Not your usual garden centre.

Hello everyone, Here I am again recording my happenings of since I last wrote. Well as you see by the header we ventured out a few days ago. A lovely spring day and  we took advantage of it. Our daughter and son had been here a few days earlier and we were told how beautiful  it was. A garden centre beautiful ? Well we had to see for ourselves, it is a few miles away but not too far. It was a place called Holme.
So now  some pics  so you can visit virtually too.

We sat here and enjoyed a bowl of soup and watched the coy carp swimming in the pond. After which we decided we would see what was round various corners.

 

So shall we  go exploring. We followed a path and look what we saw.

 I wanted  to have a go but Martin said I would destroy everything in sight.  So onward. 

 

We sauntered down the paths and came upon little features here and there at the end of this path were 2 pedestals  filled with violas,about half  way down we turned right and this was awaiting us.

 

 Yes that is a red hot poker coming  into bloom and I noticed we have one about to flower in our garden.

 On our golden wedding recently we  were given one of these , it grows very tall and  has thistle type flowers . It is a bit like a globe  artichoke. Cardoon  ,probably spelt that wrong ,is its proper name.

 

Flowers and paths everywhere. 6,000 planted tulips.

 Here a topiary dolphin jumping through a hoop.

 

Then a windsurfer doing his thing.Although at first I did wonder what he was doing !!

 

 It looks like they are going to landscape the next field.

 Walking back the way we came and do you think it is like  a normal  garden  centre. I think weddings are held here .as they have a  pavillion area.

More tulips.

 A fabulous group of Hellebores. I love these but they do not like my garden .

Then back to the ponds. The ferns unfurling in the sunlight were beautiful.Of course there was the mandatory shop and although the plants were a little pricey we did buy some and some other items. 

We will never be rich. So here is what we brought home with us.

 Just had to buy this for Martin , and tomorrow he will take it to our sons to show his wife Sue what he can do in his 2 sheds!!!!As she said it will be shed city soon , I hope she does not class the summer house in that lol.

 A favourite of mine is Pooh Bear and a little quote in here sums me up to a t.How wonderful to have a real brain which  could tell you things. I am a bear of very little brain these days.

 We also had to have this  windmill,not a good picture I am afraid but the birds on   the outside go round  clockwise and the inner gold ones go anticlockwise. It is in the rose bed .

 Esther had to come home too to stand by the tree with the bluebells. We had to have her as Martins grandmother was called Esther. Then the plants we bought were planted with Phoebe who stands on guard.

 Should be pretty a bit later on.The peris (if you read that wrong you need to get your eyes tested).

 It is lovely at the moment,  I wish it would stay like  this all year instead of reverting to green.Another one  that has been  blooming recently is the Magnolia.

 Some English bluebells under the apple tree which is a mass of blossom too.

 The Acer is doing  well too. We really do have to get the sheds stained again before we go away.

 

So a trip round our back garden too. We have been busy in the undergrowth the last  few days and so not much stitching going on . 

 Not a good pic of S for Spring , I have now  found  out why my pics are sometimes blurred , the camera has died. It has done very well as  we bought it back in  2008 and it has been very well used. So today I have got  a new one, ready for hols, thank goodness it went  before. I now have to get used to it. Sheep  have  progressed more  this week ,last night to be exact however I can only show you last weeks as no camera .The tree now has leaves and cherry blossom and a few flowers on  the grass. Ready to start the final row next week.

 Sorry about the crumpled fabric  too. I did have a little stash buying ,  I popped along to Peakside Needlecraft as Sally had said  how  good  they were , hmmmm  thanks Sally.

 

Chart was free with the threads. I  have been hankering after the next one  since I saw it  on an American   site so I got that too. I did want a Silver Creek  one but they had sold out. Perhaps just as well.

 Another enabler Miss Julie told  me about this book  and sent me a lovely e mail telling me how  much  I  would enjoy? knitting socks. Something  I have  wanted  to do but dpins scare me. Anyway I have  bit  the bullet and now  will be  starting said  socks   soon.Thanks  Julie.You may come to regret it  if I ask loads of silly questions.

Having no  needles like suggested, these arrived  from those lovely people at Amazon.

I cannot  just order one   book  ,  so these arrived too.
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 Really looking forward this may come  on  holiday if  I can resist it.The next one  I am reading at the moment and I a finding it hard work although I do not want to give up on it . Do you get books like that.

 The next one is another author I have read all of her books published so was thrilled this one came out.

 Last but not least Darcy he has 2 legs and 2 arms now whoop whoop, next week I shall start Elizabeth Bennet.

So my friends I hope you have not been too bored with all my meanderings through gardens and so on . Thankyou for coming with me and I wish you all a Happy Easter and please leave a comment if you feel so inclined I do read them and feel blessed when I get them 

Take care and this comes as usual with Much love and many hugs.

Barb,xx