Thursday 23 April 2015

Clumber Park Walled Kitchen Garden in April

On Saturday we took advantage of the good weather and went over to Clumber Park. After some sessions of rounders and football we took our picnic over to the cricket pitch. Despite the best efforts of the English rainmakers the sun shone and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I couldn't resist a visit to the Walled Kitchen Garden. It closes to the public at the end of October but reopens at Easter so this was my first visit of the year.
Last year the east wing of the Long Range glasshouse was subject to a massive and very expensive restoration project. It is now fully open and being used for its original intention. Walking through you can see plenty of seeds and plants already looking strong and healthy. The peas are starting to wind themselves up some natural pea sticks.
There's enough tomato plants on the go to make sure the café and The Garden Tea House won't go short throughout the summer.
At the far end of the glasshouse is a nursery roped off from the public. You can view what's going on and it seems the team of gardeners will be very busy soon planting out all the crops. The glasshouse at Clumber is the longest one that the National Trust is responsible for.
Outside the National Collection of rhubarb seems to be progressing nicely. On the 9th and 10th of May it is Clumber's annual Rhubarb weekend so I'm sure we'll see more of it then. Most the fruit trees are in blossom including the kiwi in the soft fruit garden. Underneath are rows of neatly arranged strawberries.
Whatever the time of year the Walled Kitchen Garden is open there is always a good selection of flowers. In the height of summer the herbaceous borders are full and the three separate sections are colour coded. The bottom area is white, the middle goes through pink, purples and blue while at the top it is the hot yellows, oranges and red. In spring there this is also the case but it is tulips and daffodils that provide the colour. Filling up the beds in the vegetable garden is an equally impressive range of tulips. One thing I learnt this week was that the reason tulips droop so quickly after being put in a vase it that they are one of the few flowers that keep growing after being cut. I think I prefer them in the garden anyway.

Mammasaurus How Does Your Garden Grow

23 comments:

  1. Wowsers those are the neatest tulips I've ever seen! This is my dream garden right here, glasshouse and walled garden - all my boxes ticked.
    I go mad for rhubarb, sadly I'm on holiday that weekend (well it's really not THAT sad seeing as I'll be sunning the bits that rarely see sunshine) else I would have come along to that.
    Thanks for joining in and sharing jibberyjabbery *sloppy kisses through screen*

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    1. *Wipes screen* It's a huge garden as well so all the 'How does your garden grow' crew could go and work their own little bit of it.

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  2. Wow - that's some greenhouse - and it's way tidier than mine! And top marks for those regimented tulips :) #hdygg

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    1. It's so great to see the whole glasshouse back in use now. Money well spent!

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  3. I do love walled gardens and glass houses, rather like Annie :) And yes, those tulips are impressive!

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    1. The tulips are all over the garden at the moment and were perfectly backdropped by the blue sky. Such a great spread of colour.

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  4. oh how absolutely lovely

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    1. It's such a beautiful garden and that's without all the parkland surrounding it.

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  5. I just went off and read about tulips still growing after they're cut - fascinating. Kitchen gardens always make me long for a huge one of my own...but with lots of gardeners to take care of it.

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    1. I'd love a walled kitchen garden as well but this one is huge! It used to be let out by the Camping and Caravan Club.

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  6. I love the tulips all in a line. It looks like the perfect garden. It sounded like a brilliant day

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  7. those tulips.... wish we could grow them here

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    1. They are such a popular spring flower in the UK and you can probably guess why!

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  8. If there's a better name to make me want to visit somewhere than "walled kitchen garden" I have yet to come across it! Looks stunning...

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    1. I love walled kitchen gardens. In fact I think I may have started my obsession about them again!

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  9. Everything is so pretty! Those tulips plants are so neat! #hdygg

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  10. We love Clumber Park and are definitely due another visit soon! Lovely pictures x #HDYGG

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  11. I love those tulips all in neat rows! The glass house is amazing, so beautiful.

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  12. Kiwi hmmm now I didn't know that could grow in our country I might had a go at growing one. I it is a bit odd seeing the tulips in row and I can only think they are for cut flowers either that or the gardener has serious ocd and I think your right they look lovelier in the garden

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  13. i also love the tulips and the colours

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  14. Looks like an amazing place, must look it up for a visit.

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  15. Oh how fabulous - I love walled gardens! Clumber Park sounds like a great place and I love those tulips. Just wonderful :)

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