Wildlife Gardening

 We trooped over to Lamport Hall on Saturday to attend a Wildlife Gardening course put on by Lamport Gardening Academy

A short slide show started the morning off ( well, after the coffee) with lots of suggestions of plants that can be grown to attract all sorts of wildlife. Ideas too of how to be rid of some of the nuisance bugs (greenfly/black-fly etc) but still be kind to the garden visitors.

Our Tutor had pre cut and drilled the wooden house structure that just had to be screwed together and then filled with all sorts of buggy goodies.  

                       

 Mid morning we filled our coffee mugs and headed out for a stroll around these beautiful gardens.
The Hall was developed from a Tudor Manor and is now best known for its classical frontage. This was started by John Webb in 1655 and completed in the eighteenth century, to the design of Francis Smith of Warwick.

The walled garden covers over two acres and is planted with great swathes of plants. I had attend another course here in June and could easily compare the change in the garden

The beginning of June

August 1st.

 In June the predominant colurs were blues, purples and whites but this week there were lots of yellows, fiery oranges, pinks and reds.

We all decided that someone should build a viewing platform to get the best view of the blocks of colour.

looking back towards the west facing side of the Hall

a small formal spot

the Gnome home

Just off the main courtyard, as you walk toward the walled garden, you pass an old Victorian brick wall.
Behind the wall, this beautiful (even though it is completely dilapidated) greenhouse sits, just waiting for someone to love it. And I did love it!!  What I would give to have this in my garden!

 Turned a corner and found Mrs Gnome sitting on a "tree chair!"

 Anyway - back to the Old Laundry to furnish our newly constructed house.

 Even though we had added a roof to the little building.... some of us got a bit carried away and added more to the rooftop terrace!

 Finished off with more beverages and a slice of cake to celebrate someone's upcoming BIG birthday!

Our little buildings were very proudly and carefully transported home to become the butt of more than one darling husband's jibes!



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Don't forget to check out the August Mini Mania Challenge pattern 

photo from Charise Creates