Moorfields

'March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers' – The old proverb certainly rang true on Sunday as we made our way over to Moorfields near Chesterfield. It was their first opening of the year for the National Garden Scheme and sunshine helped to bring the visitors in.

The plot that the house and gardens is now situated on was originally a poultry breeding business. There is still a large number of free range chickens adjacent to the garden. As with large parts of the surrounding area the land was requisitioned for opencast mining in the 1980s. Once all the coal had been extracted it was found that original house was no longer habitable due to the subsidence damage caused by the mining. After a new house was built work could start on the new garden.

The garden benefits from being surrounded by fields with views stretching out across the Derbyshire countryside. Instead of just having lawn throughout with borders down the side the owners decided to dig several island beds in the lawn. These are now filled with plants based on variety, colour and season.

The flower of the month is definitely tulips with different colours and varieties spread throughout the garden.

In the middle of the garden a larger part of the lawn was dug up and a pond was built. The wildlife friendly nature of this pond is shown by the shallow pebble section at one end to allow wildlife to get in and out of the water easily.

With such an expanse of lawn it's no surprise the compost heap is as big as it is! The compost works on a three-bay system.

If you think you don't have enough space to grow any vegetables then take inspiration from this. These are bags of potatoes filled with compost. In a couple of months they'll be able to empty the entire bag out and enjoy their homegrown produce. Also take note of the bags used. These aren't special growing bags but compost sacks that have been reused.

The greenhouse is the engine house of any garden and I had to have a look through the door. I wish my greenhouse was a) that tidy! and b) had so many healthy plants in it.

After seeing the scarecrows in the vegetable patch I have challenged the Junior JabberJabbers to create one each for our allotment. I am now expecting to see a ninja and Harry Potter themed scarecrow!

A single stunning red peony gave a taste of what to expect in the coming weeks. The garden will be open again for the National Garden Scheme in July so there will be a fresh additional of colour to enjoy.

Oh yes, there may have been cake as well!

Moorfields is open again on Sunday 2^nd July 2017 for the National Garden Scheme