That's one year gone already!

Standing in front of the Herbaceous Border in the Dairy - July 2018

So the time has finally come, my year working as a gardens student at Waddesdon has come to an end. I have learnt so much from everyone there and I really happy to have met so many knowledgeable people. This last year has gone by so quickly. Before I knew it, it was Christmas then Easter and then I blinked and August rolled back around again.
Here are some highlights from my year:

Bachelor's wing at Waddesdon Manor - August 2017

August 2017- Last August I arrived at Waddesdon and was immediately astounded by the size and beauty of the manor and gardens. I felt so fortunate to be able to work somewhere that clearly takes pride in their Victorian style bedding. The picture is from right at the beginning before I even started working at Waddesdon. I was due to move in that afternoon but I decided to explore a little in the morning.  It was great fun wandering around the grounds with my parents who were as equally gobsmacked.

Daffodil Valley - September 2017

September 2017- 3 weeks in and almost settled. I was missing home a little bit but having great fun at the same time. First time working with the Turf Team and we were on Daffodil valley cutting and raking the long grass. Truly hard work rolling the hay downhill so that it could be picked up by the tractor later on. Daffodil valley is home to a large collection of Daffodils and Orchids. The long grass is cut and then removed to avoid adding nutrients into the soil. Wildflower areas thrive on poor soil and if grass clippings are left to break down they make the soil more fertile.

Cylinder mowing - October 2017

October 2017- First time using a cylinder mower on a formal lawn and I think I did a pretty good job. Still room for improvement though. This picture was taken in the Dairy at Waddesdon. The craft gardener there is a fantastic teacher and really patient. My track record with machinery is sometimes ambiguous but I am improving, largely due to the team at Waddesdon, so that is all that matters.

Christmas trees arriving on site - November 2017

November 2017- Christmas! In November... Still seems way to early to me but after seeing the season through I totally get why they start preparing so early at Waddesdon. It is a massive spectacle including a fair, a few installations and a light show. I don't think I was very much help the day they brought the trees in but it was such a site to see. A truck brought the trees onto the estate and put them into position for us. The next couple of weeks saw us putting over 5000 lights on the entrance drive, silk street, trees alone.

Frozen pond in the Dairy. This is the same pond I fell into not long before this picture was taken.

December 2017- So much snow. I spent a lot of time at home this month because of Christmas but I didn't miss the snows in early December. Such a lot of snow in a short period of time for a place that isn't used to that. It felt pretty similar to the cold winters of home so I coped well enough. Still... I complained about the cold a lot. I think you have to. Otherwise, you go snow crazy!

Fruit pruning - January 2017

January 2018- This was another first for me. Fruit tree pruning. This month I helped the team in the Dairy give their apples and pears their winter pruning. We started by taking out any dead, damaged and diseased wood. Then we thinned out the branches so that in Spring the branches would have more air flow through them. Then we shortened the previous year's growth by about a third to encourage new growth in the spring. This was a quite a challenge in the beginning but once I had got my eye in, it became easier as the day progressed.

 

                          Herbaceous Border - February 2018 and July 2018

February 2018- I think this was my favourite project while at Waddesdon. This project started in February but actually ran right on until I left at the end of August. The aim was to design, plant and maintain a mixed herbaceous Border. Myself and another student came up with our ideas then combined the two to make one border. This meant right from the beginning we had to compromise about plants and ideas. As the spring and summer progressed we soon realised that we would have to make even more compromises. Due to the poor spring and then the heatwave early on in summer many plants failed to germinate, grew poorly or were very slow to start. This meant we had to choose some new plants for the area quickly and switch up the original plan slightly. However, I think it worked out well in the end and all of these lessons will be taken on forward in the future.

Spring bedding - March 2018

March 2018 - A lot of the Spring bedding went in in the October due to the Tulip bulbs. In March we had the last of the Spring bedding to put in which were mainly yellow, red and white Pansies. Although not as cold as it had been, the ground was still quite cold and my fingers went numb a few times.

Amelanchier planting at Windmill Hill - April 2018

April 2018- Although I wasn't involved much with the maintenance of Windmill Hill other than mowing. I was there to see the Amelanchier planting in the courtyard flowering. It was an absolutely wonderful display of the underused shrubs. It didn't last long but that made it even better and the day I saw it was one of those rare sunny days in April.

Planting the 3-D birds - May 2018

May 2018 - This is one of Waddesdon's best examples of bedding. This form of carpet bedding creates a 3-D artwork created from tiny plants inserted into a metal framework stuffed full of compost. I didn't really have much to do with this except for one day working on the back of the 'Robin'. Most of this repetitive and time-consuming work was done by one of the patient craft gardeners in the Ornamental team who spent over 3 weeks planting these birds.

Carpet bedding in the Parterre - June 2018

June 2018- This is another form of carpet bedding. We created a chain of gardeners to pass along each tray of plants which were then placed into position. A team of 4, including myself and another student, then laid each tray down into final positions. This whole process took a day to complete. This year's design was created by Michael Eden as a representation of the Manor in a pixelated manner.

Summer bedding in the parterre - July 2018

July 2018 - With all the summer bedding finally in place all that was left was to maintain it. This included dead-heading, weeding and an awful lot of watering. With the summer heatwave still in full throws and feeling hotter everyday, the parterre and other bedding around the garden had to be checked everyday. Watering was needed more often than not. This left not much time for a lot else to be done in July.

Chillies in the glasshouses - August 2018

August 2018 - This was my last month at Waddesdon and I wasn't even there very much. I went back home to Scotland to celebrate my birthday with my family. I was there though for the preparation of the Chilli Festival which if memory serves is happening this weekend. I spent a rainy day in the glasshouse 'polishing peppers', so many jokes. We used leaf cleaning wipes to clear the chillies of a faint white dust which had appeared on the plants over time. This was due to the hard tap water which is heavily alkaline. This is the same stuff which can cause your kettle to have a white coating on the inside.

Waddesdon Manor

I had so much fun at Waddesdon. If you are ever in Buckinghamshire, I really recommend a visit. It's a great place to visit with the family and has so much to offer.

With the year finally done, it is time to start something new. This last week was my first week as a 2nd year student working in Devon at a beautiful naturalistic garden. The Garden House is a small 10 acre site with varying styles. I am so lucky to be here and look forward to the coming year. I am sure I will learn as much here as I did at Waddesdon Manor.

The Garden House

The walled garden at The Garden House.

Buckland Abbey

Down in Devon again. This time I am here for a year. From what I have seen so far it is a beautiful part of the country, the landscape is just incredible.

Rudbeckia in the Elizabethan Garden at Buckland Abbey

Last Saturday my mum helped me move down here to Devon from Buckinghamshire which was my home for the last year. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at working at Waddesdon Manor. However, I am ready to try something completely new. Despite a small hiccup first thing in the morning the move went without a hitch. I only realised when I started packing just how much stuff I have  managed to accumulate over the last year. I swear it just starts appearing out of nowhere but then if I start to think about it, I know exactly where it has all come from. I seem to have a penchant for picking up nick-knacks.

Sunday rained. All day, non-stop. Gloomy weather doesn't really inspire exploring so my mum and I spent the day organising my room and driving to the nearest town to pick up some food followed up with watching a movie classic in the evening, Dirty Dancing. One of the best all time movies. I am pretty sure I can watch the entire movie without actually looking at the screen. I know it so well that just thinking about it brings back so many good memories.

Entrance to Elizabethan Garden.

Monday morning brought sunshine or at least dry-ish weather so we decided to head off to Buckland Abbey for a visit. The abbey is nestled in the countryside of South West Devon looked after by the National Trust. It is alive with history and beautiful gardens. Buckland Abbey is the historical home of Cistercian monks who cultivated the land and latterly Sir Francis Drake, a privateer who explored the world in the 1500s.  The Abbey now supports a couple of functions, acting as a museum and gallery. As I wondered through the house I noticed bricked in windows, walls built around pillars and stairs that now no longer lead anywhere. These I read were once features of the monastery and over time the building has been reconstructed to suit the purposes of the house and family.

 Buckland Abbey

View of the Abbey from the side.

The gardens are separated out into the Kitchen garden, Abbey garden, Elizabethan Garden and Cider House garden are well maintained and colourful. Helpful pamphlets in the gardens list the beds and their plants. Answering questions that I otherwise would have asked a gardener. Unfortunately we did not have time to explore all of Buckland Abbey but I will definitely be heading back there soon to see what we missed.

Rosa 'For Your Eyes Only'

 I am very grateful for my mum for coming with me and to my friend who drove a van down to Devon to help me move. I am looking forward to seeing them both again at Christmas time.

For now, that's all folks.
I hope you have a great weekend.

Cosmic Egg in the barn at Buckland Abbey

Devonshire Holiday - Part 2

Day two into our trip down to Devon and my mum and I decided to visit Cotehele, National Trust. We didn't expect it to be as big as it was but we enjoyed our day very much. We had planned to visit Buckland Abbey on the same day but visiting Cotehele took us all day to wander around.

Cotehele house with a view of the terraces.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/buckland-abbey

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cotehele

Although technically in Cornwall, Cotehele was close enough to where we were staying to visit. Cotehele is a much older garden than Stourhead which we had visited the previous day. There was so much to see. We explored Cotehele House adorned with Tapestries, we meandered our way through the gardens and found our way down to Cotehele Quay and Mill. The whole site is a testament to the changing use of the area throughout the centuries since it was built in the 1400s.

View of the terraces and down onto the local town from next to the house.

 My favourite area of the garden was the terraces outside the house. These could be viewed from the house as you look. Purples, pinks, whites and blues were spilling down terraces like a sea of flowers.

So many flowers. A great display.

I am definitely looking forward to spending more time down in Devon in the future and I still want to visit Buckland Abbey.
Here are some more photos from my visit:

Alstroemeria in the Walled Garden.

Silver and Gold border.

Cotehele watermill

Gunnera manicata in next to the watermill.

Devonshire Holiday - Part 1

Mid June and it was time for a holiday. I was so looking forward to a weekend away with my mum. I had a great time. My mum came down from Scotland and stayed with me for a night before I drove us both down to Devon for a mother-daughter trip.

As we wanted to avoid the Motorway the whole way we chose to drive down the A34- A303- A30 route which took us on a tour of the countryside and past Stonehenge. Unfortunately we didn't get the chance to stop there but I have been before and it's well worth visiting. It is a beautiful example of the innovatory nature of our ancestors which is integral to our understanding of British history and culture.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/

Stourhead House

 We chose Stourhead, National trust, as our halfway stopping point. This allowed us to grab some lunch and stretch our legs for a couple of hours before getting back on the road. This is where I introduced my mum to the wonderful deliciousness of the Trust's salted caramel milk chocolate which is by far the best I have had yet. As both of us are National Trust members we did not have to pay the ticket cost for entry which saved us some money which we later spent in the shop.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stourhead

View towards the distance, feels further away than it is.

Stourhead is an astonishing example of a landscape garden. The walk around the lake offers views from every angle. The landscapes, influenced by art and nature, offers a variety of pleasing vistas and intriguing buildings. You are drawn to them as you are offered glimpses through the woods and across the lakes. These peeks of wondrous ideas pull you along the paths and through the landscape and give you a sense of grandeur and possibility. They feel out of place and so much in the right place at the same time.

View of the lake.

My camera isn't great at long distance shots but I have added some photos to show the general idea. 

 

Hughenden - National Trust and Woburn Safari Park

Hi there,

My best friend came to visit me early on in June for the weekend to see some of the sights around Buckinghamshire. She has never down this way before so I had the chance to take her to my favourite places and some new ones.  I am so happy that she came to visit me as I dearly and I have been wanting to show her where I live for some time now.

On Saturday I took us both to Woburn Safari Park.

http://www.woburnsafari.co.uk/

We paid for the all inclusive tickets at £34.99. Quite expensive but turned out to be well worth it.  The ticket included your admission, a meal, a drink, a free bottle water, a copy of the guidebook and entry to the sea lion experience. It was a fantastic day out, we managed to catch a lot of the talks from the zoo keepers around the site throughout the day. All the staff were very helpful and knowledgeable and keen to answer visitor questions. I loved the Bird show which featured a Blue and Gold Macaw and Cockatiels. It made me really want to take care of birds in the future as part of my garden.

Sea lion cove.

On Sunday morning we went along to National Trust property - Hughenden.  An easy place to find as the Sat Nav takes you all the way there. As I am still fairly new to driving and I have an automatic car, we struggled slightly to get up the steep hill to the house. The drive is a crumbling surface up a narrow steep hill. It could definitely be improved but it isn't too long.

Hughenden House

 https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hughenden

As a National Trust member I had free entry for myself and one other person so we decided to go along. My favourite area of the Gardens was the walled Garden. I great example of gardening which is clearly well-loved and taken care of. In the immediate grounds around the house there is a small herbaceous border with a purple and silver scheme and a small parterre. Both accentuate the house and it's history. There is a walk around the house which takes approximately 40 minutes. You can stay on the easy paths or follow the walk further down into the estate which takes approximately another 20 minutes.

Bugingham Palace in the Walled Garden

Willow walk in the Walled Garden.

View of the house and the herbaceous border.

View of the Parterre from the back of the house.

I am so grateful that my friend had the time to come and see me and I hope that I will see her again when I travel back up to Scotland in August. She is moving to Hong Kong soon to study and I wish her all the best and safe travels.

Sheffield Park and Garden

Hi there,

View of the house.

In June I went to Sheffield Park and Garden to attend a National Trust course on Garden History.
The course took us through 700 years of English landscapes and gardens in a morning. A whistle stop tour through the most important gardens of their times, referencing places such as Hardwick Hall, Ham House, Waddesdon Manor and Petworth. One of the most intriguing things I learnt from this day was that a landscape is almost never how it seems at first glance. Every generation of owners will have had added their own impact and features to the garden.
 
In the afternoon we had a tour of the grounds leading us through the entrance and past the view of the house to look down upon the lakes.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sheffield-park-and-garden

I think the pictures of this garden speak volumes and will do a much better job of describing the place than I can.

View of the top lake

Rhododendron flowering in the garden.

Lakeside view

Trachycarpus fortunei avenue

Pink Rhododendron flowering

Classy Claydon House

Claydon house

Hi everyone,

Sorry I haven't updated for a while, I have been very busy at work so have been tired in the evenings.
Last month I visited Claydon House, a national trust property in Buckinghamshire. The house is owned by the Trust but the gardens are still owned and looked after by the Verney family.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/claydon







As a national trust member it was free entry to the house but an additional £5 for the entrance to the garden. The staff at reception were very polite and knowledgeable about the area. Unfortunately, I could not take any pictures within the house itself as cameras were prohibited. The inside of the house was a distinctive collection of Verney family history. The 'Chinese Room' was my favourite part of the house featuring white figurines throughout the room which highlighted the Victorian obsession with oriental design.

Plaque of Queen Victoria in the garden.

 I was lucky enough to get there just in time for a gardens tour. I tagged along and listened to the  interesting history of the Verney Family and the gardens. There I learnt about the original design of the garden by James Sanderson, a pupil of 'Capability Brown', and how the Verney family have had a large input over the years.

Flowering Magnolia in the Serpentine borders.

The tour began next to the Fernery and led us along the serpentine borders to the walled garden. The walled garden featured herbaceous borders, fruit and veg production and a small orchard.  The tour then led us through the woodland garden and into the younger areas of the garden and then onto the lawns surrounding the house.

Moon gate looking into the reflection pond.

 The Moon gate and Reflection Pond was my favourite area of the garden. Its peaceful atmosphere earmarked the area for quiet contemplation and introspection. To the left of the Moon gate in the picture is a flowering cream Magnolia. The borders either side are still in their first spring flushes here but will definitely look fabulous in the Summer.

I believe the Reflection Pond was originally designed as a swimming pool and then converted into a pond. The wonderful pond features various types of Waterlilies, Nymphaea sp.

Reflection Pond in the centre of one section of the walled gardens.

Hay bales in the Walled Garden.

 I found these hay bales an interesting horticultural idea that I would like to try out myself. The plan is for them to be thoroughly watered and fertilised for two weeks and then planted into with tomatoes. The straw provides a water retaining medium, which should not contain weed seeds and as the straw decomposes provides the necessary nutrients for vegetables. At the end of the season the straw bales can then be added to your compost heap.

Trained fruit trees in the walled garden

I had a great afternoon out. I would say the whole site takes about 3 hours to explore and then time for tea and cake. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. However, this garden does not feature a large amount for children to do but there is a trail you can follow.

I would recommend this place to visit.
Thanks for reading
Jennifer