Second Time Lucky

I recently wrote about our Scuppered Plans when we tried to visit the Walled Garden at Temple Newsam, only to find that it was closing just as we arrived. Not to be put off, we visited again on Sunday and this time we were lucky and found it open.

The walled gardens have been on this site since 1788 and were originally used to supply the house with vegetables, fruit and cut flowers. 

Herbaceous borders run along the walls and some are 800 yards in length, it's a large garden. They're well stocked, though I must admit that I've seen them more colourful in the past than they were on this occasion. I think the hot weather probably has something to do with that, many plants will stop flowering after prolonged exposure to high temperatures.

There's a good selection of flowers but the hollyhocks really stood out. I like this really dark variety.

They make quite a statement in the border.

I think the red and pink varieties are really pretty too.

The echinops are repeated at intervals throughout the borders and give a different shape and texture to the planting.

The insects absolutely love them, they were covered in bees.

In fact, the borders were filled with lots of different insects enjoying the plants.

There's a good mix of flower heights and shapes in the borders. Here's the giant of flowers, the cardoon, reaching for the sky. Cardoons can grow up to six feet tall.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I've been visiting Temple Newsam all my life. I remember the walled garden from my childhood as it presented a beautiful rose garden which originated from about 1923. Sadly, it's not so outstanding these days, there are roses growing in some of the beds but many are empty.

I don't think my visit showed the walled garden at its best. The borders have been stunning on previous visits, I think I'm just a little too late this year, especially after the heatwave. It's a shame that the rose beds are lacking though, it would be good to see them stocked with more plants to bring this garden back to its former glory. 

There's also a huge conservatory which contains more temperate plants but as we had Archie with us, we didn't go inside on this occasion. It's a nice garden to visit and there's plenty of seating for the less mobile or anyone wanting to take advantage of the tranquil atmosphere, but more could definitely be made of these grounds.