Tree protection

The last time that I checked on these works at The Navigator's House in River Lane these gates were open and the tree was unprotected. I do not recall seeing protection like that before and I am sure that it is there for good reasons, better safe than sorry!

Another view of The Manor House

I posted a view earlier of the works at The Manor House in Petersham looking from Montrose House and this is the view from River Lane. I suspect that the house will look much the same as it did before once all the work is finished but in the meantime it looks good covered in scaffolding.

Works at The Navigator's House

Something is happening to The Navigator's House in River Lane, next to the footpath to the sea scouts and beyond. The obvious guess would be a garage though that is not quite what it looks like.

Previously there was an interesting building there (which I failed to photograph due to never finding the gate open). This had two storeys with the upper level looking like a shed being constructed out of wood and with a window.

The Manor House in Petersham

The Manor House sits on a prominent position on Tommy Steele Corner (I still call it that) and the only way to appreciate it properly is to cross the busy road to stand by the main entrance to Montrose House.

It looks as though the work being gone is just minor maintenance but I will cross the road against once it is finished to see the end result.

Two signs

The signs at the entrance to this footpath off River Lane have changed and been added to over recent years and, somehow, I had missed posting the one to Rosebank before.

To Petersham Nurseries

This wall at the entrance to the narrow path leading east of River Lane has two more signs lower down pointing the way to Richmond and Ham which makes it easy to overlook this one.

Glass sign

Distinctive houses deserve a distinctive sign and the modern houses in Riven Lane have certainly got one.

Works at Glen Cottage

It is over ten years since I last wrote about works at Glen Cottage in River Lane and while I have no idea what the current works are I do like to flag that they are in progress and to appreciate the industrial clutter that they bring.

Petersham Meadows

I walk across Petersham Meadows several times a week going to/from Richmond and I do not find it a particularly interesting place, even when the cows are in it, so I am not sure what it has done to deserve such a pretty sign.

Flooding in Petersham Lodge Woods

Petersham Lodge Woods often floods though I have not often seen it as flooded as this. Previous flooding had mostly been on the west side of the central path but this time the flooding was throughout the woods and the central path was impassable.

This is the view looking across the woods from River Lane. It was taken from the pavement and shows how far the waters had spread. It also shows how few trees there are in that quadrant of the woods.

Petersham Lodge in Petersham Open Gardens 2014

Petersham Lodge is probably the garden that most people wanted to see in Petersham Open Gardens 2014 and I spent quite a bit of time there even though I had seen it several times before.

Of course the lake was the main feature and I have always loved it and the little bridge that crosses one corner of it.

The most popular view though is this one back towards the house.

The duck houses were new to me this year and I thought that they were very pretty. I also liked the way that they were painted in the same colour as the bridge.

Other work had been done around the lake. In particular the area where the water tickles in to the lake had matured nicely to hide the man-made elements.

After the lake, my favourite parts of the garden are the wildernesses that separate the formal parts of the garden. Smaller paths sneak through these areas and even in  garden full of people it is easy to hide.

Perhaps it was the time of year that the garden was open or perhaps the mild Winter brought the flowers out early but there were only a few patches of colour and the borders next to the house were not as exciting as in previous years.

The neatly clipped hedge had fared better and the little formal garden to the side of the house looked good in the bright sun.

My final picture in this selection from the many that I took is of another part of the wilderness. This time it was at the north end of the garden where the vegetables were. Again a semi-hidden object adds a further touch of interest.

It was a shame that the flowers did not play their full part on the day but there was still so much to see and enjoy at Petersham Lodge.

Rutland Cottage in Petersham Open Gardens 2014

A lot of Ham and Petersham is hidden behind high brick walls so it is nice to have an excuse to spy behind them.

I had walked past the wall on River Lane, near to the footpath towards the nursery and church, but had no idea what lay behind it. I was pleasantly surprised.

It was only a little garden but a lot can be done in little gardens, as this one shows. I must confess to some prejudice here as the theme of the garden was brick circles of differing heights, which is the theme of my own garden.

The owner explained that this sun-trap garden had been a swimming pool when they moved in and they definitely made the right choice in changing it.

The Glasshouse in Petersham Open Gardens 2014

The Glasshouse is always a personal highlight of Petersham Open Gardens and this year the geometric design was helped by the good sunlight emphasising the shapes.

The bad news was that the fame of the garden and the good weather had combined to bring out the crowds and as the lawn was off limits that meant that we were all squeezed on to the path.

The compensation was that with no people on it the lawn could be photographed at any time and from any angle. I just had to make sure that nobody in bright clothes was lurking in the background.

I spent a lot of time in this garden and sat for a while on one of the benches where I could look along the lawn to the garden room. Despite the number of the people milling around the garden there was a peaceful and restful atmosphere to enjoy.

Flooding in Petersham Lodge Woods

These will be my last pictures of the floods for a while, unless something else dramatic happens to the weather. This is one of the main ways in to Petersham Lodge Woods and the line of water follows the route from the towpath to the little gate in to the garden at Petersham Lodge, which you can just about see if you look at the picture at full size.

This is the view from River Lane next to the other main entrance and this is no good either as that entire corner is flooded.

Inside the Glasshouse

I had been in to the garden at the Glasshouse in River Lane a few times but it was not until Open House London 2013 that I was able to get inside.Not that there were many surprises as the walls facing the garden are almost all glass so a lot of the house is visible from the outside.

The long side of the house has a kitchen area (shown here) and a separate dining area of a similar size that form one large room.

In the corner of the almost L-shaped house is a wide corridor that leads from the kitchen/dining area to the sitting room. It also contains the staircase to the upper level.

The sitting room has the garden on two sides so is very light and has great views. The garden is bounded by a high wall so it is very private, expect when visitors are in the garden.

Above the corridor is a reading area that cannot be seen from the garden so it was nice to be able to go inside the house to discover it.

There are some bedrooms and bathrooms above the kitchen/dining area but these are not very interesting rooms and they were not all open to visitors. The one that was is spacious but it is just a room with a bed in it and I cannot get too excited by that.

Improvements at Glen Cottage

About a year ago I commented that Glen Cottage was looking tired and now I am pleased to say that it is starting to look better. The porch roof has been replaced and the front wall has been prepared for a fresh coat of paint.

Clearing the woods

I was walking along the towpath towards Richmond thinking to myself that Petersham Lodge Woods, like the other local nature reserves managed by Richmond Council, never shows any signs of being managed only to find that a large area of it has been cleared to make way for a short brick tower.

This is the corner of the woods bounded by Petersham Lodge and River Lane. It is the least woody part of the woods so the clearance has done no lasting damage. It's probably an improvement over the nettles and brambles that were there before.

The strip of mud suggests that most of the work has been underground and any construction below means no trees above. Even so, I am sure that there is space to plant a few more and I would like to see the Council do this. It is meant to be a wood after all.

Petersham Lodge with flowers

My final look at the garden at Petersham Lodge (for the time-being) tries to show how well the flowers sit with the house. This is such a busy picture with the house, its windows, climbing plants, terrace, tables and chairs, hedges, pedestal and lots and lots of flowers.

Despite this apparent clutter the overall impression is one of peace and harmony. This is a place that you want to sit out in to enjoy the sunshine and appreciate the garden.

Plants and pots

The garden at Petersham Lodge creeps right up to the house filling in a few small gaps between the paving stones and some pots resting on them.

Mixed border

Obviously one of the main points of events like Petersham Open Gardens 2012 is to enjoy the Spring flowers and they were on good form at Petersham Lodge where they vied for attention in one of the flower beds next to the house.The subtle mix of colours and shapes of both the flowers and the leaves is simply gorgeous.