The roses on the pergola have started to flower and I think they are worth three photos all to themselves.
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- beautiful pergola
On the other side of the lawn the open flowers of a dog rose provided a nectar paradise for bees.
Elsewhere flowers just keep flowering!
And finally, the Great Exhibition. I wrote last week about Sir Joseph Paxton, the designer of the Crystal Palace. The pots edging the lawn are currently planted with a lobelia called Crystal Palace. The plant makes no claim to be an 19th century variety though we know the Victorians did use lobelia widely. It was was chosen because its name provides a link to one of the significant events of 19th Century Britain, the Great Exhibition. Mrs Gaskell and her family visited the Exhibition so I’ll end this with a quotation from Mrs Gaskell’s letter and photo of the plant.
“Of course we did the Exhibition. I went 3 times, and should never care to go again; but then I’m not scientific nor mechanical”.
Mrs Gaskell. Letter of 1st September 1851
Chris Tucker, Garden Volunteer
