roses

A cup of coffee and a rose or two

It’s a damp old morning in my corner of the UK, so what better thing to do than move on to my second coffee (ok- third!) of the day and wander through some roses with you? A few weeks back, just before the colours started to turn, I made a Sunday afternoon visit to The Gardens at Wynyard Hall. In the profusion of colour that this Autumn has been, I almost forgot all about it.

Sir John Hall bought Wynyard Hall Estate in 1987 and has turned it into a truly sumptuous venue. I was lucky enough to attend a wedding there a few years ago and the stained glass panels high in the beautifully imperious house remain a warm memory. Many years in the planning, Sir John says that even as a boy he dreamed of owning his own rose garden. He has enlisted RHS award winning landscape architect Alistair Baldwin and rose expert Michael Marriott from David Austin Roses to help make his dream come true.

I think he probably succeeded

The setting is a nicely weathered wall garden, and the planting is lush. Newly opened this year, it was designed to be a rose garden for the 21st century. It takes inspiration from the geometric order of Persian grids and the Moorish influence of a bubbling rill, crowned by the raised beds of the traditional English kitchen garden.

Of course, there are tea rooms

And a South Border to attract the butterflies

An old bell set high in the wall

Wonderful Cosmos

And a handsome rill

With interesting shadows

And beauties such as this!

You can wander through to the gardens of the Grand Marquee, if there is not an event in progress. The view sweeps down to the lake and there is still more planting to be admired. A little old, and something new.

Not much beats an old urn

Except maybe an urn in an archway

Surrounded by lovely planting

And hot borders

Delicately blushing anemone

And thistle delight!

Set beside glorious old walls

But inevitably the stars of the show are the roses. The visitor guide lists 135 species but I am not going to attempt to name them all for you. (huge sighs of relief!) We’ll just share a small gallery together. I hope you enjoy them!

Seaton Delaval Hall gardens

On Monday many of you joined me for a walk at Seaton Sluice, on the Northumberland coast. There I discovered a wonderful piece of shoreline, but my real purpose that day was to make a return visit to Seaton Delaval Hall.

It was August last year, on a cool, turning to dampish day, that I first saw these gardens. I knew then that I’d be back. As luck would have it, I was just in time to rescue the water lilies from the mischievous fingers of a small boy. Caught in the act!

The frog needed to take a tougher stance

Water and small boys. Inevitable temptation! But let’s wander elsewhere. There are plenty of temptations in this garden, and even a small nursery where you might find a little something to add to your collection. The house and gardens are owned by the National Trust, and the bank of volunteer gardeners are highly enthusiastic about their subject. Gardener Chris Brock keeps a blog which enthusiasts among you might like.

The Hall is a lovely backdrop to the Rose Garden

With roses dating back to the 1950s

This is my ‘best in show’

The borders thickly weave their spell, in subtle but beautiful swathes of colour. Here and there, an unapologetic ‘show off’ plant. If you’ve got it…

Flaunt it!

You might remember that the ‘Gay Delavals’ liked a little flaunting. They were fond of masquerade balls and staged their own theatrical productions. An invitation to one of their parties might have included anything from rope dancers to a sack race in these beautiful gardens. I browsed a little… sniffing here, sniffing there.

Here’s another Bobby Dazzler, as my Mam would say

The gardens were designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and include everything from French formal design to the landscape style of Capability Brown. The National Trust is working hard to make these gardens a success, and throughout the summer there are 15- minute Table Top talks from the gardeners and guided walks through the grounds. You can even join a Teddy Bears Picnic, if you’ve a mind. Full details of events are on the website.

A rose bower, anyone?

The formal French style garden

With fountain centrepiece

And the ever present house

I hope you’ve enjoyed my garden tour, and if you’re ever in the area you make an effort to see Seaton Delaval Hall for yourself. Next Thursday I will be taking you inside the house on a follow up to Restoration. I’ll say goodbye for now with a nod from the poppies.

Just a little more flamboyance

Say it with flowers

My walk into town took me twice as long as usual yesterday. The camera just wouldn’t stay in my pocket! So I have a small bouquet to present. What better way to tell someone you love them? These are for my daughter, Lisa.