Birkheads meadow

Birkheads Meadow

Hi

Hi RH, Lovely to hear from you and thanks for the surprise Christmas card, the postage stamp had me perplexed for a moment!. Now I know that someone is looking at the blog I'll keep adding info and pics. Have you visited the video links on our website? (Also on u-tube) Just what you need if you're missing english birds & gardens- a talented visitor makes a video each month and sets it to music. I really look forward to seeing them, sometimes you can hardly hear the music for the birdsong in the background!

Goose Meadow

Tulips with white & maroon  Fritillaries combined with lilac Ladies Smock the Wildflower Meadow 

Silver willow leaved pear in flower provides a secluded corner for visitors

Surprise visitor at Birkheads

Dwarf Forsythia brightens a shady corner

We have fairies at the bottom of our garden

Don't forget our collector's corner of specialist plants

It's Here At Last!

Hi Everyone, I hope that you are all well and ready to venture out, blinking into the sunshine! I recently read this quote from someone called Rogers Hornsby:
 People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.  I'm sorry, I don't know who he is but I certainly echo his sentiment!
We've had a busy winter but are pleased to welcome our friends old and new, back to Birkheads for the coming season starting with our Snowdrop weekend this Saturday February 25th, weather permitting from 10am until 5pm.
Jobs done in October include making the path up to the nursery less steep and changing the steps to the toilets into a ramp. Wheelchair users please park on our drive. If in doubt call me on 07778447920. We've made another pond to encourage even more wildlife. I can't believe we have snowdrops in flower the garden is well ahead for the time of year.
PS We are going to keep 2011 prices through 2012 this year. Enjoy! If you have withdrawal symptoms, we now have a number of videos on youtube showing the gardens from February onwards all done by one of our regular visitors who has captured the essence of the gardens exceptionally well. Please follow the links on our website:  http://www.birkheadssecretgardens.co.uk/links.asp
We will be open for all Bank Holiday Sundays & Mondays this year but we are closed for the Queens Jubilee Monday & Tuesday.

Radio GaGa

Thanks to all of our visitors who recommended us to Radio Newcastle as a good place to visit on their feature for British Tourism Week, I had a 'phone call from one of their researchers yesterday asking if they could send Chris Hodder to interview me. He came this morning and it will be included in the Jonathan Miles show on Friday 18th March at 10.45am. approx. I hope you find it informative. I've also been on Garden  Mania recently talking to Marian Foster about snowdrops. Hope to see you all soon, Christine

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.