Garden
Guests are very welcome to wander round and enjoy the garden, which is a peaceful haven alive with birdsong and the buzzing of bees in the flowers. You'll see the garden when eating your breakfast but, if it's dry and warm, then feel free to sit outside and make the most of it.
There
are several trees chosen specifically for their beautiful bark which looks
good even during the long, leafless days of winter - Betula Jaquemontii,
Acer Griseum, Acer Davidii, Prunus Serrulata.
We get a huge variety of birds: house sparrows; chaffinches; greenfinches; goldfinches; siskin; goldcrests; bluetits; great-tits; coaltits; long-tailed tits; blackbirds; thrushes; redwing; fieldfare; robins; dunnocks; wrens; jackdaws; rooks; hooded crows; the list goes on.....and we get the occasional sparrowhawk hunting for his dinner and even a few really unusual ones like the hen harrier spotted on a fence post or the wryneck which flew into our patio doors. We try to avoid using chemicals by encouraging the birds to nest and feed on all those creepy-crawlies!
 |
 |
|
|
The summer garden
|
A different world in winter!
|
The garden changes a lot throughout the year but there is always colour from plants even in the darkest days of December and January. At this time of year the big herbaceous border is nearly bare but in February and March it bursts into life with snowdrops and daffodils.
By mid-June, the border is full of huge plants 2 metres high as one plant follows another - lupins, foxgloves, delphiniums, lilies, poppies etc. in putting on its best display of colour.
As autumn approaches the dominant colours change from the yellows of spring and the pinks and purples of summer to orange and russet, as the leaves begin to fall.
All year round we aim for colour and interest and we try to care for the environment and the wildlife by avoiding chemicals, by composting as much waste as possible, planting native trees as well as more exotic ones and making sure that our plants are good for bees, bumblebees, butterflies and hover flies. We have several nest boxes and a log pile under a bush where insects can hide and hedgehogs can hibernate.
Pots of flowers and hanging baskets are used all over the garden to give splashes of colour throughout the year. |
 |
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF THE GARDEN
Send us an enquiry: jacqi@ness.co.uk