Tag Archives: Garden

Scotland – Poolewe – Inverewe Gardens

Blasdale Home Posted on by

28th May 2024

Rained in the early morning. It should not have done so. Weather forecasts can be unreliable.

First, we walked to the village hall. There was a bookshop there, plus a market. We bought four second handbooks, including one titled “Warm or very Warm – the Story of a Scottish Summer”, which we thought hilarious. In the main hall there were a number of stalls. Bought three 500ml bottles of beer. Two stout and a light citrus beer. Brewed in Poolewe.

Walked to the Inverewe Gardens where we spent several hours walking around. The flowers and trees were spectacular. Parts of the gardens featured plants from different places in the world, or plant types, such as New Zealand and a bamboo garden,

Unfortunately, the restaurant there was a bit crap, offering pies and soup, not much more.

Back to the campsite by four when it started to rain yet again. Didn’t look like a chance of a sunset tonight. What was that book called? Suddenly out to sea, there was a break in the sky, and the sun was setting.  Think most of the campsite was looking out to sea and standing on the water’s edge to see the sun dip below the horizon. A drone joined us for the spectacle. Must purchase one of these, a useful tool for photographers.

It had been a nice stay in Poolewe. The campsite was lovely, right next to the sea front, well kept & well landscaped. Some of the hardstanding was concrete, the floors of army buildings from the war. The property is owned by the Scottish National Trust. Unfortunately, they only give the CCC three-year leases. The short lease means that the CCC won’t take the risk of investing in the shower block. with the result the block is rather antiquated and inadequate.

Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides
Camping Holiday to the Outer Hebrides

Track

Cambridge Folk Festival – Monday

Blasdale Home Posted on by

The Folk Festival is over, even the breakfast van was not doing full breakfasts. The queues at the shower block were non-existent as many people had left overnight. By the time I left, the site was nearly empty. I was heading out to Balsham to an open garden event organised by Simon’s brother. He had opened his garden where there is a complex yew maze. “The maze was planted in 1993 and forms the shape of a treble clef. The maze may be completed in several ways:

  1. Enter the maze at the entrance, and explore it. Visit the raised centre area and both brick-paved French Horns, one with a centre mound and sculpture, the other with a pit and fountain. Find your way out.
  2. Enter the maze and use the Train Rule. All the junctions in the maze are like railway points. To obey the Train Rule do not go U-turns at junctions, nor turn back on yourself. Just keep going forward like a train. Get to the centre, visiting the French Horns/sculptures on the way. When you visited the French Horns on the way to the centre, you may have played them backwards. The air in the French Horns goes from the mouthpiece to the bell and that is the way you should go. So find your way out, still obeying the Train Rule and playing each French Horn properly on the way.
  3. It is possible to get to the centre, always obeying the Train Rule and playing each of the Horns once and only once in the correct direction on the way, and then doing the same on the way out. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t succeed, it is really difficult and you will have to use nearly all the paths.”
Balsham Manor Maze
Balsham Manor Maze
Balsham Manor Maze
Balsham Manor Maze
Balsham Manor Maze
Balsham Manor Maze
Balsham Manor Maze
Balsham Manor Maze
Balsham Manor Maze
Balsham Manor Maze
Balsham Manor Maze
Balsham Manor Maze
Balsham Manor Maze
Balsham Manor Maze

Herb Garden now completed after several years

Blasdale Home Posted on by

Herb Garden

Raised bed herb garden

The raised bed herb garden has now been constructed on the site of the ex Willow tree.  It is made of 6 railway sleepers and 30 barrow loads of earth and compost. The project has been on my to-do list for several years. The earth / compost was from several years of composting garden refuse.  It has been planted with Chives, Rosemary, Marjoram, Thyme and  Bay. Not sure the rabbits have yet appreciated this project, their home under and in the compost heap has been dug into.  They though may come to appreciate the tasty leaves as the herb project matures.

Tree planting

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After a few days of cold and chaos on the roads caused by two inches of snow, the weather improved and the weekend was fine

Managed to plant the poplars replacing those that died from last year, and also creating a cluster in the field corner. The Holly and the firs went in between the graveyard and garden.