Kind Comments...

We are always thrilled when visitors take the time to tell us how much they have enjoyed their visits. Thank you to Mrs S Gaffney who sent us this email recently:
Dear Mike and Christine,

Thank you for a wonderful day!
I so enjoyed my visit to your garden. I could have spent all day wandering, in fact I nearly did!
Each time I walked round I found something I hadn’t spotted before.
Thank you too Christine for patiently answering my endless questions.
The coffee shop is second to none. I thoroughly enjoyed my coffee and freshly made scone, in the sunshine, on the terrace of the formal garden. It was so peaceful and relaxing. The `waiter` was very thoughtful bringing a bowl of fresh water for Ruby (Irish Setter) too.
I wish I lived nearer so I could be a regular visitor but the distance won’t deter me too much I shall certainly be back.
Thank you again
Sheila Gaffney

International Week At Birkheads.

It's been international week at Birkheads this week we've had visitors from America, Canada, Asia and  Europe as well as our valued regular local visitors. It's been interesting finding out how visitors deal with their specific 'problem areas' The lady from Canada has to lift her roses for the winter, wrap them in sacking and store them in the basement until spring. Oh to be in England, where we never know what season its going to be day to day! Our gardens look so good becase of it... two days sunshine, one day rain, more sun = very green gardens. The wildflower meadow is the exception the grass is pink ( Festuca rubra ) The oriental poppies and peony roses are exploding throughout the garden.

Flaming June!

 

The Red Border in June

This week the basking newts are visible most days in the meditation garden ponds. Red border with Heucheras, Saxifrages, Valerian, Gillenia trifoliata  under Hawthorn  Paul's Scarlet .

A busy week at Birkheads...

Our new Pyrus salicifolia arbour, the tree took 20 years to grow to this shape.

Flowering Cherries

The Flowering Cherries are doing their thing and it's spectacular, also lots of Orange Tip Butterflies around.

Summer is here

Its been a lovely week in the garden, the wildflower meadow is at its best with the snakeshead  Fritillaries still the stars of the show but with a wonderful supporting cast of species tulips, lilac cardamine, cowslips and a pair of Willow Warblers (rare feathered friends) building a home close by. Tonight the Sandalwood Tree was spreading its sweet scent over the whole garden, as the dusk fell I couldn't bear to go indoors, so I just sat in the beach garden watching Pied Wagtails until  it was so dark I could hardly make my way back to the house!

Meditation Garden, Early Evening

A Spring view of the Meditation Garden bathed in early evening sunshine.

Prunus Incisa.

The gardens are providing us with a beautiful Spring display at the moment. This Prunus Incisa is just one of many.

Signs of Spring

We have tadpoles in one  pond and newts in the other, birdsong everywhere and the cherry blossom is out in the meditation garden. The sandalwood tree is uncurling its scented leaves and will take you back to your hippy days with just one sniff!

This Week's Eco Tip...

We use lots of milk for Cappucinos etc in the coffee shop and have found that we can reduce the bulky plastic milk containers by pouring an inch or so of boiling water into the empty container, put on the lid, swill water all around including into the hollow handle, pour out the water and quickly roll up the container from the base (like a toothpaste tube) Then put an old elastic band figure of eight style around it to hold it tight. If you really want to save a lot of space, cut off the top of a container then place all of your previously flattened ones inside it. we reckon to get 8 - 10 2 litre containers into one.

Hellebores

Hi Everyone, Its been a busy week, a recommendation for visiting the gardens in The Times this weekend, Our Green Tourism Award Assessment on Wednesday and Gateshead Countryside Team here today, they want to do some wildlife surveys here during the summer, I'll keep you updated on results. While the team were here we spotted a male smooth newt and a palmate newt in the pond, frogspawn in the waterlilies sales area and I was dividing some winter aconites tonight and uncovered a toad. The frogspawn is a month later than usual. The Snowdrops are still flowering, so are the Crocuses, Chionodoxia, Muscari, Hellebores Primula and Hepaticas. The daffodils are just starting with the tiny Tete a Tete varieties and Winter Follies with about 30 more varieties to flower between now and the bluebells.