up between the old quarry workings and it you cross the fencing, there are some seriously sheer cliffs at the Quarry edge.

The path continues uphill through the forest and there are roots and rocks to avoid.  I suspect the path will be very muddy in wet weather.

After a while, and 3 narrow gates, the meadow will come into view.  It is on a variable slope on thin soil with two paths crossing the main meadow. This is a protected site so we had to keep to the paths.  Then Wow!

At this time, the only Orchid we saw was the Common Spotted Orchid.  When the flowers are fresh they are lilac and purple with a distinct pattern.  The leaves may have purple spots, but many of the plants do not show the leaf spots on this site.

The colours do fade with age and the petals dry and curl up.  From pristine to raggy white, these are the same plants.  The meadow was covered in them.

Just enough time now to drive home a feed our neighbours animals.

More Foxes

 The  cubs are becoming more independent and coming onto the garden unsupervised.  They are looking clean and healthy and well co-ordinated now.

We have seen 5 different cubs and they are all slightly different in stature and behaviour. Also very aware of where each other are.  They will play together and share food to some degree.  Life is fun at the moment.

However, the vixen is often around somewhere to keep them in order. The little tikes are nearly full grown now.

Welsh Adventure

We have been half planning a short holiday, but going nowhere whilst waiting for medical appointments and test results. OK this is a couple of days away in North Wales.

The rooftops of Llandudno, with the Welsh hills in the background was the first photograph I took at the coast.  This is the view from the Town Centre car park.

Llandudno Pier is a long one, and well worth a walk out to the end.  This shot is looking back at the Town from the deck of the pier, Not quite at the end yet.

Bodnant Garden is always worth a visit.  The house is not open to the public, but the facilities in the garden are excellent.

The view from the house is a stunning vista of the ornamental garden and the Welsh countryside.  It is a long and occasionally steep walk down to the end of the garden and the cafe facilities at the stream.

I was pleased with this image of a swan stretching its wings at the local nature reserve at Rhuddlan. The cygnet at its breast is one of Seven.

https://www.visitwales.com/destinations/north-wales/llandudno-colwyn-bay

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/bodnant-garden

https://www.visitmidwales.co.uk/showmewales/information/product-catch-all/rhuddlan-p1730511 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseshoe_Pass

 

The Badgers are causing trouble again.

This morning we saw a fox cub venturing in to eat food at the bird feeders. This is a brave individual.

I nipped to get a better camera for the job.  The cub hung around for a while.

Later, When I was checking around the garden I found a few potato plants had been decimated.  The Badgers !

 

There had been 4 potato plants dug up and the tubers eaten.  Another 2 plants had tubers dug out.  This was about 20% of my outdoor crop gone.

 

It was my fault as I have left an area where the badgers could tunnel in under the wire.  That has now been staked off using pegs and canes.  I have also planted an additional 3 potatoes from my reserve - They were intended to go into the greenhouse pots when I picked the indoor potatoes later this month.

In the mean time, I have been taking out the large Oxe-Eye daisies from the top lawn.  The area is being set to seed as lawn, with the intention of adding a seat below the Tulip Tree when the grass is well established. I have laid topsoil mixed with grass seed between the rows of bricks, the areas each side need the daisy roots removing and then dressing with lawn soil.

From this area I recovered 2 Holly shrubs, 2 Aquilegias, and transplanted blocks of Daisies into the back of one raised bed and to the hedge side of the meadow area.  There is also a rose shrub (self set) and a fern to be lifted later.

 

Quite an eventful day.

New (Used) Camera.

 I have just acquired a Nikon D800.  It was second hand, but boxed and unused.  It took me a while to set up the menus and get it working as it had a French user manual. The settings still need some tweaks.  These are some test shots I took this evening.

The dog fox with one of his cubs.

The vixen with a different cub, Ironically sitting next to a plant called Fox and cubs.

Vixen and cub at the top lawn,

Vixen with food, which the larger cubs want, but she took it to one of the smaller cubs.

Older Vixen with an egg.

I am happy with my new camera.

Ah! Dry weather days.

 The weather has been quite wet and all of a sudden we have 3 dry and sunny days in a row.  Time to tackle some gardening jobs, mow the lawn, muck out the greenhouse and clear the overgrown vegetation.

The beds around the pond were heavily covered with weeds, so the first bed has been taken out and a grit slope added to the soil base, with a compost, sand and grit soil mix to top it off. Assorted cobbles have been recovered to create a small rockery and the soil level has been raised to allow better drainage.

The next job was to clear the overgrown pathway separating the beds.  Now we can see what needs doing.  A few potted plants have been used to fill in gaps where weeds have been removed.

The meadow is looking much different to what I expected.   The yellow rattle, which we have sewn for the last two years has not taken in the heavy clay soil.  What we have is a buttercup meadow, with lady's smock, foxgloves and docks.  Earlier there were fritillaries and wood avens, and we have managed to get wood anemones under the hedges. We are waiting to see if the corn cockle comes up later in  the Summer.