Ballyrobert Gardens

It’s amazing how some companies are super organised and perfection is

the order of the day, whereas others are very laid back and offer a ‘couldn’t care less’

attitude. More and more during the past year, I’ve used online shopping, mostly for

groceries or gardening items. It’s been an eye opener!

Being a gardener and not being able to do my very frequent visits to 

nurseries/ garden centres, a good online service is vital to me and, not long ago,

I came across this wonderful place: Ballyrobert Gardens.

 ‘Oooh!’ I thought to myself. ‘ It might be nice to visit’. 

You know..a pleasant afternoon’s jolly jaunt!  I soon realised that it would be quite 

a jaunt as it’s actually in Northern Ireland and I’m in South Devon! 😂 😂😂

     So, I did the next best thing. I sat down with a cuppa and I browsed...

After another cuppa, I realised that my basket was full-ish!

So, I took the plunge and hit the purchase button. 

Like one does!

I couldn’t believe my eyes when two days later the plants arrived!

And well packed, healthy plants they were too.

An amazing service!

Of course, you know what I did!

😁👍👍👍

Yes, I made a return trip and found some more plants

that I knew my garden badly needed. 

I need plants in my life!

 

I only wish that I could visit and wend my way

along this driveway.

Until then...the kettle is on! 😁

You too can join me in having a cuppa and browse right...

 

Here

Enjoy! 

Three cheers for Ballyrobert Gardens

👏👏👏

Calm!

‘With the coming of spring, I am calm again’ ... Gustav Mahler

    

 

Did I mention Scotland?

      My first sight of Scotland was back in the 1960s, when my parents took

      us on another ‘grand tour’. These tours were packed with fun filled

      visits to many famous places, usually with an historical flavour!

      Anyway, I remember we arrived at Edinburgh Waverley Station at 7am 

      having caught the overnight sleeper/motorail from Devon. And we were off

      on our tour.

      I’m able to intersperse this blog post with a few old postcards

      as my mum passed these on to me...and I’m glad that she did!

      I recall that as a young teenager, Gretna Green appeared to be 

      a fascinating subject!

However, there was also the history 

and Scotland is steeped in that!

The Battle of Bannockburn on June 23–24, 1314

              

was a decisive battle in Scottish history;

   

      the Scots under Robert the Bruce,

defeated the English. 

     And above is his statue.

Some years later, after our initial trip to Scotland,

I made another visit, this time with a college friend.

We youth hosteled around Scotland, making it

all the way to Inverness.

One of the youth hostels where we stayed was here:

                          Many of us have heard of the Glencoe Massacre...a number

                          of members of the Macdonald clan, were slaughtered for not

   

                          pledging allegiance to the new monarchs.

                          Anyway, all was pretty quiet when we were there!

    

As mentioned I was a student at the time. And when 

I returned I was on teaching practice, during which, I used what 

knowledge I had acquired and planned a whole project around 

the theme of Scotland! It was wonderful! Not only did we have 

‘Tartan’ art all around the classroom but there 

was the creative writing, inspired by ‘The Loch Ness Monster’

and so much more besides.

Scotland is a most beautiful place! 

It offers so much...

Lochs, castles, nature, wildlife, history, tartans,clans,

 

...haggis...and ....

I started with the first house in Scotland...

so there’s no better way than to end with...

      ...at John O’ Groats, Caithness.

      

Hellebore love!

It’s such a simple thing to do if you have plenty of Hellebores in your garden.

I do! It’s taken couple of years for them to really become established 

and this year they’ve come into their own. They have all been fabulous!

     So I picked a few and made an arrangement in a large, shallow dish 

     filled with water...and hey presto, a fab table centre!

If you want to read more about Hellebores then click  Here

   If you want to find out more about how to grow and care for Hellebores, 

   then click here. Here 

 And if anyone has any beautiful varieties that they recommend, please do 

share in the comments section!

Mothering Sunday 2021

    Today, in the U.K. it’s Mothering Sunday ...or Mother’s Day.

    I’m so very lucky that my two children live not too far away, with their

    families. Thus, they were able to drop by with a gift or two. And if anything

    has served to bring such joy on this lovely sunny day, then it was their 

    smiling faces. Now, it just so happens that it’s also my husband’s birthday today! 

    So ‘double bubble’ as they say! ( He’s very happy as he has both 

    football and cricket to keep him occupied!)

    My daughter presented me with her own creation...and oh my goodness!

    I think this is the most delicious cake that I’ve ever tasted! ( Both of my children

    are really excellent cooks!)

    

         She also bought me some flowers and some flavoured tea.

     They know how much I love a nice card...they even know that I prefer

     the words, ‘Mothering Sunday’ if there are words to be had

     thus my daughter hunted high and low for hers!

     And my son knows me inside out and he always chooses well.

    And that’s not just with cards...

 

So, knowing how much I love Cowslips, he brought me this, already 

planted in a beautiful pot. As well as this, he gave me two glasses, 

decorated with flowers and bees as well as an accompanying 

bottle in the same design. So very pretty.

     I’m one lucky mum!

    

        So there we are. And I will of course be very much thinking of my own mum

        who sadly isn’t with us any longer.