Christmas Traditions….

/ karen

Christmas cannot start for me without a trip to Calke Abbey and a walk round the gardens with a good friend.

This is a tradition we started some years ago and it’s one I look forward to each year. We love the decorations in the walled kitchen gardens. This ‘kissing bough’ caught our attention. Isn’t it beautifully-made with natural materials gathered from the grounds.

The decorations in the auricular theatre are always worth seeking out as they change with the seasons.

Some of the greenhouses are open to view. We had a look in the fern house, which was being cut back and tidied. This one below wasn’t open, but we admired the architecture of the building and imagined it in full production 100 years ago. The walled kitchen garden looked immaculate and all set for the new growing season.

Some cardoons giving winter interest in the walled kitchen garden.

We spotted some rhubarb emerging from the ground. Quite a cheerful sight! There are terracotta rhubarb forcing pots in the gardens which will probably be placed over these plants to encourage an early crop.

Fruit tunnels in the kitchen garden. These are extended in summer and covered in climbing beans and squash.

We moved on to the potting sheds. We’ve seen these hundreds of times before, but never tire of the view. It’s a glimpse back into past-times and an indication of how gardeners lived and worked when Calke Abbey was a family home. We could just imagine the strength needed to pull that enormous roller.

We ponder at the work needed to keep all the boilers lit through the winter. Junior gardeners would be tasked with the job of feeding the fires and there’s one potting shed with a platform bed in the roof where the gardener would sleep as this was a 24-hour task in those days.

We haven’t seen this room before. The door is usually locked.

It’s fascinating to see the extensive boilers used to heat the orangery on the other side of the potting shed wall.

The pony shed with little leather ‘shoes’ for the pony so its hooves didn’t mark the lawn.

A favourite view of the main potting shed window. I could just imagine standing in front of that window, filling terracotta pots with compost.

I would love to dip into those seed drawers and look at the little envelopes contained in there.

The tool shed, and first prize certificates from horticultural shows the gardeners attended. How proud they must have been of their award-winning produce, fruit and flowers.

On the other side of the potting shed is the renovated orangery containing many exotic plants including this white datura known as angels trumpets. It has a fabulous scent, but is very highly poisonous so I won’t grow it now.

A favourite view looking up through the orangery glass dome. A feat of engineering when it was built.

A beautiful abutilon alongside the palms and datura. How lovely to see such exotic flowers in winter.

We love the Christmas tree, and all the shadows from the architectural plants, the palms and agaves.

A walk around the grounds. We couldn’t remember a time when the lake was ever as full as it was today. An indication of the really wet autumn and early winter we’ve had so far. Ice from the lake used to be cut and dragged up the slope to the ice house to our right. In my lifetime, there’s never been a winter when the ice has frozen solid enough to be used like this.

Our favourite route around the field at the back of Calke was closed, probably because of the rain making the ground sodden. I felt sad we couldn’t walk along the skyline down to the house. It’s amazing how we have little rituals like walking along a certain path and taking a certain route. And how upset we feel when we can’t go the usual way past familiar trees.

The skyline walk. Hopefully it will be open next time we visit.

After Calke, we made our annual pilgrimage to Staunton Harold. The trees reflected in the lake looked a picture today. We always have cake and tea in the little cafe in the courtyard.

The statues at the gate are always admired, and look especially fine on a sunny day, set against a blue sky.

The matching pillar on the other side of the entrance gateway.

We bought Christmas gifts, pottery and plants, and had yet more tea. I feel so grateful to have had a sunny day spent in the company of a good friend, and I’m revitalised and ready to face the busy week ahead preparing for Christmas.

Thank you for reading my blog. Have you any traditions you follow in the run up to Christmas? How are your preparations going? Do get in touch and let me know how things are going. Happy Christmas!

22 thoughts on “Christmas Traditions….”

  2. Yes, as our nearest National Trust property it is probably the one we have been to the most, although clearly not as many times as you have! And you have rightly reminded people how much there is still to see in a winter garden. We have not been to Staunton Harold before though, although I am not sure why not!

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    • Ah, Staunton Harold is just a few minutes drive away. We go into the garden centre first and look for all the plants on the ‘dying’ and ‘needing rescuing’ table, scoop up some bargains and then go for tea and cake in the courtyard cafe (highly recommended). The Green Man pottery sells hand-made bird feeders, little ceramic discs on metal stalks and other quirky items (guinea pigs, dragons and cats!) and Angela Harding cards. A walk around the parkland past the lake brings you back to the garden centre – were there’s a cafe for more tea and cake!

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  4. The potting shed and orangerie are fascinating. It would have been a wonderful era to be a gardener back then, when all the exciting new discoveries were making their way back to English gardens. The kissing bough is beautiful!

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  5. Thank you for sharing your special day out with your friend. I remember visiting that property when we lived closer. Your photography and writing however highlighted many of the features. I too love looking round the ‘working’ areas. I wonder whether the ponies with their lawn booties pulled the rollers?

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    • Thank you for reading my blog. Yes, the working areas of gardens always attract me, as I can just imagine how hard they all worked to supply provisions for the family at the big house. I wouldn’t be surprised if the pony pulled the roller, it was enormous! I have a potting shed at home and have often thought it would be lovely to have a little pony in a stable next door. However, I’ve got chickens instead and they do potter in and out and keep me company. Thanks again for reading my blog. Happy Christmas!

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    • We have Polish friends who celebrate on Christmas Eve, and we often join them for their special meal. Good luck with all your preparations. Enjoy your celebrations too. Thank you for reading the blog.

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    • Thank you Anne. We haven’t visited Calke for a whole year, but made a pledge to visit again at Easter as it’s such a special place. Happy Christmas and hope everything goes well for you and your family. Xx

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