Hi All,

I just wanted to give some feedback on a most surprising day I have
had at Blagdon Hall in Northumberland.

I went with the purpose of possibly getting something different for
the garden, after all isnt that what NCCPG do.

I arrived after a little struggle to find the place. The property is
huge but it's not that easy to find the entrance (maybe I'm just not
as good with a map as I used to be).

I havn't been to Blagdon Hall before, but after having spent much of
this year at nearby Wallington and Belsay I must say what a surprise
Blagdon turned out to be. I regret not making the trip earlier in the
year when some more flowers would have been seen. I enjoyed the walk
throught the woods to the large if somewhat overgrown kitchen garden,
turned left and carried on up the lime walk to the front of the house
with a what must have been an almost quater mile formal lake and
statues (for house read very large country mansion which if down south
would be a natioanal tourist attraction.) I was very impressed to note
the name plaques next to tree which had been planted over the years,
the queen, phillip, ann and margret to name a few.

There were a great selection of traders there selling a massive range
which left you spolit for choice. I quickly identified stwo stunning
Clematis Ladakhiana (very nice Tangutica type species from Kashmir) at
the Pennine Perenial stand and bought them both for only £4 what a
bargain. Beamish Clematis were also there with his usual high quality
plants but I didnt see anyhting for me (how can you tell I'm a
clematis fan).

Coffe and cakes for a £1 also whent down well (is it just me or are
garden centres getting very expensive for food and drink?).

A special note of mention to the very nice people of Greenscene Garden
Shop, a local company almost insite of the house, offering some nice
plants and FREE gardening magazine...nice. I am a simple man but free
things really do it for me.

Well I plan to go back in October for the Red Cross open day and take
the familly.

I left along the main drive avoiding the oncoming heard of cows and
back home.

Hope you all dont mind the long post, its just I think its always
worth shouting about something more than just plants like you get in
B&Q and the normal run of the mill garden centres.

Chris













Blagdon Hall, Hexham, Northumberland, NCCPG Autum