Views around the grounds and Walled Garden - 25/07/2012.

This was to be my last visit in July, to this historic National Trust property in Northumberland. There was a great deal of overnight rain at home and it was also to be the case at Wallington. The ground and the grass was wet as I walked around the Courtyard, in front of the house and onto the East Lawn. 

I made my way through East Wood and along the path beside Garden Pond. In the distance I could hear the noise of a petrol strimmer, when I got closer I saw it was one of the gardeners dealing with the long grass beside the entrance into the Walled Garden.

After a quick cup of coffee, I was given my jobs for the day, namely edging the strawberry border and herb border in the Orchard and Nuttery. I was to get these finished and I moved onto the Lower Terrace and started to edge the Railway Border grass. There were a great deal of visitors in the Walled Garden today. The weather was not great, not much sun, quite warm and an overcast sky that threatened further rain showers, none came as I finished for the day.

I took the following photographs before I started work this morning:

Lime Avenue leading to West Wood.

West Lawn and House.

Wallington Hall.

The Jubilee Border beside the House.

Griffin Heads on East Lawn.

Steps down to the Lower Terrace.

Beside the Mary Pool.

Path on Lower Terrace leading to the Yew Circle.

Evidence of overnight rain.

Lower Terrace of the Walled Garden.

Raindrops on the foliage.

Raindrops and colour.

Potting shed on East Lawn of the Walled Garden.

Colour in the border beside East Lawn.

Pollen in the breeze.

Raindrops on the roses.

Views around the grounds and Walled Garden - 20/07/2012.

At last a break in the recent wet weather! For one day at Wallington we have been able to complete our work outdoors for a whole day. It was not wall to wall sunshine, but the weather forecast is for a dry sunny weeked. This will hopefully get visitors to come to Wallington, as the recent wet weather has certainly kept them away and visitor numbers are down.

The wet warm weather of the last few weeks has continued to make the grass grow and I was asked to edge the grass on the top border of the Lower Terrace. I managed to get just over half way before lunch and finished it off before I left at 3.00 p.m. For some children the school holidays have begun and they were running around the grass areas.

The following photographs were taken before I started work this morning:

Early morning view of Paine's Bridge.

China Pond in East Wood.

Garden Pond.

Mary Pool on the Lower Terrace.

The Lower Terrace.

Looking up to the Owl House.

The Railway Border.

Cut Flower Border.

Looking back towards the Yew circle.

Lower Terrace.

Beside the Orchard and Nuttery.

Views around the grounds and Walled Garden - 10/07/2012

Today was my first visit to Wallington in July. I was unable to get last week. The rain continued and it was to last all of the day. Due to the rain we had to spend all morning cleaning, oiling and sharpening the garden's hand tools.

There was a slight break in the rain after lunch - just enough time to get outside and fill up the spaces in the conservatory border with some plants. The break in the rain did not last long and I finished the planting with the rain coming down again.

I finished off the work on the hand tools and cleaned some edging irons. The rain has certainly kept visitors away from Wallington, numbers are well down for the corresponding time last year. With the school holidays looming, a period of good weather is needed to try and get people back.

I took the following pictures before I started work and after I had finished:

The gate leading to West Lawn from the Courtyard.

Clock Tower and Courtyard.

West Lawn.

The Red, White and Blue border on the south side of the House.

Looking along towards West Lawn.

Colour in the border beside East Lawn.

China Pond in East Wood.

Above the Mary Pool in the Walled Garden.

Pale Border on the Upper Terrace.

Looking down on the Lower Terrace.

oo

The Hot Border.

Honeysuckle.

Foxgloves in the rain.

Garden Pond in East Wood.

Looking over Garden Pond to Portico Walk.