Continuing our Bank Holiday jaunts, on Monday we went to Calke Abbey for an amble round the gardens. The weather, again, wasn't great, but the sun did eventually come out ... and, while we were waiting for it, we found wisteria rambling over the old walls of the former kitchen gardens.
Calke Abbey itself always seems rather stern and severe to my mind, but the former kitchen gardens make up for that with an abundance flowers and vegetables. We've even visited in winter and found them fascinating then.
By luck more than judgement, this weekend the wisteria looked at its best, smothering the old walls in scented blossom.
There's something dream-like and magical about a cascade of wisteria flowers
This long wall flanking the path to the sheds and boilerhouses looked wonderful
(the opposite side faces north so the wisteria hasn't flowered yet, so there's time to visit again)
I loved this stunning, but oh so simple, planting of bright red tulips and blue forget-me-nots.
Other walls were covered by clematis in shades of purple and lilac - perhaps deliberately chosen to match the wisteria
Elsewhere, the auriculas were looking perfect in their theatre which keeps the worst of the weather off. They look stunning en masse, and I don't think any two plants were alike
The beds under the palms trees were filled with wallflowers in almost every colour from bright yellow to deep reds and purple.
In the heated greenhouses and orangery apricots and nectarines already had small fruit, and against a south-facing wall figs were growing
The scarecrows were keeping watch over the vegetable patch, making sure small seedlings were safe.
Apple trees blossoming in the orchard, looking so pretty against the blue sky
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