On our way back from Bruntingthorpe on Saturday Mr C and I visited Canons Ashby in Northamptonshire. Here there is an Elizabethan manor house, gardens and the Priory Church of St Mary, all that remains of the Augustinian priory from which Canons Ashby takes its name.
The interior of the church roof was a fantastic wooden structure that I completely fell in love with. There's something about things made out of wood that give them a lovely warm feeling that somehow seems so homely.
Out in the grounds of the house is an orchard and also several apple and pear trees along a south facing wall. At this time of year there was quite a lot of fruit growing and it made me think about the apple pies and crumble that I'm hoping to bake come winter.
This doorway in the garden wall instantly made me remember the magical The Secret Garden
which I loved reading as a child. There was something in the ability to escape to a separate, secret, world that I sometimes still wish could happen.
which I loved reading as a child. There was something in the ability to escape to a separate, secret, world that I sometimes still wish could happen.
Just as we were leaving the garden these leaves caught my attention. I'm no gardener, and hence have no idea what the plant was, but the colours of these leaves are just fantastic.
The idea of embroidery threads in these colours sprang to mind straight away. Time to go and raid my sewing stash and see what I my creativity can do on a Sunday afternoon!
Wow, those espalier pears are impressively productive, there must be something in these hidden walled gardens after all.
I’m curious about that red leaved plant you spotted, I’ll let you know if I can find out what it is. It looks a bit like a Dracaena, but the leaves are far too big for all the varieties I’ve seen.
Please do let me know if you find out Dav. As I’ve said, my gardening knowledge is pretty much zero but I’m captivated by them!
I would love to take the credit for the identification, but I used my HDRA membership to ask the experts 🙂
It’s a Canna, a named cultivar called ‘Durban’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/11549.shtml
I might just get myself one, keeping it sufficiently watered as a house / office plant looks like a fun challenge.
Thank you Dav! It’s great to know what it is – even though the photo on the BBC website doesn’t make it look as good as it is in real life!
I note that it requires a skill level of experienced to grow – good luck!