RHS Tatton & home bits

Had a busy weekend so far.

Saturday was an early rise for the one and a half hour drive over to Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire. We decided to take the more scenic route over the moors past the Cat and Fiddle pub down into Macclesfield and had a lovely clear drive taking in the views on the way. We arrived just as the gates were opening so managed to get a fair way round the show before the crowds started.

The pic opposite is the garden dedicated to Donald Campbell of the 'Bluebird' legend. I think it was the most impressive garden in the show, not easy to see but it was a stone figure of 8 with beautiful soft planting to soften the hard lanscaping. I'm glad I took the photo early in the day as later when we returned to the same spot it was swarming with people!





We came away mid afternoon as we had seen all we wanted to see and it was heaving with people. Not sure if I will return next year as it did feel crammed into a small space, especially the plant selling area.

Today I have been catching up on the garden and animals. Unfortunately I had to have one of the speckedlys hens sent to meet her maker on Thursday as she was not well and this resulted in the rest of the girls having a bit of a fall out trying to re-establish their pecking order, so a bit of scrapping going on in the chicken run this weekend!





My globe artichoke is coming on nicely - never grown this veg before so not sure what I was expecting, a few plants were kindly gifted to me on Freecycle




The Lollo Rossa lettuce looks good too, I've done several successional sowings of this now and the guinea pigs love it when I give them the stalks and the hens have the spent compost to scratch through.





This is Tricolour Sage that I have growing in a large tub with some Marjoram (Oregano) and some Thyme, I love the colours.




This is my 2nd sowing of Basil, the first failed to germinate so not to be defeated I tried again and bingo! it smells great and I am going to use some in a pasta dish this week.


'Buy of the day' a fiver in the local Wilkos, a beatiful French Lavendar which has the most delicious scent, I will have to remember to put it in the porch when the cold nights start (well, colder than the ones we are having at the mo!)






Finally, my newest purchase for the greenhouse a lovely potting bench which was reduced on Greenfingers website and will come in really useful as it gives me more working space thus freeing up room for seed trays etc.



Happy gardening!