High Teas and Fast Cars!

Another lovely weather week in the garden but I think we really could do with some rain now as it is a bit hard under web at the moment and digging for worms is just a bit too much like hard work - not that we do much of this when there are so many people anxious to feed us corn - well you have to help them out don't you!

Talking of food we saw some wonderfully colourful jellies, cakes  and platters of sandwiches and other delicacies being taken down the garden yesterday afternoon.  The garden marquee had gone up in the week and was decorated with bunting and balloons all to celebrate Lynne Watson's "big" birthday.  She had a lot of company and they were very chilled out eating their high tea in the gardens.

Today was my favourite day though - on the bottom lawn of the gardens next to the ponds we had 17 very special cars - most of them were Austin Healey make and pretty old to my untrained beady eye. The car club had a 'drive out' and stayed with us most of the day which included a full Sunday Roast Lunch in the restaurant.

Guide dogs in the garden

It has been an interesting week around the ponds, lots of work going on with the mini-digger again and listening to the conversations it would appear that we ducks are the cause....... The digger has been rebuilding the sides of the ponds and back filling all of our lovely inlets with soil, then a new willow layer fence/hedge was constructed by painstakingly weaving a complete side of the pond and including a very nice duck 'portal' in it, we are just waiting for the ramp to be installed into the pond now - we have all used it already!  The fence line should become a hedge in the fullness of time as the willow has been planted into the soil.

This weekend we have also see some activity from many dogs - the Guide Dog for the Blind fundraising event was held today (Sunday) and lots of dogs all came along for a sponsored long walk. Everyone in the Centre is hoping that we have now reached a collective £5K target raised for the charity as this will mean that the Centre can name a guide dog pup, we shall see soon what was raised.  There have been lots of suggestions already.

A lively bunch waiting for their walk.

 The two horses in the field have found the dog event very interesting - but then this is the first one they have seen,  they spent most of the day leaning over the fence watching.  We hear that next week they will be in for some company in the field as the cows will be back for the summer.  

Dogs, Trees and Blowy Dresses!

At the start of the week we had a new tree "installed" into our gardens.  This one is the work of Artist Steve Webb and is our new "Memory Tree".    Over the years we have had such a lot of visitors who have loved the gardens, the views and us ducks that we get requests for benches to be installed or trees planted, so much so that the memory tree idea was born to help!

The plan is that leaves will be made by glass blower Stuart Fletcher and his team at Topglass and the they can be engraved with a personal message as a memory to install onto the tree.  There will be more details on our website in about 2 weeks time.  In the meanwhile here is our Maintenance Manager Mick and Artist Steve installing the tree.

New Memory Tree 

It has been a fantastic week weather-wise and we are delighted to see so many children outside in the gardens visiting us with their parents and grandparents.  Dayel, the gardener, was also out this week with the mower - first time this year but we have been telling him for a week now that the grass was getting a bit long for us!  It was also the first time this year that Wagon House Plant/Shrub man Karl Strawbridge got hie legs out - they definitely need a bit of colour!  He had a good start to the season too with many people now thinking about their own gardens - he has lots of new plants in stock.

White legs -- sunglasses needed!

Look who came to tea in the week .... This is guide dog puppy Dixie - she is only 7 weeks old and can only come out if she is carried until she has had her jabs.  The guide dog trainers leike them to get out and about early though as it starts them off getting used to people.  She was in a great position to check out the cakes - she wont be doing that when she is older.  Jessica who is carrying her will also find her muscles tone up as she grows too!  Dixie will be too young to participate in the forthcoming DogsUnite sponsored walk for the Guide Dog Association but Jessica and her Mum are coming along with their other guide dog trainee.

We welcome dogs in the gardens and as long as they don't get free and chase us, are happy to see them.  One of the regular dogs who visits is Connie - another Guide Dog, She was specially chosen to be a brood bitch and we have just heard that she has had a litter of 6 pups.  We hope to see them soon,

Connie and 6 pups - exhausting work!

And finally -- after the great weather all week it got a bit windy this weekend which was a shame as Sophie Wynne Owen the Centre's new Bridal Couture artist was doing a fashion shoot of her works - in the gardens and around the Centre.  Everyone got a bit blown about but I think they will have some great pictures!

Pottering about

This weekend we have had some very different pots here for ervyone to see (and buy).

The exhibition is by the Midlands Potters Association.

Here are Barry Lockwood and Christine Curnow with their work

There are some unique and beautiful pieces of art, some functional and some just beautiful to look at.
All work is for sale and there is one more day to go of the exhibition.

Out in the gardens the weather was so nice and warm today that we decided to take it easy and have a bit of a snooze whilst admiring the daffodils - they really cheer up the gardens!