Happy new year

Spectacular sunset from our front garden

As you can see, we experienced a pretty amazing sunset on the evening of 29th December. Going by the 'red sky at night' maxim, we were hoping for a good day the next day. We weren't disappointed, and I got the clearest ever photos of the Peak District near Sheffield, on 30th December.

 View from Stanage Edge looking towards the Hope Valley and Mam Tor

 Looking over the landscape of dry stone walls, enclosed farm land, and Burbage Ridge up to the left

 Looking back at Stanage Edge in the late afternoon sun

A peat moorland, near Ringinglow

Best wishes to you for 2020.

Autumn: in the Peak District

For a slightly different twist on my Autumn series, I thought I'd show a few photos from a trip into the Peak District yesterday. For those that don't know, whilst most people think the Peak District is in Derbyshire, quite a decent amount is also in South, and West Yorkshire, Cheshire, and Staffordshire.

This is a view towards the Jodrell Bank Observatory from near Merryton Low in Staffordshire. I love the gentle countryside, then how some peaks have just roughly push their way up above it. There is a lot of this in the Peak District, hence it's name.

In this picture, you should be able to see a moon-like white patch above the rocky outcrop (Hen Cloud). This in fact is the Lovell radio telescope of Jodrell Bank Observatory. Built in 1957, it remains one biggest and most powerful radio telescopes in the world. It's moon-like appearance from a distance, seems fitting.

From a viewpoint further down the road, you could see Hen Cloud, and The Roaches behind it, quite clearly.

Back into Derbyshire, the late afternoon winter sun was lighting the peak above Hathersage in glowing autumn colours. This, and the rest of the photos, were taken from inside the car, so they are a little blurry, but hopefully they will give you a feel for autumn light and colours you find in the Peak landscape.

Further on above Hathersage, this is Over Owler Tor.

An artistic(!) view of the Birch wood at Surprise View.

Burbage Rocks South

 Stony Ridge Road to Black Hill. Can you spot the cyclist?

And... Traffic jam, Peak District style.

Moo.


* * * * *
Other posts in the series:
  Autumn: Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku'
  Autumn: Prunus mume 'Beni-chidori'

  Autumn: Salvia 'Amistad'
  Autumn: Cornus 'Norman Hadden' 
  Autumn: Fagus sylvatica

Photo essay: Stanage Edge & Burbage, 5th August 2017

It's summer. The heather is flowering at Stanage Edge and Burbage. It just never gets old.

Beautiful.

Dovedale, and 20th revisted

Back in January, Kevin and I tried to celebrate our 20th Anniversary. I say try, because our quiet few days in the Yorkshire Dales was ruined by our car conking out. It died on the day we arrived. We had to be rescued, blah blah blah. The upshot was we didn't really get to celebrate anything as we spent most of our time dealing with car troubles.

We agreed that we would try again once life had quietened down, after we sold our previous house and moved etc. On the weekend, we managed to revisit our 20th, staying at the Izaak Walton Hotel down in Dovedale, on the edge of the Staffordshire and Derbyshire Peak. And it was just wonderful.

We spent a quiet day pottering around nearby Tissington, including Tissington Nursery (separate blogpost), then relaxing in the hotel and enjoying the incredible views.

Tissington Hall

Pygmy goats!

Dovedale and the view from the hotel

By the way, the food at the hotel was superb. We had a three course meal, including Amuse Bouche (tiny horses-d'œuvres), which we'd not had before. It was all very delicious and for the food alone I'd return to the hotel.

Dovedale and the Izaak Walton Hotel are only an hour away from Sheffield, but it felt like another world. Importantly, we felt we had finally celebrated our 20th anniversary in a manner that was both beautiful and peaceful.

20 years

Nursery: Tissington Nursery

On our recent visit to Dovedale, we also had a little look at Tissington Nursery. I mean, it was there, and it would be rude not to go.

The nursery is housed in Tissington estate's walled Old Kitchen Gardens. It is a small family-run nursery, and whilst there I met Mairi, who appeared to be quite knowledgeable about the hardy perennials that she grows.

Ducks feeding. I'm guessing they would be useful for slug patrol too.

I obtained some useful advice on growing Sanguisorba in pots (a large one). I'd been warned off trying them in pots because they do like space, but Mairi said if it's for a year or so it will be ok. I thought I'd risk it, as hopefully by this time next year we will have moved into our own place. I've been wanting to grow Sanguisorba for a while, and Mairi chose a handsome Sanguisorba hakusanensis 'Lilac Squirrel' that has flower heads just developing, for me.

My small collection of plants. The largest plant is the Sanguisorba.

The nursery has an interesting selection of plants, including a number of Sempervivums (I chose Sempervivum Triste) and a delightful Oxalis, Oxalis adenophylla. This has pretty pink flowers, but it was the foliage that won me over.

Oxalis adenophylla

I also picked up Salvia nemorosa 'Ostfriesland', and we chose this lovely alpine planter below as a memory for our 20th Anniversary.

The nursery was selling these planters for a retiree who was trying to make a little extra income to supplement his pension. I won't go into a political rant about how pensioners shouldn't to have to find ways to make ends meet... I will say that he has created some gorgeous alpine planters and I expect he will do well out of selling these via the nursery.

Not sure what type of Ameria this is, but, pretty!

The nursery is currently 50% peat free. Mairi is on the way to converting to 100% peat free, hopefully by next year. She likes Sylva Grow peat free compost, as do I.

They helpfully looked after our plants for us so we didn't have to leave them in the car overnight. Over dinner we found ourselves discussing the Trollius we saw, and decided it also needed to be purchased, so we picked that up the next day, along with the rest of the plants. I was advised that it likes damp soil, so I'll keep an eye on watering when I pot it up.

Trollius × cultorum 'Alabaster', which turns yellow as the flowerheads open.

The nursery/Mairi will be attending RHS Chatsworth Flower Show in June, so do visit her stand in the floral pavilion. Otherwise, the nursery is open daily from March to the end of September, 11am to 5pm.

Tissington Nursery is a delightful small nursery in which a lot of perennial gems can be found. Beautiful plants and helpful advice, what more could you ask for in a plant nursery?! I suspect I'll be dropping in again (and again) when I'm in that part of the Peak.

Garden visit: Renishaw with friends

We visit Renishaw Hall Gardens at least a couple of times a year, and often around bluebell time. This year coincided with Easter and friends. So this is a slightly tongue-in-cheek take on visiting Renishaw Hall Gardens with friends. If you want less people and more bluebells (!), visit my 2015 post.

L-R: Manishta, Kevin, golden cupid thingy in the distance, Kate & J-P.

You get the drill, only this time with moi.

It seems hares do the cat cleaning it's paw thing. Yes, I know it's a sculpture, but my view stands.

As well as bluebells, there were Magnolias.

Manishta drinking of the wine of the Magnolia. Manishta, you can stop now. Really.

It wasn't long after this malarkey that I realised I had no energy to walk any further. We had barely got past the entrance (though I felt like I'd walked miles), but MECFS doesn't care about that. Kevin thought to go back to find out if they had any mobility scooters we could hire. They did, and the hire was free, and what's more, rather than making me walk back, they brought the scooter to me. Being able to use the scooter made all the difference. I had been thinking that Kevin might have to take me home, but instead I was able to continue to enjoy the day with my friends. Thank you Renishaw.

Borrowed landscape with cows.

One of these friends is not like the others.

Manishta: ok, I'll smile then.

Even Ms-I-don't-care-for-camellias (that's me in case you were wondering)

thought the colour looked wonderful against the bluebells.

Two heads are better than one. 

I think this is the Benny Hill element of the visit.

Girls just wanna enjoy bluebells.

Magnolia 'Vulcan'

Rubus spectabilis Olympic Double - thanks to Gill at Off the Edge Gardening for the id.

(previously labelled as a double flowered dog-rose)

Didn't catch it's name. But pretty.

 In case we missed it, J-P demonstrates the shapes arising from the shuttlecock ferns.

 Kate wonders if she can pass.

You shall not pass! So that's a nope, then.

Is she taking photos again?

 Wait for it...

What larks, says J-P.

Wait for it part 2... 

Is that a castle arising from the steps?! 

Unlike Kate, I got passed the statues on my scooter.

It was worth their wrath to see this view. 

If I was them, I'd be opening those windows in the evenings.

Coz who cares about a cold April wind when there is Wisteria fragrance, right?

T'was a wonderful visit. Made the more so because of the use of the mobility scooter. Much of Renishaw is wheelchair/scooter accessible, including the bluebell woods, and they even have a scooter map to show you the best scooter paths.

And, in case you need the incentive, they have a pretty darned good little cafe. Good for sitting in with friends eating yummy food. Both lunch, and afternoon tea ;)

Friends and flowers. It was a fab day.

OMG it ME, says Kate.