Calke - cows, pumpkins, and dahlias

As the early part of October continued mild and occasionally sunny, I grabbed the opportunity for a visit to Calke. My main intent was to see the annual pumpkin display and the dahlias but there was more to see than those.

I've often seen the estate's deer close to the visitor area but was surprised to be met by some of the longhorn cattle grazing near the car park. I've seen them before at a distance when walking through the park but I've never approached them. I assume they're as friendly as other cows but they're rather large and the adults have ferocious-looking horns so I feel it's best to give them space. This time they were safely the other side of a fence so it was possible to get quite close. 

Inside the gardens proper I found the wonderful pumpkin display. The variety of shape and size is astonishing - from huge 'warty' pumpkins to the tiny squash or long thin tromboncinos.  

Nearby were bright autumn flowers.

I love the colour combination here of pink/red wall creeper and yellow kniphofia.

The path up to the gardeners' offices are always lined with dahlias in autumn. All colours, shapes, and sizes, but I noticed the simple ones were favoured more by bees and butterflies. Perhaps it's just to complicated to find the centre of a pom-pom variety.

Lastly I headed through the garden door and into the vegetable area.

Their are flowers here too - another striking colour combination.

And the vegetable beds still look busy with winter crops -cabbages and kale, leeks and chard, and nasturtiums winding through them.

Back then to the visitor centre in time for cake from the cafe. It was still warm enough to eat outside but it feels like it was the last day to do so.