Work in the walled garden has begun.
Planting seeds has begun, carefully helped by our granddaughter! The pots of broad beans are now being eagerly watched for signs of life.
Snowdrops are stunning this year!
The snowdrops are better than they have been for years! This may be partly because the daffodils are not so advanced so they are not dwarfed - but they also seem longer stemmed more prolific.
We just wish we could hold winter weddings!
Wonderful pictures of a 2016 wedding at Shillingstone House in Rock My Wedding
I have just been sent a link to a write up about a wedding last year at Shillingstone House. Here is the link to Rock My Wedding! They are a stunning couple and they are stunning photographs!
You need to go to "real weddings" and then to Grace and Alex.
http://www.rockmywedding.co.uk/
Starry Night
I have just found this wonderful picture on the internet! Taken by local photographer Stefan Osnowski, it shows the Milky Way with the Shillingstone House in silhouette. Stefan is also available for wedding photographs. He took the photographs for one of our weddings in 2015. www.stefanosnowskiphotography.com
X marks the spot!
An amazing pattern of airplane trails appeared in the sky yesterday, drawing a huge cross in the sky - X marks the spot for the best wedding venue in Dorset!
First snowdrops
The first snow drops are pushing their way above ground. Hopefully, soon, the sides of the drive will be white with them - however, crossing fingers that the snow does not come and cover them!
Artist on site!!
Our wonderful gardener George is also a fantastic artist and we commissioned him to paint a view of the garden for David, who left sadly to take up full time photography last year. He chose to paint the big border as this was the view David had as he ate his lunch under the Chestnut Tree.
The result was amazing!! Thank you George.
Happy New Year!!
With best wishes to all our clients both old and new for a wonderful, happy 2017
A really frost start to the New Year but a very beautiful one.
Happy Happy Christmas!
Christmas does not really start at Shillingstone until a couple of days before Christmas when Michael brings in the holly and ivy to decorate the house. Willow stars are wound in ivy to hang from the kitchen ceiling, ivy and holly are wrapped round the banisters, dried alliums and leaves decorate the table and the Christmas tree. The garden truly comes inside.
The Christmas tree is covered with baubles old and new, with the bottom layer being unbreakable, as they are carefully hung by our granddaughter.
Photographer moves to the Stables
Belinda McCarthy has moved into a studio in the stable block. She took the wonderful photographs of our last wedding in 2016 but she also does studio portraits. Our daughter and granddaughter had a session and had some of them made into canvasses for our Christmas present. They are really beautiful, really natural and relaxed. - belindamccarthy.co.uk
Leaves, leaves, leaves! 11th November 2016
Leaves covered us completely this year - we have never had so many. Michael thought that he would never stop raking! Even our granddaughter helped - shown here with our wonderful gardener George .
First Frost - 8th November 2016
Luckily all prepared and plants either wrapped up or taken into the greenhouse. Picture taken through the window so a little fuzzy - too cold to open the window!
Pumpkin Harvest November 2016
Excellent crop this year!
Tree Surgery :( 31.10.16
Sadly we had to have the tree surgeons in to work on the big birch in front of the house. They managed to save the favourite perching branch for our brides by taking some of the weight off the top!
(Tree Surgery by Ian Davis from Stalbridge - 01963 363748)
Amazing Flower!
An amazing flower has burst out of the Yucca plant by the stable block. It is so beautiful and there is another one to come!
