Sunday 23 February 2014

Garden Visiting In February

I'm making a point of visiting a garden each month this year. Yesterday, we decided to head off to Roundhay Park in Leeds to take a look at The Specialist Gardens. We started off in the Gardens Of The World.


The first garden you come to is The Monet Garden.


The central pathway, or grand allee, running from Monet's garden gate to his house in Giverny has been recreated. The information board shows how it will look in summer, it was rather stark in February, though a few pansies have been planted in the borders to give, at least, some colour.


The Alhambra Garden is a reproduction of the Patio Acequia, part of the Palace of the Alhambra, the summer residence of the Moorish rulers of Spain.


You can see warning cones have been placed half way down the channel. This is because a couple of the trees are leaning precariously, victims of the recent storms, no doubt.


Leeds City Council have been exhibiting at The Chelsea Flower Show for a number of years. The 2008 Chelsea Garden won a silver gilt flora award.


Entitled The Largest Room In The House, it was based on the garden at Talbot House in Poperinghe near Ypres in Belgium. Talbot House offered rest and recuperation away from the horrors at the front to soldiers between 1915 and 1918.


The Hesco Garden 2009 highlighted some of the issues surrounding climate change, and also won a silver gilt flora award.


Different techniques were used to illustrate how we can manage the issue of flooding, something we should be addressing at the moment, given the weather we've encountered this winter.


The Hesco Garden 2010 was Leeds City Council's first gold medal winning garden.


This garden shows a snapshot of the green spaces in Leeds with woodland, wetland and floral meadow. The focal point is a pair of seeping lock gates, typically found on the iconic Leeds-Liverpool canal.


Seen from a different angle, this shows where the planting will come in to play once summer arrives.


The latest garden to be installed at Roundhay Park is The Hesco Garden 2011. This also won a gold medal at Chelsea.


The centrepiece of this garden is the traditional mill as seen in Yorkshire during the industrial revolution, complete with a working water wheel which pumps water around the garden.


The garden contains rockwork, trees and water-loving ferns and plants.


I did a post about the Gardens Of The World on my Through The Keyhole blog back in 2011. The Roundhay Park post shows the gardens as they look in May, very different from how they look in February.

We popped across the road to take a look at the Canal Gardens.


You can see it was a beautiful day. The temperature had soared in to double figures and lots of people had the same idea as us. The gardens had plenty of visitors.





The problem with herbaceous borders is that there isn't much to see in winter. There were pleny of signs in the borders though, which makes me think they'll be stunning come summer.


These low box hedges surrounded roses. I bet they look fabulous when they're flowering. Lots of children, and adults, seemed to think it was a maze, even though gates had been put up to block any entrances. Parents were lifting children over the hedges for them to run around, and even stepped over them themselves. I hope they haven't damaged the roses. Why can't people enjoy things for what they are?


It was a very enjoyable day out, I can thoroughly recommend a visit if you're in the area.

After visiting the gardens, we took Archie for a run in Roundhay Park. Pop over to my Through The Keyhole blog to see the remaining photos I took of the day on A Sunny Day post.

Don't forget, if you haven't yet entered my giveaway, you've got until twelve noon on Tuesday the 25th of February 2014 to do so. Just leave a comment on my Rosehips On A Kitchen Table post.

28 comments:

  1. Must visit the gardens - never have? Interesting what you say about how people were behaving - was Archie allowed in as many gardens refuse entry on the grounds that they may spoil other people's enjoyment - a bit like those people did yours!

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    1. The gardens are beautiful in summer, a bit bare at the moment though. Dogs are allowed in the gardens, but even though he's usually very well behaved, I'm always respectful and put him on his lead in places like these. We took him for a run in the park afterwards, it's so vast that there's plenty of room for him to have a good run, just as there would have been plenty of room for those people to let off steam there too, rather than spoil a display which will have taken so much time to produce.

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  2. Lucky you! A garden visit on a sunny day in winter is a rare treat. I enjoyed seeing these gardens through your camera lens - and it was lovely to see Leeds Council's show gardens in their permanent home. I look forward to hearing more of your garden visits - will you be able to stick to just one a month in high summer?

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    1. It's great that the show gardens have been given a permanent home here so that the people of Leeds can visit them. I think I shall have to choose my visits very carefully in summer, there's so many wonderful gardens that I could probably fill up my entire weekends.

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  3. Goodness you have bought tears to my eyes (in a happy way). I used to go to Roundhay Park with my Nan and Grandad and spent many a happy time there. Thank you for the memories xxx

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    1. I'm pleased I've brought back some happy memories for you. I remember visiting the outdoor swimming pool that used to be in the park when I was a child. It was closed in the 1970's, but I remember sunny summer days playing in the pool.

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  4. A lovely day out Jo, nice to see the blue sky. Those gardens must be a feast for the eyes in summer. But it's good to visit gardens out of season too, then you can really appreciate their structure.

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    1. The blue sky makes such a difference to my mood, it's been missing for so long. You're right, garden visiting in winter might not bring much colour but you're able to see the bare bones of the garden and see exactly what makes it what it is.

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  5. What a wonderful idea to visit a different garden each month. I also liked your idea of buying a new plant each month. Both are quite inspirational ideas. I must try to visit other gardens more!

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    1. Garden visiting isn't something I've done much of in the past, so I've got plenty to go at this year. I enjoy giving myself these fun challenges throughout the year.

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  6. Thanks to your terrific photos that looks to be a really great place to visit at any time of year. Flighty xx

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    1. Lots of other people had the same idea as I did, there were so many people out and about on Saturday. It makes such a difference to have a sunny day for a change.

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  7. Sounds like a lovely day out Jo...we have some walled gardens quite close to us which I have never visited...maybe I can talk Hubby into taking me later in the year!!

    Of course there will always be those that don't take heed and let there children and themselves do whatever they please!!

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    1. We're so lucky in Leeds, there's so many parks, green spaces and gardens to explore. I love walled gardens, especially if they're being used as kitchen gardens, you really should go and visit the ones you have nearby. I'm always miffed when we can't visit somewhere as dogs aren't allowed. We're responsible dog owners, yet there's people allowed in who behave far worse than Archie ever would.

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  8. I echo Sue's thoughts about people behaving badly - and teaching their children that it is acceptable too! Many dogs are a lot better behaved than most humans...
    The "hard landscaping" aspects of that garden are still impressive, even in the Winter. Have you worked out an annual schedule for your visits, or will you do it on a spontaneous basis? Some gardens are particularly good only at certain times of the year.

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    1. I agree totally. Archie was on a lead and behaving impeccably, it's such a shame that people can't follow suit. It is good to see gardens in winter, I don't think you see the structure of a garden as well in summer. I haven't worked out a schedule for my garden visits yet, I think I will just go with the flow and see what happens, though I know what you mean, it would be a real let down going to see a garden renowned for it's snowdrops in the middle of summer.

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  9. What a lovely place, I especially like the water wheel. I've visited the Alhambra in winter, it's quite spectacular. Great photos, it's been fantastic seeing around.

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    1. I like the water wheel garden too, I can see why it won gold. How lovely to have visited the Alhambra. The only Alhambra I've visited is the theatre in Bradford.

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  10. It looks like a great place to visit and how lovely to be able to see all of those Chelsea gardens. I remember seeing several of them on the TV, especially the one with the lock! Thank you for showing us around! xx

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    1. I've never been to The Chelsea Flower Show so it's nice to be able to see the gardens in person. I think the lock garden is a memorable one, I remember it attracted lots of attention at the show from what I saw on tv.

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  11. What a wonderful post, this did cheer me up. So many delightful pics, I especially enjoyed the locks and that lovely view through the hole in the tree. What a shame that some people have no respect whatsoever for such a beautiful place, manners seem to be disappearing these days. Still, a wonderful day out.xxx

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    1. Roundhay Park is a lovely place, even if you don't want to visit the gardens there's plenty of other things to see and do. I think manners and respect count for nothing these days, as you say, they seem to be disappearing.

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  12. Now that looks a most interesting garden visit Jo with a lot to occupy you. I had a quick look at your other blog and the gardens in May look so different. I think that the Alhambra Garden would be my favourite as it looks as every bit stunning in February as it does in May. Some children do have 'em!

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    1. The gardens do look so different later in the year, but still stunning even in winter. How do we expect children to learn when the adults are worse?

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  13. I love this garden, especially the canal garden. The ponds and the waterwheel. Thanks for the tour

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    1. It's great that these gardens have been brought back to Leeds from the show so that we can all enjoy them. It's hard to choose a favourite.

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  14. It all looks & sounds a great day out. We are slowly making a list of gardens to visit this year. Local ones though, well within an hour or so drive away.

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    1. I'm doing the same thing, we've got so many lovely gardens nearby which I've never visited before that we don't need to go any further afield. I'm looking forward to hearing about the gardens you visit.

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