Saturday 24 October 2015

Manor Heath Park Walled Garden In October

We last visited the walled garden at Manor Heath Park in Halifax in March 2014, you can read about that visit in my Garden Visiting In March - Part One post. The old Manor House was demolished in 1959 but the walled garden and other features still exist.

The walled garden used to be used to grow flowers, fruit and vegetables for the Manor House but it's now used to demonstrate different types of gardening techniques as well as bedding plant trials for Calderdale's parks.


I was a little worried when we first stepped through the gate, there seemed to be lots of plants well past their best and I thought we may have left it too late in the year to see the garden at its best.


I needn't have worried, whilst some plants have now finished flowering and are displaying seed heads, there are plenty more which are still blooming, and looking further in to the garden I could see it was still putting on a wonderful display.


I love how the garden is split in to different 'rooms', each with its own style of planting and each demonstrating a different gardening technique. If I remember correctly, this 'room' was planted up to give winter interest.


Plants can give just as much interest after they've finished flowering and though this clematis must have looked wonderful in bloom, just look how stunning it looks displaying its seed heads.


I defy anyone to walk past without stroking these silky strands.


There were roses still blooming away...




...but the agapanthus had finished flowering.


Though there's flat paths all around the garden, there's also other quirky ways to access each area. These type of features add lots of interest to a garden.


I'm a big fan of growing plants in pots so I was very interested in the container garden. As you can see, there's also plenty of places to stop for a little rest and quiet contemplation.


How cute is this? Recycling at its best.


Fruit doesn't feature heavily on the list of plants grown in the garden but there are apples to be found if you look carefully.


Here are some of the plants which caught my eye.







These are the trial beds which I spoke of earlier and there in the background is a bed packed full of dahlias.


A closer look at the dahlia bed. Some of the plants need deadheading but there's still lots of plants flowering their socks off.


So many different varieties, here's just a small selection of those planted here.








If you're ever in the Halifax area I can thoroughly recommend a visit to Manor Heath Park, not only does it have this wonderful walled garden but there's also the Jungle Experience. We didn't go inside this time but you can read about it in my Garden Visiting In March - Part Two post. It's such a well kept park and great for families as there's a wonderful playground, and a cafe too.

28 comments:

  1. A most enjoyable post and lovely pictures. It really is surprising to see so much still in bloom as well as the various seed heads of others.
    This looks, and sounds, like such a good place to visit at any time of year. Flighty xx

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    1. Gardens like this still have lots of interest, not only with flowers still in bloom but the seed heads are so interesting too. It's a wonderful garden, indeed the whole park has such a lot to offer, definitely a place to visit if you're ever in the area.

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  2. Lovely garden, the mild weather is helping the blooms stay, I also love dahlias, so there is a nice selection.

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    1. We do seem to have an extended season this year, very welcome as things got off to a slow start in spring. The dahlias were fabulous, if only they'd deadhead the ones which are past their best, that bed would look stunning.

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  3. It looks a lovely place to visit, beautiful photos, I partially like the toad lily, mine is in bloom now.

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    1. It's a wonderful place to visit, last time was in March and there was plenty to see at that time of year too. I love the toad lily too, another one to put on my wish list.

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  4. Looks like there is still quite a lot going on - I really like the layers in the 2nd photo. And the dahlias are beautiful - I have a couple of bulbs that didn't make it out into the garden this year & I'm hoping they survive so that I can plant them next season.

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    1. There's still plenty to see, I was quite surprised, not only at the amount of interest but the number of blooms too. I hope your dahlias survive, they're fabulous plants, so many different varieties and colours, something for everyone's taste.

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  5. Those boots lock still wearable. I wouldn't like the job of dead heading all those dahlias. It would be a full time job for someone. I think you should write a book called Garden Visiting in Yorkshire.

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    1. The boots are probably in better condition than my gardening boots. I think the dahlia bed would look wonderful still if the faded blooms were deadheaded but as you say, there's quite a few to go at. Ha ha, I've only touched the surface of gardens to visit in Yorkshire, we're very lucky to have such a wonderful choice.

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  6. How lovely to see so much colour and so many beautiful flowers blooming away! xx

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    1. It is, I think we're very lucky this year to have so many flowers still in bloom.

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  7. Those Dahlias look great, considering it's October, but having just seen the weather forecast I expect their days are numbered.

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    1. They probably are. I think it's much cooler now through the night than it has been, it's only a matter of time until we get our first frost.

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  8. Oh wow. Such a beautiful place. I could see having a little cottage somewhere like that and just writing all day!

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    1. Wouldn't that be lovely? It's a wonderful park which has something to offer so many.

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  9. Jo - you've got some lovely photo's here and the colours are remarkable. Some lovely blooms still.

    I do like the 'Recycling at its best' image ... what a great idea!

    All the best Jan

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    1. I was surprised by how many plants were still flowering. I like quirky things in gardens so the boot was a big hit, I don't think there's any limit to the number of things which could be recycled in this way.

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  10. What a heavenly variety, as you say, there's plenty to interest the public for sure! I loved the clematis seed heads and the planted boots!xxx

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    1. This must be a great place to visit the year round as I enjoyed my last visit here too and that was in March. The clematis seed heads are wonderful, though can you imagine what it looked like when it was in bloom, it must have been absolutely filled with flowers.

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  11. Seed heads can really add to an autumn garden......I leave a lot of mine on until the Spring. It is lovely to watch the birds feeding on them.

    The dahlia bed is amazing.......I am so envious when I look at dahlia en masse. It is something I would really love to do but do not have the right soil, plus rabbits love them and devour them.

    It seems to be a very pretty garden.........lovely to see, thank you Jo.

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    1. I leave seed heads on lots of my plants too, they can be quite beautiful and as you say, add lots of interest to the garden. The dahlias are fabulous, so many different varieties, I'd like to grow more than I do but just don't have the room. It's a beautiful garden, I can definitely recommend it.

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  12. Wow... the dahlias are awesome! So beautiful!

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    1. They are. They're great for giving some late colour to the garden. So many different varieties and colours.

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  13. I love walking round a nice garden. The dahlias are fantastic and the roses too. It's amazing how many flowers are still flowering at this time of year. Our sweet peas are still going!

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    1. There's some wonderful gardens to visit. Most flowers have done very well this year, I've heard quite a few people say how well their sweet peas have done. Mine weren't too good yet again.

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  14. It looks as if there was still plenty to catch your eye Jo even this late on in the year. That clematis is fabulous.

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    1. It's a fabulous garden with so much going on, even this late in the year. The clematis was especially eye catching.

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