Friday 13 March 2015

Oakwell Hall In March - Part Two

I visited Oakwell Hall back in October last year. You can read all about that visit in my GardenVisiting In October - Part One and Garden Visiting In October - Part Two posts. I decided to revisit the garden in a different season, so we had a trip there last Saturday.

After revisiting the walled garden, which you can read about in my Oakwell Hall In March - Part One post, we had another wander around the Faith Garden.

The Faith Garden is such a peaceful area, the trees were filled with birdsong and we paused a while to watch the blue tits and great tits having their lunch. No birds in this photo, but I was pleased to see that there were plenty of snacks for them as the feeders had been empty on our last visit.


I love to see trees covered in catkins, they're so tactile so I can't resist reaching out and touching them.



The garden is filled with crocuses and snowdrops at the moment and reminds me of a fairy dell.



It's so pretty.



I love how these crocuses are planted in a ribbon and just look how beautiful these trees are at this time of year.


The willow which screens the benches is bursting back to life with fluffy pussy willow catkins.


Something else which I can't resist touching.


The viburnum is blooming too, it has such a pretty flower.



We walked down to the pond to see if we could see anything. This pond is used for pond dipping and there's information on a board which tells you what you may find. The field which you can see in the background is where many people walk their dogs, it's a good open space for them to run.


Archie liked the idea of pond dipping, though he had another meaning of pond dipping on his mind so he had to go back on his lead whilst he looked longingly at the water.


I just have to show you these bird houses on the cafe wall, aren't they the cutest? Des res homes for birds.



It was definitely worth a return trip to see the gardens at a different time of year. There's still plenty of interest even this early in the season.


20 comments:

  1. That all looks so inviting and tranquil. Flighty xx

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    1. The aim of the garden is to provide a place for quiet reflection and it certainly is a good place for that. The birds love it too, they were cheeping away whilst we were there.

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  2. I love early spring, when trees & plants are just starting to come to life. I think you are more likely to notice & appreciate all of the small details that are usually overlooked in the overabundance of the summer garden.

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    1. I think you're right. It can get quite busy in summer and smaller details can become lost in the muddle of it all.

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  3. The lines of Crocuses are most unusual. You normally see them (and Snowdrops) planted "naturally".

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    1. I agree, they're usually seen in drifts rather than lines, but I like this ribbon effect.

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  4. The garden looks so inviting..the crocuses the snowdrops, the catkins, the viburnum flowers, all so lovely. And you're right those bird houses are so cute! :o)

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    1. There's certainly plenty to see. I thought the bird houses were charming, I wonder what they get nesting in them.

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  5. The crocus do look like a fairy dell! How sweet! You just can't beat bird song at this time of the year, the birds are suddenly so active and busy. I love that you take Archie with you, what a gorgeous guy....give him a head rub from me will you?xxx

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    1. I will definitely give him a head rub from you, he'll enjoy that. Arcie doesn't like to be left at home so we usually take him with us on outings if we can. Some places are more accomodating to dogs than others.

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  6. I bet there was plenty of birdsong to accompany those beautiful flowers.

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    1. There was. It's such a tranquil garden, open space and beauty.

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  7. I love this posting, Jo. The crocuses and snowdrops are adorable and the whole place is so peaceful. I don't know what pond dipping is? Your spring has sprung delightfully. P. x

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    1. It is such a peaceful garden, a wonderful place to sit and listen to the birdsong. Pond dipping is where you take a net or a sieve and scoop in to the pond. Hopefully, you will pull out a few creatures which you empty in to a tray to observe. By doing this a few times in different parts of the pond, you will build up a picture of what's living there. It's a great activity for children.

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  8. Beautiful garden! The row of blue and white flowers look like a rope. I like it! Thank you for sharing!

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    1. I thought the crocuses looked lovely in this planting style, quite unusual. It's such a pretty garden at this time of year.

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  9. Archie looks as if was he enjoying himself Jo. I wanted to reach out and stroke the pussy willow.

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    1. The pussy willow always has that effect on me too. Archie loves to visit different places, all those new smells for him to investigate.

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  10. Lovely photos! And Archie looks very photogenic as well:)

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    1. Archie will only stand so long to have his photo taken and then he gets fed up.

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