A lazy afternoon in unexpected sunshine at Chatsworth

Last Monday morning was dull and drizzly, but we had tickets for Chatsworth garden that afternoon so we crossed our fingers and hoped for an improvement in the weather. 

Halfway there the clouds opened and I was near to suggesting we went home. Fortunately, I didn't as the rest of the day brightened considerably, and we had a lovely trip out - first at Chatsworth then up onto the moors to look for heather.

At Chatsworth we started by wandering round the vegetable and cutting garden. I think a lot of visitors give this area a miss, expecting it to be just dull vegetables, but the flowers there are lovely, though grown in rows like a cop, and even the vegetable beds prove that even practical gardening can be pretty.

Next we wandered along past the Cascade water feature, with a brief stop at the ice cream kiosk, and a short rest to eat it by the Strid, before continuing on towards the Maze, where at another refreshment stop we picked up cake and sandwiches. 

These were intended for a snack later but the sun was appearing now, and the day warming up so it seemed like an excellent idea to sit a while and eat cake.

I was beginning to think that with so much sitting we'd never see all of the gardens, but a definite advantage of having an annual 'Friends' pass is that I feel I can just potter gently round the gardens, sit in the sun for a while, and come back another day to see anything I may have missed. 

There are two smallish gardens either end of the Maze, and I feel they tend to be a little over-looked - families tend to run straight ahead and into the Maze, others tend to walk round the whole area (once the site of an enormous greenhouse). It makes this a pleasant, quiet space to sit and watch bees and butterflies flitting among the flowers.

In this space to the north of the maze the flowers are herbaceous perennials that are mostly familiar. At the opposite end, the garden has exotic palms and a  tropical 'jungle' feel, despite being high in the Derbyshire hills. 

I would have almost sat there for the rest of the afternoon, but eventually I had to move. 

Time was passing and I wanted to head, first to the Grotto pond, at almost the furthest end of the garden from the entrance, and then make my way slowly back along the new Arcadia glades.

Here the planting was a little 'between seasons'. The summer flowers have finished early, and the autumnal ones not really commenced yet, which is really just a good excuse to come back in a week or so.

No matter how many times I visit there always seems to be something to surprise me at Chatsworth - and this time it was the wild flower beds in the old rose garden. On my last visit at the end of July they were dominated by poppies, now these airy white flowers have taken over. I think they might be Queen Anne's Lace, but I've not sure as I find the various similar flowers like this confusing.

And round the corner was another bed of wonderful wild flowers, their informality contrasting with the straight lines of the camellia house behind.

It was now late afternoon, the shadows were lengthening, and preparations going on for an evening event. We had plans to go elsewhere - up among the heather on the moors.