Lower Froyle

Today was closed. Farnham, I mean. So no trip to the shops; no Starbucks. Of course I didn’t get a sleep-in. But other than that, I had a total bludge of a day.

We popped over to Lower Froyle to an NGS garden that was open. We’ve been there before but it’s always nice to revisit. I’ve searched through the blog but cannot find another entry for the garden so I assume it was before I started writing!

Anyway, it claims to be three gardens in one which, I suppose it is but only in the way that our garden is about five gardens in one – the work area, the shrub circle, the front garden, the patio area and the other bit where the Wendy House used to be and where the hot bed is now. It makes it out to be massive but we all know it’s not. The same with the NGS garden.

It is ram packed with flowers. Every available spot, excepting a narrow, mower width strip of lawn and a slab path, is just bursting with perennial lushness. Here’s the main part. The hedge at the back separates the next section.

Walbury: NGS garden in Lower Froyle

That’s not to say it wasn’t lovely. It was. And it was the perfect day for it. Sunny, bright and not too hot. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the garden. Even this chap. OK, he doesn’t look too good in the photo but that’s just unfortunate. He actually sounded fine and was having a right old go at the guy pushing.

Visitors to Walbury which is clearly wheelchair friendly

We didn’t stay long, retrieved Sidney and headed back for home, stopping off at the Anchor Inn for a quick pint. This is a great pub that just nestles in farmland and becomes part of it. So much so that we can never find it if we’re not going to Lower Froyle to see an NGS garden. Most mysterious. But a lovely pub.

The only thing about the Anchor Inn is the fact that it seems to be at the meeting point of thousands of electricity pylons. As you can see from the pub sign, there are lots of wires in the sky at Lower Froyle. Given that most electricity in this country is below the ground, this is quite unusual.

Pub sign for the Anchor Inn, Lower Froyle

We sat outside and soaked up the atmosphere before heading home the long way. We decided to annoy Linda by making her recalculate constantly. Mirinda also wanted to look at the lovely (very) English countryside between Froyle and Farnham. And it looked fantastic today.

It certainly didn’t disappoint. Acres of bright yellow rape, deep green hedges running over hills, small country lanes awash with wildlife – Mirinda nearly ran over a pheasant by pressing the accelerator rather than the brake. And finally, home where two crazy poodles demanded a walk.

We took them up to the castle then back along the Queen’s Bottom. The afternoon/early evening was delightful. A few others were still enjoying the park as we walked through. It was idyllic. And then, to cap things off perfectly, I spotted this magnificent fungus!

Very big, very odd fungus

There’s nothing to judge the size by but it’s almost the diameter of a dinner plate. Further up the dead tree, there is a group of bracket fungus that looks the same except in the form of a bracket. I’m assuming this is actually bracket fungus but growing like a mushroom…on a dead tree. What a perfect end to a perfect day.