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Melbourne Hall and Gardens are open every afternoo

Melbourne Hall and Gardens are open every afternoon throughout August, except the first three Mondays. The Hall opens at 2 pm and we operate guided tours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays with the first tour leaving the front entrance (Billiard Room )at 2.15pm followed by tours every half hour until the last tour at 4.15pm. Admission tickets can purchased from the Hall entrance on the day of your visit or online up to the day before at our website where prices and availability can be seen.
Visitors get a chance to walk through the seven ground floor rooms, hearing about the family history and following in the footsteps of the fascinating characters who have lived there. As you journey through times, surrounded by a wealth of treasures both ancient and modern, it is clear that, from it’s historic roots up to the present day, Melbourne Hall is a much loved family home. 🤎
On Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and August Bank Holiday Monday there are no guided tours in the Hall, but guides on duty in the ground floor rooms are happy to answer questions and explain about the items on show. On these days the Hall is open from 2pm until last entry 4.15pm, so you can take a leisurely wander through the family rooms in your own time.
Whenever the Hall is open in August, the fabulous Melbourne Hall Garden is also available to visit between 1pm and 5pm. Tickets prices and all details can be found on our website throughout the month or by telephoning 01332 862502 Mon-Fri.
The first day that the Hall will be open this year is Tuesday August 2nd, make a note. Don’t miss your chance to visit Melbourne Hall and Garden, the jewel in South Derbyshire’s crown.
Thanks to our Head Tour Guide Mrs Gill Weston for the above information. Photographs © @andreajonesgardenphotography
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#melbourne #historichouse #historichomes #historicbuildings #historichall #gardens #kerr #interior #statelyhome #dayout #derbyshire #dayout #fabrics #furnituredesign #history #england #wherecanwego #luxurious #exquisite #blue #open #visitengland #englishhistory #englishhistorichouses

Here in the Kitchen Garden is a Red Admiral (Vanes

Here in the Kitchen Garden is a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) feeding on a large patch of pink-flowering Origanum vulgare (oregano, wild marjoram).
It's familiar, distinctive and common medium to large sized butterfly found throughout the British Isles. Characteristically, it's black winged with white spots and orange bands. Red Admirals migrate each year from around the mediterranean although it is thought some may now overwinter in the southern counties of England with the effects of climate change.
With grateful thanks to Nicola Lowe for the video 👏
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#butterfly #herb #wildlife #climatechange #garden #potager #kitchengarden #summer #nature #summerdays #feeding

On the main lawns the Indian Bean Trees (Catalpa b

On the main lawns the Indian Bean Trees (Catalpa bignonioides) are in flower. With heavenly scent !
They are in fact somewhat misnamed, as they originate from the Eastern United States and don't grow beans!
The name refers to a native American tribe who lived near where the tree was first described. The tribe were called the ‘Catawba’, but this was mistakenly recorded as Catalpa by a European botanist.
Catalpa bignonioides is a native tree of the south-eastern United States: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. They are deciduous trees with a spreading habit, broad-ovate leaves to 25cm in length and panicles of white bell-shaped flowers in late summer.
Flowering is followed by slender bean-like pods, which are very slim seed capsules. They are almost perfectly cylindrical and can grow up to 16 inches in length. When the pods get hot in late summer, you can hear them popping before falling from the tree and spilling their seed.
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#gardenphotography © @andreajonesgardenphotography 📷
#tree #trees #flowers #dendrology #scented #treephotography #gardens #gardensopen #gardensopenthisweekend #historicgardens #historichouse #treetrail #catalpa #indianbeantree #catalpabignonioides #treelovers
#lawns #july #summer

July colour in the gardens. A look over the millst

July colour in the gardens. A look over the millstream to the Paulownia and Long Border, photographed this time last year. Framed and protected by the wonderful wobbly yew hedges, the borders are full of colour co ordinated perennials, trees and shrubs. At almost any time of year the little tree shown on the left offers great colour and form. It is Acer palmatum 'Sango kaku' (Japanese maple 'Sango kaku'). In Winter it's coral-red young branches are revealed while in Spring it bears 5-lobed leaves which open pinkish-yellow, becoming green in Summer and yellow in Autumn. Definitely a tree for all seasons. 🍁
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#gardens #borders #july #colour #roses #cornuscontroversavariegata #bluesky #summer #summerdays #gardeninspiration #gardendaysout #gardenvisit #yewhedges #tree #allseasons #maple #japanese #japanesemaple #tree #roses #trees #shrubs #rhs #tourism #touristattraction #derbyshire #dendrology
#gardenphotography @andreajonesgardenphotography

It should be no surprise that a flower named after

It should be no surprise that a flower named after Princess Diana should be especially beautiful.
Growing at the back of our Wide Border is Clematis texensis 'Princess Diana'. It has single, tulip-shaped luminous reddish-pink flowers growing approximately up to 6cm in length which are brighter pink at the margins with cream & maroon stamens. It looks good right now and should flower until early autumn.
This stunning cultivar was created by hybridizing Clematis texensis with the cultivar Clematis 'Bees Jubilee'. It was created by one of Britain's leading clematis growers and hybridisers, Barry Fretwell, who introduced it in 1984. The Royal Horticultural Society awarded this cultivar with a prestigious Award of Garden Merit in 2002. 🏆
During his career Barry Fretwell possibly raised more new quality hybrids than any other breeder since the early 1900's!
Originally from Derbyshire, Barry & Pat moved to Devon in 1977 and opened a nursery. Barry subsequently spent nearly 40 years bringing rare clematis species back from the brink and creating new cultivars.
As their collection expanded they moved to Christow where a 4.5 acre stretch of land had lain derelict for many years. From this they created a beautiful garden. Dozens of different size and colour clematis grew up and through trellises and stood like bushes in the flowerbeds. Beyond the garden polytunnels once stocked thousands of clematis plants in varying stages of development.
A keen gardener since the age of nine, Barry worked for his uncle and later became an apprentice gardener for a stately home in Derbyshire where he would help to grow vegetables & flowers for the house. Barry’s clematis have since, over the years, adorned the gardens of aristocracy, film actors and opera singers.
Many of the new cultivars were named after such famous people but always after having sought their permission.
With thanks to various sources including 'A Great British Life' and to Nicola Lowe for the super photograph. 📷
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#princessdiana #red #plantlover #plantbreeder
#clematis #plants #flowers #redflower #derbyshire #melbourne #royal #royalty #dianaprincessofwales #flower #beautiful #pretty #horticulture #garden

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