Red at Anfield, of course

Now a football ground might not be the place you’d expect to find flower beds and planting, but that’s exactly what we did find in the approach to the Hillsborough memorial in the grounds of Anfield. I remember watching the tragedy as it unfurled at the time, and no doubt we’re all aware of the fight for justice, which still continues, that the families are facing.

I’d expected the memorial to be moving, and it was. What I wasn’t expecting to find was flowers, red of course, on the approach to the memorial. The crocosmias added to the poignancy I think and I suspect they’re ‘Red King’ rather than the more usual Lucifer variety.

Either way, they were in flower and looked great and somehow added to the tribute and helped set the mood for the space.

Love this #85 Superlambananas

Now, before our weekend in Liverpool Superlambananas wasn’t even in my vocabulary. I mean, it’s not a usual kind of word, is it? But it’s a fun one to say (it’s said as you think it would be) and add a Scouse accent to that and it’s an absolutely fantastic word, especially when said with a straight face.

But anyway, these were all over the city and were part of the city’s celebration when Liverpool was the European Capital of Culture in 2008. They are, as you’d imagine, a cross between a lamb and a banana and the largest of them stands at 5.2 metres tall, and was designed by New York City-based Japanese artist Taro Chiezo.

We saw the giant yellow Superlambanana while on the open topped bus ride to Anfield. The city are proud of these sculptures and rightly so, and like so many of these sculpture trails they bring a fun element to the area with their designs and requirement to be photographed, and as you can see from the rest of this post, I joined that club too.

THE LARGEST - BICYCLE LEFT IN FOR SCALE

OUR FIRST: ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN SUPERLAMBANANA

THE FIRST OF THE FOUR SUPERLAMBANANAS OUTSIDE THE MUSEUM OF LIVERPOOL

What do you think, are you a Superlambanana fan - or convert? And have you followed the trail?

The Dutch Garden and Orangery at Hestercombe

We visited Hestercombe Gardens in Somerset earlier in the year, much earlier in the year, which explains the grey skies in some of these photos. In fact later on the day of our visit it snowed, and we ended up cutting short our weekend, which we learnt this past weekend was a good call as the Devon village where we were staying was cut off for three days. Or perhaps, we didn’t make the right call after all, depends on your viewpoint I guess…

This shot of the ornate garden was taken on the Dutch Garden side looking through to the Mill Pond, and it’s a hint at the formality and grandeur of the Dutch Garden.

Turning around, you can see the more formal planting, along with those grey snow-laden skies I mentioned before.

As you can see the planting had yet to spring into life, the pots would be full of tulips in the weeks to come, but not for our March visit. It’s at this time of year though that you can more easily see a garden’s structure, and I always think if it looks good without the plants, then it can only look better when they’re in flower.

We’ll have to go back again when there’s more in the garden, as I’m sure it will have a completely different feel. It’s a good garden to visit, so it won’t be any hardship, and you know how much I’m a fan of independent gardens as well as those of the RHS and National Trust.

We knew from the garden map that there was an Edwin Lutyens Orangery near to the Dutch Garden and looking to our right we quickly spotted it looking majestic a few steps away.

As with many of these gardens we visit, even the pathways have added interest and we discovered this to be the case as we walked past the in bud magnolia to see more of the Orangery.

And stepping inside was everything I expected an Orangery to be, and quite an elegant space.

With citrus fruits too, although they had a way to go before picking I’m sure.

The exterior uses Somerset’s yellow hamstone which even on the greyest of day has a great colour. Looking at the Hestercombe site, it’s available to hire for weddings, which seems a great use for the space, now I’m thinking I need to be a wedding guest there, but on a sunny day please!