A glance at the Challis calendar for October, shows a rare window of opportunity in which to carry out much-needed redecoration in the Main House Exhibition Rooms. Therefore, the House is currently closed to visitors.
However – please keep a look out for our new exhibition to be presented later this year. More details next month.
Our main Garden happening at the end of October, is Spooky Saturday. This ever – popular children’s event, takes place on Saturday 31st October from 10.00am to 12noon. Spooky costumes (for young and old) are encouraged!
It will be an action-packed two hours with everything from Spooky Trails through the ‘woods’ to Crafts in the Long Barn, Face Painting and Pumpkin Carving on offer. MC Teas will be catering with lots of spooky treats to enjoy and Andy’s Soup Kitchen will be serving the yummiest of homemade soups, mostly created using Andy’s home-grown vegetables.
This is a free event though there will be donation boxes around to help cover the costs. Let’s hope this wonderful, if unseasonable weather stays with us and we will all enjoy a bright sunny morning on the 31st.
Rosie Phillips
October Garden Highlights:
Despite above average temperatures currently, the nights are drawing in and there’s a noticeable crispness in the air some mornings – clear signs that autumn has arrived. Our summer-visitor birds have all departed south and hedgerows everywhere are gradually showing hues of amber and rust. In the Garden, leaves are starting to fall, we will be very busy in the coming weeks collecting them up to make leaf mould for next year. There’s a heavy crop of conkers, hazelnuts and walnuts this year – very popular with our younger visitors!
The main summer flower displays are mostly over now, but other perennials take their place, most notably asters, dahlias, penstemons and gauras. Elsewhere, nerines, cyclamens and autumn crocuses brighten up shady patches.
We will be making a start this autumn to implement practices that help mitigate the effects of climate change. One of our perennial beds will be replanted as a dry garden with climate-resilient plants. In the vegetable area, we plan to introduce ‘no dig’ and Hügelkultur plots, to examine the benefits of these systems. We feel very strongly that gardening practices must change to cope with the much drier and hotter weather we are now experiencing. We hope you will follow our progress with interest.
Mike Redshaw