JNW’S Halloween Challenge: Graveyards
The Angel
Have a spooktacular time with JNW’s Halloween Challenge! Enjoy!
I Had to Come Back to Sissinghurst!
A Cottage at Sissinghurst Garden, Cranbrook, UK
To me, no garden tour in the UK would be complete without a visit to Sissinghurst, the home and gardens of Vita Sackville-West. I made my way back again this year to make sure they had not changed anything on me!. It is still one of the most beautiful gardens! So without further ado I present another National Trust property that you will never forget! If you are not familiar with Vita Sackville-West, you might want to start with this story, Here.
There are several smaller cottages on the Sissinghurst property, well not so small exactly! I think I could handle living in one of them! There are multiple gardens in addition to the main property.
This is the entrance to the featured gardens. We try to be one of the first there, because it gets crowded very quickly. The entrance is still closed.
Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, UK
When the entrance is opened, that leads to another entry through the Prospect Tower. This photo is looking back at the Main Entry from the garden.
Sissinghurst Garden, Cranbrook, UK
The Back of the Main House, Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, UK
A little secret…….the head gardener leaves free packets of seeds from the Sissinghurst Garden on the narrow ledge in the alcove below the stairs to Vita’s writing retreat. They are gone in the first 15 minutes! Hurry!
The Priests are still guarding and giving their blessing!
Sissinghurst Garden, UK
Remember the Sissinghurst Garden is made up of several outdoor garden rooms all featuring a different color that fades into the next gardening room. My favorite is the White Garden so I always go there first.
The White Garden at Sissinghurst Gardens, Cranbrook, UK
The White Garden at Sissinghurst Gardens, Cranbrook, UK
My absolute favorite are the silvery-grey flowers and leaved plants!
The White Garden at Sissinghurst Gardens, Cranbrook, UK
The White Garden at Sissinghurst Gardens, Cranbrook, UK
The White Garden at Sissinghurst Garden, Cranbrook, UK
Next we go into the garden of lavenders and purple flowers.
The Purple Garden at Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, UK
The Purple Garden at Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, UK
The Purple Garden at Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, UK
The Purple Garden at Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, UK
The Purple Garden at Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, UK
The Purple Garden at Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, UK
The Purple Garden at Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, UK
From there we go into the Pink Gardens………..
The Pink Garden at Sissingurst Garden, Cranbrook, UK
Sweetpeas in the Pink Garden, Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, UK
The Pink Garden, Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, UK
The Pink Garden, Sissinghurst Garden, Cranbrook, UK
For another look at the Garden from last year look HERE!
On the way out I looked over the out buildings again………
Sissinghurst Garden, Cranbrook, UK
And the Old Barn where the gift shop and restaurant is now.
Sissinghurst Garden, Cranbrook, UK
The oasts are still there………so I am happy to say they are taking really good care of the grounds…… To learn about Oasts Look HERE!
Sissinghurst Garden, Cranbrook, UK
To keep up our energy we stopped at the Three Chimney’s Pub nearby….. AGAIN!!!
Yummy!
Yummy!
Another year complete with my Sissinghurst fix…..
PS For a really good read about Vita look HERE! See you tomorrow in the Garden!
October: A Month of Pumpkins; Day 26, And The Winner Is
The Clear Winner is Quebec City, Canada
No question about which is the biggest pumpkin here!
JNW’S Halloween Challenge: Skeleton
Day of the Dead Celebration
Day of the Dead is an interesting holiday celebrated in central and southern Mexico during the chilly days of November 1 & 2. Even though this coincides with the Catholic holiday called All Soul’s & All Saint’s Day, the indigenous people have combined this with their own ancient beliefs of honoring their deceased loved ones.
They believe that the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31, and the spirits of all deceased children are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours. Family members sit vigil in the cemetery throughout the night, so as to welcome the dead children’s spirits the moment they are released from heaven to come home to visit their parents. In graveyards, families clean the graves of their loved ones, and then decorate them with flowers, candles, photos, favorite food and drinks. The family also stays up all night telling funny stories about their dead ancestors. Musicians are hired to stroll through the graveyard playing the favorite songs of the dead. On November 2, the spirits of the adults come down to enjoy the festivities that are prepared for them.
A common symbol of the holiday is the skull, which celebrants represent in masks, and foods; such as sugar or chocolate skulls, which are inscribed with the name of the recipient on the forehead.
Have a spooktacular time with JNW’s Halloween Challenge! Enjoy!
1 Elm Cottage at Windmill Hill
1 Elm Cottage
1 Elm Cottage
Doesn’t 1 Elm Cottage at Windmill Hill just seem like the perfect place to live? It does to me! It just rolls off the tongue,”I live at 1 Elm Cottage at Windmill Hill!” This is our last garden for the day and compared to our previous stops Windmill Hill is a metropolis! What a delight the gardens have been on the Herstmonceux Trail! They have all been very different and 1 Elm Cottage is no exception!
The garden was chosen because this gardener has physical handicaps and she wanted to show what can be done with a little space and ingenuity! She says her long-handled fork is her best friend! What a delight she was, as she welcomed everyone to her lovely garden!
The garden is set at the front of a long row of connected cottages on a very, very busy street. Her cottage sets back from the others, but is still a connected cottage and I wondered if at one time this might have been a business with a parking lot. It was unusual too, because I don’t remember seeing a garden in the front of the cottage. Most of the gardens are in the back. She said the front space was a wasteland when she took it over. It now is a stunning garden packed full of edible and flowering plants and a critter or two that I really liked! So let’s get a move on and tour this garden!
The Windmill in Windmill Hill
There really is a windmill at Windmill Hill!
1 Elm Cottage
1 Elm Cottage
She collects rainwater to recycle……
1 Elm Cottage
And has water for these little guys….. even though they don’t ever move!
1 Elm Cottage
1 Elm Cottage
1 Elm Cottage
This garden seems larger than it is because it’s layered with plantings and seating areas in different heights.
1 Elm Cottage
1 Elm Cottage
I LOVED these fellas, they don’t move either, but you had to look close to see that!
1 Elm Cottage
1 Elm Cottage
1 Elm Cottage
This tiny garden had three sitting areas!
And a greenhouse!
1 Elm Cottage
A lovely garden girl……..
1 Elm Cottage
And lots of watering cans!
1 Elm Cottage
The Gardener at 1 Elm Cottage!
I hope you enjoyed this garden as much as we did! Tomorrow, it’s Sissinghurst, AGAIN this year!!!! It is one of my favorite gardens! See You There!
October: A Month of Pumpkin; Day 25, Pumpkins in the Park
Pumpkins in the Park, Quebec City, Canada
OK, Let’s get a head count here! I say two hundred and fifty pumpkins easily! The pumpkins go on and on!
JNW’s Halloween Challenge: Scary
Ingredients
- 8 cups milk
- 1 cup mint chocolate chips
- 1 cup instant hot cocoa mix
- 16 large marshmallows
- 16 Black candies
Directions
- In a large saucepan, combine 1 cup milk, chocolate chips and cocoa mix. Cook and stir over low heat until chips are melted. Stir in remaining milk; heat through.
- Meanwhile, cut a slit in top of each marshmallow; insert a candy.
- Pour hot cocoa into mugs or cups; place two prepared marshmallows in each cup. Serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings.
If mint chocolate chips are not available, place 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips and 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract in a plastic bag; seal and toss to coat. Allow chips to stand for 24-48 hours.
Have a spooktacular time with JNW’s Halloween Challenge! Enjoy!
October: A Month of Pumpkins; Day 24, The Pumpkins on a Quilt
The Pumpkins on a Quilt
More ladder back chairs and a great pumpkin display! Look what you can do with an old worn out quilt! If there are holes in the quilt just cover them with the display!
JNW’S Halloween Challenge: Gate
Kissing Gate
This is my favorite type of gate, a kissing gate. But, it actually has nothing to do with kissing! The name is suggested because it “kisses” (touches) the enclosure on either side, rather than needing to be securely latched. It does not allow animals to pass through, because as you enter the gate you must swing it back in order to pass to the other side of the gate. You see these gates in old church yards.
Have a spooktacular time with JNW’s Halloween Challenge! Enjoy!
More of the Montana Garden
The Montana Garden
The Montana Garden
We are still absorbing the Montana Garden; the garden chock full of hidden and secret places, all with a different theme.
The Montana Garden
Towards the back of the property is a small setting of unusual trees and an arbor that draws you to that area to have a look see. There were quite a few guests photographing the palm on the right!
The Montana Garden
Notice all the twirling and enchanting features in the trees? Look up, look down, look everywhere! However, my eye was focused on this tree! I loved it! I could just sit on that bench and talk to that tree!
The Montana Garden
This secret garden is covered in shade and filled with many types of ferns. A garden oasis of lush!
The Montana Garden
The Montana Garden
The Montana Garden
The Montana Garden
I felt I was on Survivor, looking for the Immunity Idol! Ah! There it is! Now, if I can hide it before anyone sees me!
The Montana Garden
This arbor provides a very peaceful and restful area in the Serenity Garden.
The Montana Garden
And here is another!
The Montana Garden
Every garden could use a Pooh Shed too!
The Pooh Shed at Montana House
The Montana Garden
And a reading area that can be moved around!
The Montana Garden
This piece was an attention getter too!
The Montana Garden
Another tree to talk too! My daughter always called them the crying trees. You know the weeping willow?
The Montana Garden
The Montana Garden
The Montana Garden
The Montana Garden
With one last look at the garden we’ll say our goodbyes to the gardeners, since we have one more stop in another garden before the day is over. We’re headed for Windmill Hill next! See you there!
The Travel Lady In Her Shoes 