RHS Hyde Hall - for the roses

On 10 September 2026, we visited Hyde Hall.  The garden is always lovely, and the roses are usually spectacular.  Last time we visited was also at the end of the summer: https://3cephas.blogspot.com/2024/09/last-of-summer-holidays-flowers-and.html However, this time we were surprised to find Lego wildlife creations around the whole garden.  They are all amazing, well the ones we saw were, there are 10 in all. This dragon fly is on the edge of the ornamental pond.  Each of the builds is accompanied by a plaque describing the build. We started by walking to the Hill-top Café, for a cup of tea.  The café is lovely, but the tea seemed to be made with brew-proof tea bags. To say it was weak and watery was to unreasonably complement it. Still onwards, because there is much to see and many things to be surprised about. After a further walk, we returned to the same café for a light lunch — soup and a roll, and some different drinks. Then back to walking round.  I had hoped to spend some time practising my camera techniques, but there was so much to see, I only really managed 'point and shoot'.

Rose 'The Poets Wife' Auswhirl The rose rope walk has been established, with small rambling roses planted and ready to grow.  It was in a sorry state on our last visit.  The rose garden, itself, however was not so spectacular, however there were some very impressive roses in bloom, and also some great dahlias. We enjoyed walking around the green house and the crops they have are incredible.

This is a Humming Bird Hawk Moth.  I don't think I've ever seen one before. Even the camera cannot freeze its wings on a reasonably bright day.  Neither can my eyes.  After I had desperately tried to get a picture that I could see the moth in, a man came up to us and told us what it was.  We see humming birds on our video calls to Alabama, the name is most appropriate, but how did it get that name, have they only been here since English people have seen humming birds?

hylotelephium matrona The bumblebees, and some other types of bee that I didn't manage to get a picture of, just love this plant. There is lots of it around the edges of the beds in the grassed areas.  Every single clump was covered with bees.