Chatsworth gardens - quirky and fun

Day Two of our staycation took us out to Derbyshire, starting at Chatsworth. Anyone who reads this blog will know I visit there a LOT, but as with any garden there's always something new to see.

I think most people expect the gardens of stately homes to be formal and regimented, but what struck me this time was the playfulness and quirkiness of Chatsworth - from wildflowers in former rosebeds and alongside the Canal Pond, 

to the greyhound statues by the East front (and, yes, the one in the background is having a poop), 

to roses growing madly up old trees - this one is flowering both near the ground and about forty feet up in the top of its host

and the hard landscaping that recreated a miniature version of  a geographical feature, The Strid at Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire, there's a lot of sheer fun here.

This reflects in the way visit visitors are made to feel welcome. There are no signs saying 'keep of the grass'.

Picnicking on the Salisbury Lawns is encouraged, even if you've brought yours from home rather than the on-site cafes. Children (and dogs and adults) are allowed to splash on the steps of the Cascade water feature (though not jump into the Emperor Fountain)

The Maze is now open again to get lost in. 

There are many, many places to sit and relax - in the Grotto by the lily pond for example.

Or a more rustic bench by this more hidden pond.

But one of my favourite spots is this in the kitchen garden - a small covered space with table and chairs where I can sit and look at the view over the flowers, vegetables an greenhouses to the wider estate. It's a good spot for either rain or sun, and there's even a little adjoining shed if a lot of shelter is needed.

It was somewhat unusual to end our visit before closing time, but for once we'd gone in the morning with the intent to go elsewhere in the afternoon, and of course if we missed anything (I saw on Instagram that a lily we saw in bud came into flower a couple of days later) we can always go back.

 And from Chatsworth we headed a little north out onto the moors