Not strictly true, as when I met up with my sisters there in June I avoided going into the plant centre, so didn’t actually buy anything. Today’s visit, however, was on the basis that I could get in free as an RHS member whilst the Golfer could go off to different golf courses in Rutland and add to his collection. whilst I in turn added to my collection of hemerocallis. Barnsdale hold one of the national collections of hemerocallis and after my relative success with them this year I wanted to add some pinks to the existing hot colours I own.
It was intriguing to see the gardens again only a couple of months after the last visit as they were so very different, but all the more so because they were virtually empty with no more than half a dozen visitors at the most, the others kept away by the forecast of persistent rain all day.Ā Indeed, we had over half an inch of rain this morning, but it had stopped by the time we got to Barnsdale about 1Ā½ hours drive from home so it was lovely to walk round in what felt like a private visit, smelling the dampness, hearing the birdsong and generally pottering at my leisure.
The picture above shows the arch with 30 (I think) different apples and pears, just finishing flowering in June but smothered in ripening fruit today. Elsewhere the late summer flowering perennials held sway, so lots of yellows, and the hostas were big and blousey and just getting ready to flop. Being on my own helped me appreciate the design of separate ‘gardens’ even more, and I wasn’t distracted by aquilegias today! The difference in flowering times was a surprise, with Campanula ‘Loddon Anna’ at its flowering peak whereas mine was over weeks ago, and there was an archway with an enviable smothering of Clematis ‘Etoile Violette’ (right), mine not only being over but a mere shadow of this.
The fruit and veg plots were all in full production, whether it was apples and pears, squash and courgette, artichoke or beans, so plenty to admire, and there was various artwork distributed throughout the garden, some more abstract than others. I am including just a selection of the pictures I took, as there were many, – and did I buy anything? Of course – three hemerocallis, Coreopsis ‘Limerick Passion’, Helenium ‘Ruby Tuesday’ and Imperata cylindrica ‘Red Baron’.
Rambling in the Garden 
Oh wow! Thanks for the lovely tour! I so wish I could have been there. Blessings, Natalie
Thanks Natalie
Such an arch would be my dream! Imagine all the fruit hanging right in front of your nose (or mouth rather). Which hems did you get then? I don’t have a single pink one, I must admit.
It certainly looked stunning yesterday, Annette
How wonderful to have Barnsdale almost to yourself, wandering around and being able to see everything without other people getting in the way must have been like wandering round your own garden! Clematis Etoile Violet made an escape bid this year and reached half way up the dead oak, but like yours is long since over. Thanks for sharing your visit with us.
It did actually feel as if I was rambling in own garden at one point, Pauline, so thanks for understanding exactly how it was
Oh what luck to be able to wonder round Barnsdale in such peace and quiet Cathy. Interesting to read about what was still showing colour there. My campanula ‘Loddon Anna’ gave up the ghost about three weeks ago. Glad to read that you indulged in some well deserved retail therapy this time. I used to have that grass whilst the helenium is on my wish list. Which day lilies did you come home with?
It was a indeed a rare and lovely experience, Anna. I wondered if my Loddon Anna would have liked an occasional watering as it didn’t stay in flower for as long this year either? Hmm, wondering why you no longer have I ‘Red Baron’…. and am hoping you didn’t take it out because it was too invasive… š
Looks like a gorgeous garden and sounds like you had a great time pottering around in the peace and quiet! Your photo of the apples growing over an arch is giving me some ideas! This year I can’t get past my apple tree and each year it usually does grow out into my path (usually not impassible though!) and I saw some gorgeous archways in a veggie plot recently. Although there’s no way I can train my apple tree over an archway it could be strategically used to hold them back!!!! You’ve got me thinking!!…
Oh Anna, there is a photo I really wish I had taken now – they had cut back ( chopped down to just the trunk) a short row of relatively mature apple trees to about 6 or 7 feet high and wedged them at an angle into a kind of framework. They were already producing short spurs lower down and will now be treated as cordons, I guess. I am sure you and Adam will be able to think out of the box and come up with a solution š
I have never seen a fruit tree trained to go over the arbor, what an amazing idea. I am going to explore that further, thank you.
Hope the idea proves ‘fruitful’ š