Garden Pictures
The recent picture gallery which will continue to grow with time : the newest come first so time flows from right to left ← ← on any row. Click on any picture to see a larger scale version. The pictures open in a new window so just close it when finished. As you scroll down a 'return to the top' button will appear in the lower right corner of the screen.
Pictures from 2021 and older have been archived. Select previous years from the drop-down menu on the menu bar above.
This is the view from the other direction; we have planted some ivy on each face but for now they are held up with string;
July 12 and the ruin is [finally] finished; the paving is slabs left over from the patio five years ago;
The site has also been cleaned up with the protective skin over the stone base removed; the paving under the arch has still to be laid;
July 2 and the brickwork is finally complete;
Late June and the red buddleia in East Drive Bed is looking magnificent;
The ruin is now clearly visible from the formal garden;
This picture was taken five days later after the cement was well cured;
That was followed by a bit of fine adjustment to finish the job;
The work was surprisingly easy [thanks to Damien's extra help]; in this picture the keystone is being dropped into place;
June 20 : the big day when the arch goes up; this picture shows the temporary support for the two main parts;
June 16 and the window is in place; not very photogenic : the pallets are the 'scaffolding' which will be needed next week for erecting the arch;
Progress has also been good on the long wall with the columns for the arch complete and the lower half of the window in place; [you may want to refer back to the artist's impression at the bottom of the page]
June 2 and a month since the pictures below were taken; progress has been good and the short wall with the arrow cross is close to finished;
... and the candelabra primulas down by Winter Stream are coming into their own;
The same day and the snowdrop anemone [Anemone sylvestris so really 'forest' anemone]is in full flower ...
May 5 and the formal garden is looking good with a cloud of [unknown] euphorbia flowers in th foreground and a white acer [Acer palmatum 'Ukigumo'] in the background;
This is the view from near Crack Willow dam, also taken on May 4;
May 4 and more progress has been made on the Abbey;
This is what it looks like closer up;
April 28 and the Abbey is making good progress : it can be clearly seen from across the formal lawn;
Also April 9 and the stone base of the 'Ruined Abbey' have been brought down and laid out to see the effect;
April 9 and the cherry tree is at its best;
March 25 and the new group of red tulips [Tulipa praestans 'Fusilier'] in Asparagus Bed is looking magnificent;
And the same day the basic structure of the floating island is complete; next stage is to plant it up before working out how to moor it in the middle;
Also March 20 and the Epimedium x versicolor 'Sulphureum'plants in Formal Garden South have bulked out nicely;
The same day and this is the little [unnamed] bed under the oak;
March 20 - 6 days later than the picture below - and the magnolia is in full flower [and looking magnificent];
Towards the end of the week the new species tulips in Asparagus Bed are loking very good; over the years they will bulk out;
The next day and the floating island has been assembled so it is launched to see what happens;
The same day and the magnolia in North Glebe, planted in December 2019, is finally showing what it can do; it is not yet in full bloom;
Work is also starting on the floating island to be moored on Woodside Lake - watch this space! the heavy hose is full of sealed plastic bottles in case water gets into the hose itself;
One tote bag of ballast was a little less than required, hence the ridged appearance; the missing concrete will be replaced with mortar when starting to lay the stone;
March 14 and work proper on the 'Ruined Abbey' folly starts with the foundation; it takes all morning;
Some recently planted Anenome blanda were also in flower although one suspects there is more to come as the weeks advance;
The same day, the Cornus mas 'Jolico' in North Glebe was also in full flower, shown against a background of species crocus;
February 25 and the daffodils are in full bloom - much too early for an 'average' year;
February 14 and it is half term [so School Lane is empty] which gives an opportunity to receive the parts for the folly;
Rob and Lynda's warning sign - a Christmas present - has also been put up;
... and at the back of the glebe land Lake Woodside is captured early one morning reflecting the grey light;
Down in North Glebe the rescued mahonia is flowering in full glory ...
Still mid-February and the snowdrops under the big cherry tree are in full bloom, starting to fill out nicely;
February 11 and the foundation trench for for the folly has been dug;
One of this year's projects is to build a 'ruined abbey' folly on the edge of terra incognita; this is an artist's impression;
February 7 and the Hellebore sternii 'Silver Star' is looking magnificent in North Glebe;
January 5 2022 : Happy New Year! The well named Cornus sanguinea 'Winter Flame' in Eastern Bed is catching the low sun just perfectly;
