Waxwing

Waxwing
"To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour."

From "Auguries of Innocence"

by William Blake

Monday 18 July 2022

Back to Herefordshire - Part 1: Local walk and Burford House Garden Centre again!

 

We managed to go back to Herefordshire last week for 4 nights - one of these days we will somehow manage to stop for a week!!

Unbelievably the plants in pots had survived. I am particularly pleased with how well the herbs are flourishing.  




The site is large - you can walk on the top field in photos below or around the pool and fields at the bottom of the site which is what we chose to do on the first night.




I loved these sheep that someone had put under their caravan :)



Rosebay Willow Herb



Self Heal




Apart from Cow Parsley, Yarrow and Wild Carrot plus Giant Hogweed, I am not brilliant at the id of umbellifers but I think this is Hogweed.





Meadowsweet 






The wildflower meadow there is still looking good with knapweed and ox eye daisies and there were several Meadow Browns around.








This owl box has been used in the past - not sure about this year.






The hill in the distance is marked as a "fort" on the OS map so I am assuming it is an Iron Age hill fort.  





The Herefordshire Oak from a different viewpoint!


On Wednesday we returned again! to the Garden Centre - B is still looking for a plinth for his sundial.  Nothing suitable was found but we have discussed buying one of the bird baths. We did inherit one at our plot but it is on its last legs!  Expensive as the garden centre is the bird baths seemed quite reasonably priced.






















I loved these stepping stones!






We then returned to continue our exploration of Burford House Gardens but I will save that for another post.

A rose picked again from the small garden we have there.





I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone ever wishes to use one I would be grateful for an email first please. Thanks).


9 comments:

Rustic Pumpkin said...

What a lovely site it is indeed! Your herbs do look good, as do the flowers. Those sheep are too cute for words. Like you, I'm hopeless with umbellifers. All far too similar and need an expert eye, but the are a favourite of mine, all of them. Stay safe and cool, my friend!

Bovey Belle said...

A week would be better than 4 days, that's for sure. I bet you are glad you're not there this week as it would be too hot to do anything, apart from exist in the shade.

The garden centre looks well-stocked. I hope you can find a plinth for the sundial soon. Perhaps you could find an architectural salvage place to visit, and they might have something suitable?

The wild flowers you show are ones I have in my wild paddocks -the orchard is so overgrown you can hardly see the young trees because the Willowherb grows so tall.

Keep cool and safe too.

Ragged Robin said...

Rustic Pumpkin - Thanks so much. Umbellifers are very good for attracting insects. I caught OH pulling something out of the border which looked very much like Giant Hogweed and I warned him to watch the sap!!!!

Stay safe and cool too. Silly hot here now :(

Bovey Belle

Thanks so much and yes it would. I thihnk 4 nights is the longest we have stopped!!! We came home Saturday before heat rose. Caravan being metal gets horribly hot in the day but I was surprised how cool it wasa there overnight compared to humidity we get at home.

I think OH now thinking of making a plinth for sundial - he is quite practical in that way. The kids were so upset as the photo on website where they bought it seemed to suggest it came with a plinth!

I think Rosebay Willowherb grows everywhere - we have some in the garden too!

Stay safe and cool too.

Caroline Gill said...

What a lovely herb garden in a pot! What is the yellow and green plant, I wonder? I've turned an old plastic step upside down and planted it up as a mini-garden with lavender, thyme, fleabane and ginger mint. I'm glad you have been enjoying time out.

Ragged Robin said...

Caroline Gill - Thanks so much. The plant is a variety of marjoram or oregano I think. Your mini garden sounds lovely :)

Rosie said...

Good that your plants are surviving when you leave them for a while. Your site looks lovely with so much to see and lots of walks close by too. Glad you were able to have a short break and a visit to the gardens and garden centre:)

Ragged Robin said...

Rosie - Thanks so much. To be honest I think someone nearby may have watered them - not sure but have left them now with bottles full of water upturned which hopefully will drip in!

Millymollymandy said...

It really is a lovely caravan site and nice to have somewhere to walk and enjoy the wildflowers and countryside without having to go out in the car! You picked a good place!

I can't believe the price of the peacock in the garden centre! The horse is much larger so not such a ridiculous price I guess. Why do garden centres always sell their plants in flower in the middle of summer when it is the wrong time to plant them and they are SO much more expensive than if you buy them in the spring and smaller. I get so annoyed at ours for not watering their plants. So many are half dead or worse. It's really sad. Buying lavender in flower though is probably best if like me you are interested in what colour they will be, but after that - take cuttings!

Just catching up after a week of not going near the main computer, so I have just updated my blog and replied to your comment on my last post! :-)

Ragged Robin said...

Millymollymandy - Thanks so much. Once I had found that site I didn't bother looking at any others! Small family run and they are quite strict about behaviour e.g ball games and yapping dogs so it is peaceful there and very rural. About 3 or 4 miles on lanes from the nearest A road.

Morrisons a supermarket over here do bargain plants - small perennials etc for about £1 each. I haven't bought from a garden centre for years - well apart from the National Herb Centre - as SO expensive. B grows a lot from seed and cuttings too - taken a lot of stuff he has grown etc to the caravan. I did get caught out last year though bought a borage again from Nat Herb place and assumed blue but when it flowered it was white!

Will check out your reply - thanks :)