Killerton House- 24 February 2013

[David Nicholson]

Dire brass monkey weather here today with occasional flurries of very light snow but rather than stay in we decided to make our first visit of the year to Killerton.

We got there around 1300 so first to the tea shop! Maureen had a cheese scone and I was very much taken with the vision of a hot sausage sandwich. Salivation was on-going but the vision was somewhat spoiled when it was served in a granary bap (you can't have a sausage sarni in a granary bap-that's for Veggies!) and worse still it was accompanied by mixed leaves and red beans (and that's most certainly for Veggies!). Maureen said I showed her up asking for brown sauce

But, to the garden. Plenty of Snowdrops around but no idea what they were; Daffs just beginning,; Crocuses in swathes; early Rhodies and' as usual the Cyclamen coum in the Church Yard were knock-out.

Snowdrops
Daffs
Crocuses
Primula vulgaris

[David Nicholson]

Some more:-

Iris unguicularis
Some early Rhododendrons just out but many more to come of course

[David Nicholson]

Killerton does "swathes" very well indeed and here are three examples:-

[David Nicholson]

In the Church yard there are two adjacent oak trees underplanted with Cyclamen coum. What a sight, and the regulars will know that every year I post a picture of them:- So here goes,

[Maggi Young]

In spite of the cold weather I am inclined to think that spring must be somewhere close with all those typical spring blossoms you show. I really do covet those swathes of cyclamen. I know it's wrong- but there is no getting away from it- I covet those cyclamen!

[ArnoldT]

David:

OK, I'll bite.

Dire brass monkey weather

What is it.

[Michael J Campbell]

Can't print an explanation here but follow this link   http://forum.zefrank.com/discussion/287/interesting-facts/p1

[brianw]

Or this
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/cold%20enough%20to%20freeze%20the%20balls%20off%20a%20brass%20monkey.html

[David Nicholson]

  Cyclamen were nice weren't they!

[Hoy]

David:

OK, I'll bite.

Dire brass monkey weather

What is it.

It's the kind of weather we have now. Sunny but cold and evergreens suffer badly.

Cyclamen were nice weren't they!

Yes, and not only the cyclamen but all the nice spring flowers! Make me feel both envious, fearful and hopeful

[Lvandelft]

Plenty of Snowdrops around but no idea what they were

Hard to tell when no colour description is given  

Lovely Cyclamen David!

[David Nicholson]

Hard to tell when no colour description is given  

They were white Luit

[TC]

David
It was interesting to see this post as I was looking out some slides taken 30 years ago in the same garden - Summer,not Winter !

I can see from the flowering that you are at least 3 weeks ahead of us up here. Mount Edgcumbe should be ablaze with the camellia collection in full bloom.
 I had hoped to travel to my sisters in Plymouth and visit some of the gardens in Cornwall.    However the thought of a 520 mile drive down the M6/M5 and then the drag by Exeter is rather off putting !

[Maggi Young]

I had hoped to travel to my sisters in Plymouth and visit some of the gardens in Cornwall.    However the thought of a 520 mile drive down the M6/M5 and then the drag by Exeter is rather off putting !

What about a train down to Exeter and hire a car down there

[TC]

 
Have you seen the train fares !!  It's much cheaper flying.  My sister flies up to Glasgow on her visits here. However, our passports have expired and I believe that this is a prerequisite before you can board a plane, or it was the last time we flew Ryanair. I don't know if I could hire a car due to my age and physical disability.  There would probably be a loading on the insurance.
It's just a matter of overcoming inertia, getting in the car and going.  When we went down 4 years ago, I did the journey in under 9 hours.
As Cindy cannot drive, the burden falls on me.  The trouble with long distance driving is that you cannot predict the time of the journey.
My son lives in Stafford, this should take about 5 hours but only once have we managed to get there without huge delays on the M6 south of the Thelwall viaduct.  We have given up on this part of the motorway and head to Nantwich and Bridgemere Garden centre -(an excuse ? )-and then to Stafford.  Getting past Birmingham can be a nightmare.  It once took me 5 hours from the Hilton park service area to the  M42.
This is starting to sound like a motoring magazine forum, so I will shut up and head for bed.