With such lovely weather and Spring flowers I decided to take the Canon out for a garden photography tour. In the Spring Bed. Ficaria verna ‘Brazen Hussy’ Vinca diffopmis ‘Jenny Pym’ Mahonia aquifolium ' Apollo ' Anemone nemorosa Robinsoniana The Oriental Garden. Magnolia stellata Chaenomeles japonica The White and Green Garden. Pulmonaria Sissinghurst White Spirea 'Arguta' Bridal … Continue reading A Garden Photography Tour: Spring Blooms
With a second period of cold weather here in sunny Worcester I thought it was a good time to repost this article. 'Feed the birds tuppence a bag' goes the song from the film Mary Poppins. I feed the birds in the garden all year round, it costs a little more these days. Observing … Continue reading ‘Feed The Birds’
RHS Hyde Hall. In 1955 when Dr and Mrs Robinson came to Hyde Hall in 1955 there were only six trees on the top of a windswept hill and no garden. They donated the 42-acre garden, Hyde Hall, to the Royal Horticultural Society in 1993. We visited there in August 2012 during our garden tour … Continue reading Drought Tolerant Gardens 2
With the heat wave currently restricting me to the shade of my office and cooling fan, I thought it provided an ideal opportunity to write about drought-tolerant gardens. We spent a week in August 2012 visiting gardens in Essex and East Anglia, one of the driest areas of the UK. The first one we visited … Continue reading Drought Tolerant Gardens.
We recently visited a group of gardens in Worcester who were opening for the National Garden Scheme, I don't think many of the visitors would have expected to find such a wonderful Bonsai collection in Worcester. From the NGS website, "The garden has been 14 years in the making. It was designed around a collection … Continue reading Bonsai in Worcester.
This bank holiday we joined in with 16 others in the village for the Open Gardens and Flower Festival. Some of the tulips had gone over however the Camassia leichtlinii ‘Blue Heaven’ were just beginning to open. Their true beauty can be really appreciated when photographed up close. I created a short video of the … Continue reading Open Gardens and Flower Festival.
Following my post 'Peace and Tranquility' I thought it would be interesting to post some pictures, as slide shows, of Japanese gardens we have visited here in the UK. Tatton Park. From their website: "The Japanese Garden was almost certainly the result of Alan de Tatton’s visit to the Anglo-Japanese Exhibition at the White City … Continue reading Japanese Gardens.
It has been said many times during the pandemic how important gardens and outdoor spaces have become to people from all walks of life.Whether walking in the city parks or exploring the countryside everyone feels a benefit.Those of us with gardens have also found them sanctuaries either to sit in enjoying a beverage of your … Continue reading Peace and Tranquility in the Garden.
Cornus sanguinea Midwinter Fire Hydrangea quercifolia Burgundy Vinca diffopmis ‘Jenny Pym’ Three plants bringing colour and joy into our garden this January. What is bringing colour and joy into your garden?
A calendar showing pictures from Our Garden@19 during the year.
I have written about the village of Pirton in Worcestershire before, every two years they hold a Christmas Tree Festival to help raise money for the church maintenance. The village of Pirton was originally part of the Croome Estate and is located one mile north of Croome Park (now owned by the National Trust). This year … Continue reading Christmas Tree Festival.
I have previously written about St Wulstan's Nature Reserve being a favourite walk. These pictures are from our visit yesterday. Even a wet December day can provided some photo opportunities. Photographs taken with a Canon EOS1100D with a Canon 18-200mm lens.
With encouragement from the Government and countryside organisations such as the RHS and NT there is an increasing interest in planting trees and the benefits to the environment of doing so. While most of these reported on are on a large scale, if chosen correctly there are some wonderful ornamental and fruitful trees for even … Continue reading Trees for the small garden.
This is the first time a Nuthatch has visited the garden bird feeders
Trees and Leaves. Acer griseum Malus Golden HornetHydrangea quercifolia BurgundyVitis ' Spetchley red ' Cotoneaster horizontalisRhus hirta Staghorn sumac.Viburnum sargentii 'Onondaga'Ricinus communis var. gibsonii SeedRicinus communis var. gibsoniiLiquidamber slyraciflua 'Stella' seed.Liquidamber slyraciflua 'Stella'Cherry Tree from an upstairs window.Cherry Tree upclose. Betula utilis Jacquemontii (syn Dorrenbos) Seed Heads. Echinops ritroEryngium planumEryngium Giganteum (Miss Willmotts Ghost) Flowers. Fuchsia … Continue reading Autumn Up Close.
NGS Visit. Broughton Grange featured on the BBC Gardeners World this week, if you have not seen the programme I would recommend watching on catchup for an up to date view of this outstanding garden. We visited in July 2016 when it was open for the National Garden Scheme. It was on my must see … Continue reading Broughton Grange.
September is one of my favourite months in the garden, it could be nostalgia because we always had a wonderful show of Michaelmas Daises (Asters/Symphyotrichum) in our cottage garden at home. Many other plants also provide interest at this time of year, the annuals such as dahlias, late flowering perennials, trees and shrubs with changing … Continue reading Our Garden@19 in September.
We have decided to hold another pop-up opening for the National Garden Scheme charity. The exotics are looking good, I am hoping the Michaelmas Daisies will soon start to join them. And in the greenhouse. We hope for a sunny day so that visitors can enjoy the garden with tea and cake!
Three plants in the garden offering attractive foliage as well as flowers. Galtonia candicans has white bell flowers with lance like blue green striped leaves. The Pholx are just starting to flower here, this is Phlox paniculate ‘Harlequin', variegated leaves with a touch of pink. This is the first time Colocasia ‘Black Dragon’ has flowered … Continue reading Double value.
This is the first time this colourful garden visitor has been seen this year. These markings are of a juvenile, thankfully it stayed feeding long enough for me to fetch my camera.
Clematis fusca
UnKown.Pelargonium ‘Red Gables’P. Contrast.Pelargonium Attar of RosesPelargonium Frank Hedley AGMPelargonium Frank Hedley AGMP. Merlot. I think my favourite is 'Merlot', I love the colour and the wine! Do you grow Pellies and do you have a favourite?
With the tentative easing of lock down restrictions our first garden visits have been to Spetchley Park Gardens with 30 acres to roam there is space for everyone. Spetchley Park, Worcester has been privately owned for over 400 years, with a good garden history due to its connection with Miss Willmott. It also has tea … Continue reading Spetchley Park Gardens in May.
I have begun an experiment with tulips this year, following an article I read by Fergus Garrett from Great Dixter regarding which tulips they found to be perennial. The most reliable ones being the Darwin Hybrids, I planted three varieties in November, two in pots and one in the borders.The real test will be next … Continue reading Tulips and Blossom.
Aston Pottery Garden. Having read some impressive reviews about the garden at Aston Pottery, Aston, Oxfordshire, we visited in August 2016. On this occasion, they were open in aid of the National Gardens Scheme charity. Created by the owners since 2009 and set around Aston Pottery's Gift Shop and Cafe, borders flower from June until … Continue reading Garden visiting…..remember that?
Winter visited Our Garden@19 towards the end of 2020. Flowering in the house and keeping warm is the Christmas Cactus. Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera) From the bathroom window we can see the snow-capped Malvern Hills. Snow boot painted by the Grandchildren as a Christmas present. A snowy video tour of the garden wishing you a Happy … Continue reading Happy New Year.
Why you should allow some ivy to grow in your garden. https://youtu.be/Ct2GOuKMFlI I do grow some cultivated variegated forms, ivy does not produce any flowers until their adult growth stage when the leaf shape changes, usually at around 10years. They can be kept pruned to their juvenile stage and leaf shape when they will at … Continue reading Ivy and the Bees.
This weekend six gardens in the village of Hanley Swan should have been opening in aid of the NGS nursing charities. Due to the Covid-19, this has been cancelled, so together with the other garden openers, we have created a video tour of the gardens. Please make yourself a cup of tea or any beverage … Continue reading The Six NGS Gardens of Hanley Swan.
"April Showers Bring May Flowers". While we did not have many April showers the May flowers have, like us, enjoyed the sunshine. Please join me on a video tour of Our Garden@19 to see our May flowers. Turn up the volume, click on the link below and select full screen, play and enjoy. https://youtu.be/_4jq9P11_CI
Orchards have long been a feature of the Worcestershire Countryside, apples for cider, eating and cooking and similar with pears and plums. The Vale of Evesham has a popular fruit blossom trail and because we are unable to visit it this year, I have created this blog post about the development of apple varieties in … Continue reading Worcestershire Apples and a Fruit Blossom Video Trail.
Every year since 2011 our village church has held open gardens over this bank holiday weekend, we have taken part every year bar one. This year, along with all open gardens it has had to be cancelled. With the public unable to come to the garden, this weekend, I have produced a tulip video tour … Continue reading Tulip Video Tour.
This tour takes us around Our Garden@19 to see what is adding colour and interest in late March-early April. Happy Easter, stay well and enjoy. Brian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns13CPfXwvo
In August 2019 Irene and I were invited to a family event near Lincoln, this provided the perfect opportunity to visit a garden that has long been on my wish list ever since reading about their technique for growing Bearded Iris. Sadly when we visited the iris were over, however, as with all good gardens, … Continue reading Doddington Hall Garden Visit and Growing Bearded Iris.
A winter tour, with the camera, around Our Garden@19 to capture some of the season's shapes and silhouettes. This is an evergreen and topiary time of year, black and white pictures add to the wintery appearance. Do you have a favourite winter shape in your garden?
The beginning of November saw the planting of pots with, crocus, iris, narcissus and species rock tulips. Old hanging baskets used to keep the squirrels away.Two large pots either side of the banana bench were planted with Tulip 'Abu Hassan', Siberian Wallflowers and Forget-me-Nots. When the rain finally eased I managed to complete planting my … Continue reading Tulips, Pots and Saucers.
Five year’s this November brimfields.com on WordPress.
...........and the bee! The Spider and the Fly, by Mary Howitt. 1828.
Our garden@19, in May, was cloaked in the joy of May flowers, starting with the Wisteria floribunda 'Alba' ... Clematis 'Nelly Moser' Allium ‘Beau Regard’ Allium Mount Everest with White Honesty. The Blue Border with Allium ‘Purple Sensation ‘. Iris ‘Alcazar’. Hesperis matronalis 'White' Prunus ‘serrula’ our mug tree. These pictures were taken just before … Continue reading May Joy.
Who is reigning over your garden this spring?
The churchyard at Birlingham, Nr Pershore in Worcestershire has long been a pilgrimage for snowdrop lovers in the area. Bulb Teas are held each Saturday and Sunday in February until Sunday 24th February in the Village Hall from 11.00am to 4.00 pm. The Grade II listed church of St James with its 15C tower, which … Continue reading Bulbs, Sunshine, Tea and Cake.
We visited the first National Garden Scheme, http://ngs.org.uk open garden in Worcestershire on Sunday. The garden, Brockamin, includes Plant Heritage National Collections of Asters and some hardy Geraniums. It opens for Snowdrops in February, Daffodils in March and Asters in September. The 1.5 acre informal garden contains mixed borders planted with hardy perennials and shrubs, … Continue reading Snowdrop Temptation.
I have observed over the years that the birds visit our feeders in greater numbers on a wet day, more than any other weather, except snow. These pictures were taken on Friday through the dining room window with the flash turned off. The Goldfinches were joined by a pair of Siskins and a Bluetit during … Continue reading A feeding frenzy in the rain.
In the Garden, December 2018 T'is the season to be merry, of turkey, tinsel and snow with visits to Santa's Grotto. I cannot promise you any of the above, we can though visit Our Garden@19 following a rain shower, looking for some winter cheer and colour. In the Oriental Garden the Witch Hazel is in … Continue reading December Rain.
Blogging has had to take a back seat recently with a wedding, holiday, a kitchen refit and decorating taking precedent. I lifted all the Dahlias from the raised beds last week, replacing them with tulips, also filling all the tulip pots. With the sun shining, I took a quick tour of the garden with the … Continue reading November Sunshine.
The National Garden Scheme has posted this quote on their website. "Autumn...the year's last, loveliest smile." William Cullen Bryant (1794 - 1878) You can view their Autumn Smile here What is making you smile this Autumn?
The end of the summer holiday saw us, with the grandchildren, visiting the Knapp and Paper-mill reserve of the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. Link The reserve lies in the Teme valley and the Malvern Hills area … Continue reading The season of Mellow Fruitfulness & Pooh Sticks.
Hot...Spicy...and now Cool in Our Garden@19. I hope you are enjoying your summer, what ever the weather and where ever you are.
Last year my Ginger Lily produced one flower, this year two! What has spiced up you garden?
Now that its raining I thought I would post pictures of the 'Hot' plants in Our Garden@19. Which plants have been matching the summer weather in your garden?
Rescued by Mary from the Dogs Trust at approximately 18 months old, Murphy has been our friend, companion and protector here at Our Garden@19. His contribution to the team can be read in 'The Garden - Garden Team'. He was … Continue reading Murphy—?—26th July 2018.
On Saturday the Black Pear Gardening Club visited Blackmore Grange, owned by Doug and Anne Robertson. A total of £206 was raised and donated to St. Richards Hospice, Worcester. The Hospice has recently launched a fundraising drive to support its £5.3m expansion plan. You can find out more via this Link 41 members visited on a … Continue reading Blackmore Grange July 2018.
Those of you living and gardening in the UK do not need me to tell you that we are 'enjoying' one of the hottest June/July periods for some time, with day time temperatures reaching 30c. Whilst for many of you reading this in other parts of the world this may not be unusual, but here … Continue reading Drought Busters July 2018.
The month of May has seen Our Garden@19 blessed with high temperatures by day, cool nights and thunderstorms. The surviving flowers have put on a wonderful show. Hopefully some of these will continue to flower for our NGS opening on June the 9th and 10th, to be joined by more still to come. Please click … Continue reading May Blooms.
Narcissi are one of the delights of spring. Here are some that brightened the spring in Our garden@19, from the smallest... ...to the weird. To the big and blowsy... The next few pictures are of unknown varieties. To seeing double. I don't know where this one came from, it could have been among plants that … Continue reading Daffodil delights & Narcissus narcissism.
Welcome to Our Garden@19. All we need now is some Spring weather!
From all of us at Our Garden@19 brimfields.com
Weather lore says: "March, in like a lion out like a lamb." March is a month of transition, a much used word of late. In a gardening context I think emergence is a more suitable label. The garden and plants are emerging from winter into spring. It was traditionally the month for planting spring crops, mainly … Continue reading Top Ten for March.
Today's snow brought a new visitor to the garden, for this winter, the Pied Wagtail. From the RSPB website: "The pied wagtail, Motacilla alba, is a delightful small, long-tailed and rather sprightly black and white bird. When not standing and frantically wagging its tail up and down it can be seen dashing about over lawns or car … Continue reading New Winter Visitor.
The National Botanic Garden of Wales is one of our favourite places to visit in Wales. “It is a charity dedicated to the research and conservation of biodiversity, to sustainability, lifelong learning and the enjoyment of the visitor.” The National Botanic Garden of Wales was opened to the public on the 24th May 2000. … Continue reading The National Botanic Garden of Wales.
The snow has brought on extra demand around the bird feeding stations with the arrival of the Thrush family, most notably the Fieldfares and the Redwings. they come in search of any berries on the holly bushes and remaining crab apples. I usually add to this natural supply with cut up apples. To … Continue reading Feed the Birds. March 2018.
Chloris at The Blooming Garden encourages us garden bloggers to venture out into the garden in all winds and weathers to take pictures of our favourite ten blooms each month. My ten include the inevitable Snowdrops, of which I have the grand total of three varieties, (Chloris is the one to visit to enjoy a Galanthus … Continue reading Ten February Favourite Blooms.
I along with many fellow bloggers enjoy watching and feeding the birds that visit our gardens throughout the year. New visitors to our garden@19 this winter have been, a fleeting glimpse of a Gold Crest, a male Bullfinch and on the niger seed feeder, the male and female Siskin. They are sometimes referred to as … Continue reading New Visitors.
One of our favourite local places to visit is Croome Court (NT). Ideally situated for a walk in the park land, visit to the house, church and end up with refreshments in the restaurant. During busy periods refreshments are served from a Tea Car and in a cafe in the Court. "Croome Park was Lancelot … Continue reading Croome Park.
Today (Friday) was the first day of sunshine here and after too many days of rain, it does bring a song into your heart. I ventured out into the garden to finish pruning the climbing roses, before I began, I decided to do a tour with the camera. The gardener's friend, was as usual, keeping … Continue reading The Birds and the Bees…
We enjoy visiting gardens, it usually features in any holiday plans, besides giving pleasure they provide material for the blog and my garden presentations. In March 2017 we visited Oxford University Botanic Gardens. The river Cherwell runs along the one side. Growing on the bank is this lovely multi stemed silver birch. The garden was … Continue reading Oxford Botanic Gardens.
Mary usually decorates our mantlepiece for Christmas. This years theme is felted robins and holly leaves she has made, all on a snow dusted Yule Log. (From the Prunus serrula in ourgarden@19). Wishing you all an enjoyable, peaceful Christmas and Happy New Year. Thank you for following, reading and commenting on brimfields.com throughout this first … Continue reading Merry Christmas.
The village of Pirton, Worcestershire, was originally part of the Croome Estate and is located one mile north of Croome Park (now owned by the National Trust). Pirton Court was historically the home of Viscount Deerhurst. The village church, St. Peters, containing elements dating back to the C12, with its unique black and white timber bell … Continue reading Christmas Tree Festival.
I am joining Chloris and her many followers in posting my Top Ten for November, please visit The Blooming Garden to see what their Top Ten are. Number one, the seed heads of the Lunaria, which provides a silvery shine in the low November sunlight. This plant provides interest through out the whole year, from the young … Continue reading Ten Top for November.
November unfairly receives a bad press, often refered to as dark, gloomy, foggy and dismal. This I think stems mainly from the days when coal fires were the norm, polluting the atmosphere. "Guns N Roses" even performed a song entitled 'November Rain', which I don't mind listening to (They are an American Hard Rock Band!) … Continue reading November Sunshine.
I took these pictures with my iPhone, on a beautiful sunny November afternoon, while raking up the leaves in the garden, intending to publish them with this title on Wordless Wednesday. Events here during the night of Friday 11th overtook every thing else, nine garden sheds and out buildings in our cul-de-sac were burgled. … Continue reading November Shadows.
Just in the nick of time I am joining Chloris at The Blooming Garden with my Ten Favourites for September. You can see what others have posted by visiting Chloris Here Number one in Our Garden@19 is a flower on the Ginger Lilly, I have been waiting two years since I was given them for one … Continue reading Ten Favourites for September.
On Thursday here in sunny Worcestershire the day turned into a very wet one. One thing I have observed over the years feeding birds in Our Garden@19 is the feeding frenzy that develops during wet weather. I predominantly feed sunflower hearts, which all species of birds enjoy... I also feed Niger seeds especially for the … Continue reading A ‘Charm’ in the rain.
Walking around Our Garden@19 the other evening there were some notable signs of autumn, not least in the temperture. Some of the plants are starting to develop their seasonal colours. Please join me on a short walk through the garden. The first to catch your eye is the flowering cherry tree between the patio and … Continue reading Signs of Autumn.
Growing Dahlias has become popular again within the last 15 years or so, some credit the late Christopher Lloyd at Great Dixter with their revival. I grew up next door to my maternal grand parents and there was a large garden producing almost all of our food. A vegetable garden and orchard with chickens, pigs … Continue reading Dahlias.
It is often said that August is a poor time for English gardens, if you visit Chloris At The Blooming Garden. you will see how wrong that statement can be. I am joining in with Chloris and all the other garden bloggers with my ten favourite Plants for August. In no particular order of preference, the … Continue reading Ten favourite plants for August 2017
Chloris at the blooming garden has been posting her 10 favourite flowers for July while encouraging others to join in. I along with several others, am posting my five favourite flowers for July. Star of the month is this, name unknown, Phlox which also features in the picture above, it came from my Great Aunt's garden, … Continue reading Five favourite flowers for July.
In May we had an enjoyable holiday in Cornwall, which I wrote about: here. One of the gardens we visited, that left a lasting impression on us was the Moyclare Garden, near Liskard. This is the introduction to the garden from their website. “The garden at Moyclare was established in 1927, and hosts a fine variety … Continue reading Moyclare Gardens.
In my previous post here I showed the mug tree our grandchildren helped create in the garden ready for our NGS open gardens. The mugs were a collection from them, their friends and some we had. My favourite was the one below, (I don't know why), but it does amuse me. More mugs can be viewed … Continue reading Mugs.
One problem for a gardener who chooses to go away on holiday in May is the work preparing to go away and then to catch up on your return. This is especially so when you have an open garden date looming in June. This also applies to catching up on reading and writing blogs. Here … Continue reading Catching up!
Our village of Hanley Swan has for the last few years held an open gardens during the Early May Bank Holiday weekend. I usually plant tulips in the garden and pots to provide colour and interest during the weekend. This year it looks as if my plans are in jeopardy due to the early spring weather. … Continue reading Tulip Time Plans 2017
These pictures were taken with my Canon 18-200mm lens with the Canon close up lens 500D 72mm attached. What is providing you with a Close-up view of spring?
Into the Oriental Garden... Take a seat and enjoy the view.
'Feed the birds tuppence a bag' goes the song from the film Mary Poppins. I feed the birds in the garden all year round, it costs a little more these days. Observing birds in the garden and feeding them is, for me, an important element of enjoying … Continue reading ‘Feed The Birds’
Some summer flowers and a little sunshine to bring cheer to a winter's day. In August 2016 we visited Trentham Gardens in Staffordshire with the Black Pear Gardening Club. Trentham is an award winning garden which has won numerous awards including BBC Countryfile’s Garden of the Year 2015. There is a large Garden Centre and … Continue reading Trentham Gardens.
Welcome to brimfields.com, thank you for visiting. This is my new blog covering two interests in The Life of Brian, photography and gardening. I recently started to develop a blog about my photography alongside my other blog Our Garden@19, which I first published two years ago. These two have now been merged into brimfields.com The pages, … Continue reading New Year – New Blog.
This is the time of year when we think about the new year and reflect on the old one. The pictures below are some of the close up photographs from Our garden@19 taken during 2016. The new years come, the old years go, We know we dream, we dream we know. We rise up laughing … Continue reading 2016 In Close Up.
When we have a frost the cobwebs on the windows of the summer-house are there for all to see. Such beautiful intricate patterns. `I took these pictures in December 2016. Where would we be today without the gift of the 'Web'?
We visited the National Trust property, Charlecote Park in Warwickshire in October. They have an historic fallow deer herd which comprises all four colours of the species - common, menil (the spots are more distinct), melanistic (very dark) and leucistic- almost white.
Laugharne castle overlooking... ...the estuary of the River Taf. The Boat House, the family home of Laugherne's famous resident, Dylan Thomas, from 1949 until his death in 1953. His writing shed, looking out across the estuary. At high tide the sea comes in over the car park... ...causing panic for those who haven't read the … Continue reading A Special Place. (Laugharne)
The 19th January 2016 saw the first real frost in Our garden@19.
Romeo Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? St Marks.
Feeding and watching the birds that visit Our Garden@19 is one of the joys of owning a garden. Photographing them is more of a challenge! Gold Finch.
We visited Madeira in 2013 when they were 'improving' Funchal Harbour. I took these photos with Irene's Kodak compact camera. The following pictures are of the flower festival which takes place every May. Love the crane!
My two daughters gave me a voucher for a Raptors Day as a birthday present. It was a very enjoyable day spent with a bird on my arm. Thank you. PS. I have to give Irene credit for taking the photographs with me in.
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