Saturday

Good morning, everyone.  I woke to a surprise - the central heating had clicked on.  I know it was going to be a cool night but really, what a change from only a few days ago.  The sun is shining and the skies are clear, no rain is forecast until this evening and my little patch of grass is green and growing again and needs cutting.  Nature restores itself very rapidly when the conditions are right.

Yesterday morning was lovely and sunny so Al and I made our way to Hyde Hall as planned.  After a drink and snack, we meandered our way up to the top taking the longest way to look at something quite new since the last time I visited, the Global Growth Vegetable Garden, saying hello to the willow woven dinosaur on the way.

The sun kept coming and going and I loved its effect on this little group of trees.

The global garden is lovely.  It's an octagonal greenhouse with maze like pathways around and lots of vegetable beds with plants from around the world and boards giving information.
Here's an aerial shot, found on the RHS site and, obviously, taken much earlier this year.  Quite an allotment, eh?

And this is my photo.  The sky is looking very ominous, isn't it!

And a few photos of the outside fruit and veg - they've obviously been well watered!

Then it started raining so we took shelter in the greenhouse and chatted to the tomatoes, chillis, melons, etc.  Rather better than my little selection at home!

 See the hammocks for the fruit!

When the rain stopped, we meandered around again, chatting as we visited the lower and upper lakes, talked to the ducks and generally had a very pleasant time.  It was really lovely.

Lunch was lovely.  We had the soup which was a most delicious tomato - proper tomato, not cream of - and I had walnut bread with mine.  Al also had a slice of victoria sponge and the taste I had showed me it was a very good sponge.
After a bit more meandering around, we had to dash to the car because it started raining quite heavily.  We were lucky, we really did get the best of the day because then it continued raining on and off for a few hours.  No complaints!

I have to go back there very soon because Al wasn't as interested as I in the information and it will change from month to month anyway.  I wonder what, if anything, they will plant over the winter months and I wonder if they will be doing anything with the seeds.
There were plenty of places we didn't see.  There's a winter garden that is new and also  and annual bedding area (which used to be the vegetable garden with the wonderful pumpkin display in the autumn) and we didn't go anywhere near the herbaceous border which is always a treat.
Sadly, the wooden man had disappeared.  I suppose he just rotted away after a while.

I'm glad we made it there eventually.  They've improved things considerably - the cafes are now better organised and there's an education centre as well as plenty of space for exhibitions and so on.  Al and I think we will go back in September when it should be quieter and less crowded.  There were lots of families which did my heart good to see but Al prefers quieter places really.

The new buildings.

Today I'm hoping to go over to Beth's to help her sort some stuff out and we will go food shopping together.   I also have some washing to do which means ironing this evening.  I really don't mind, it keeps my fingers off the food!!

Have a great Saturday, everyone.