Many of Kingston Lacy’s trees are old and large. This unfortunately means they sometimes get damaged by high winds. Tree stumps are home to a huge array of plants, insects and fungi, so as long as they are safe, are left to decay naturally. I didn’t want to use more brown in this colourway so I took inspiration from the shadowy greens of the ivy and plant life on and around the tree stump.
Just off the path away from the house there is a small area called the Fernery. It’s a shady spot which in the spring is carpeted with snowdrops. Amongst the stone walls and ferns there is this small pond with a cheerful bubbling fountain. The vibrant green of the duckweed was the perfect inspiration for a colourway.
Part of the Kingston Lacy gardens are Japanese themed. There is a large area with lots of bamboo. This area is also a designated silent area, letting people enjoy the sounds of nature without interruptions from modern technology or loud conversations. It’s a lovely peaceful area to wander through to relax.
There are trees of all shapes and sizes at Kingston Lacy. There is a Japanese area full of acers and you can imagine just how pretty it looks in the autumn. Rather than take inspiration from one area in particular, I photographed a selection of trees and based the colourway off of that.
First, an apology for the spelling mistake on the label for today. I only noticed when it was far too late! The greenhouses in the kitchen garden at Kingston Lacy were, and still are, used for propagating a large number of plants. As you would expect, I’ve taken a lot of inspiration for the colourways in the calendar from the various plants and flowers in the extensive gardens. I needed more neutral colours, so I started looking in more unusual… Read More »Kingston Lacy Advent Day 5: Propagation
You may remember if you read yesterday’s post that Kingston Lacy House was originally built from red brick which was covered over in the 1800s. The stable block, which is where the National Trust café is now located, remains in the original red brick.
While the original house at Kingston Lacy was built from red Brick, during it’s refurbishment in the early 1800s it was faced with local Chilmark stone. The chimneys at the corners were also added at this time.
The Kingston Lacy estate has a large kitchen garden which used to grow the produce to feed the residents of the house. It’s still used to grow various fruits and vegetables which is available for visitors to purchase. These bright and cheerful marigolds are grown alongside the pumpkins and squashes to naturally deter pests. They add a gorgeous lively colour to the garden too.
Tulips are one of my favourite flowers, and I found these during the initial walk around Kingston Lacy that inspired the Advent calendar. They were part of a display just to the side of the house by the formal lawns that changes throughout the year. The pinks and yellows are cheerful and happy, and while the Bluefaced Leicester yarn displays a more accurate portrayal of the colour of the tulips, I still think the darker and more vibrant colour that… Read More »Kingston Lacy Advent Day 1 (1): Spring Tulips
It’s nearly time to begin opening the Kingston Lacy Gardens Yarn Advent Calendars. Here’s a brief introduction to the estate, which you’ll learn more about over the next 24 days. (Note: If you have a 12 day calendar, look out for your days in brackets in the title). The inspiration for this year’s Advent calendar came to me while walking through the gardens of my local National Trust property, Kingston Lacy. Usually during spring, Christmas is far from people’s minds,… Read More »Kingston Lacy Gardens Yarn Advent Calendar – Introduction