Jo's May Walk
Hello Everyone
The mixed weather of sun and rain we've been having has brought a lushness to Myddelton and I think it's looking lovelier than ever.
First of all I would just like to let you know that Jill Kidger is holding her annual exhibition of botanical paintings in the Stable Gallery off of the courtyard from Monday 3rd June to Sunday 9 June. It will be open daily from 10 until 4. All proceeds go to the garden.
Starting this month with the Front lawn which is an enticing welcome to visitors. The bed with bamboo and grasses has been rejuvenated and looked very tidy, photo 1. The centre bed of mixed planting looked lovely in the sunshine, photo 2, and the flowers on the Paeonia suffruticosa, or Moutan Peony, are beautiful, photo 3.
On the side of the house is the Rosa banksiae, photo 4. There are 4 in the garden and were propagated by Bryan Hewitt over 10 years ago. They are very beautiful. Looking across the Pond from the house you can see what I mean by 'lushness'. It looked amazing with the pink flowers on the Cornus Kousa standing out above the sea of green, photo 5.
Walking around the pond towards the Pond Terrace I noticed that the Liriodendron tulipifera, the tulip tree, has started to flower, photo 6. The flowers will cover the tree over the next few weeks.
There is so much to see walking along the New River Lawn. First of all is this very pleasing group of trees, photo 7. Then there was the Gunnera manicata with the new leaves and flower heads poking through the undergrowth, photo 8. The Wisteria covering the pergola in the Rose garden not only looks good but smells good too, photo 9. Then opposite there is the Paulownia tomentosa, or Foxglove Tree. I loved the silhouette of the tree against the blue sky, fabulous! The flowers were just beginning to open here and covered the tree all through May, photo 10. The tree has erect panicles of foxglove-like flowers which smell like parma violets, photo 11. Further along you find the Acer pseudoplantanus 'Brilliantisimum' which always looks amazing at this time of year and next to it is the Wisteria which didn't really do much last year but really has put on a show this year, photo 12. This is a separate plant to the one that used to cover the yew tree. Then, finally, at the end of the lawn under the protection of the old yew tree was the exquisite Paeonia suffruticosa 'Shugyoku Den', photo 13.
Leaving the New River Lawn I walked through the Kitchen Garden towards the Glasshouses stopping to look back and admire the Cercis siliquastrum, known as the Judas tree, photo 14. In spring this tree is covered with a prolific display of deep pink flowers which appear before the leaves open. Walking into the Glasshouses I found a wonderful display of cacti. The Mammillaria supertexta had a lovely ring of small purpley/pinkish flowers around it, photo 15, and the Mammillaria elongata had a stunning topknot of bright yellow flowers on top, photo 16.
Outside again and the Iris bed was well worth the walk. At the beginning of May we knew it was going to be a good year as nearly every plant had big fat buds waiting to open, photo 17. Two weeks later and they were all flowering, photos 18 and 19. Absolutely stunning display.
My offering of fauna this month starts with this very handsome blackbird that was sat in the Judas tree singing his heart out to anyone who would listen, photo 20. Then the Brimstone butterfly, photo 21. This is the lemon-yellow butterfly you see dancing around your garden and the hedgerows. It is thought that the Brimstone is the species that literally put the 'butter' in 'butterfly'. I can't follow that so I'll leave you with that thought!
Hope you have enjoyed this wander through the garden with me.
