A Hoopful Discovery

A Garden Day today.  We went out to consider a planting plan for various areas of the garden but got distracted and ended up doing some major pruning and clearing, and burning probably in excess of a ton of laurel, holly, etc.

Broadly, bar the specimen trees, we seem to have two acres of laurel and holly (that's having shifted the ivy and buddleia). Plan is to get some variety in here.

While extracting assorted rubbish around the area by the 'tennis court' I unearthed this - a remarkably sound croquet hoop.

Apparently, many early tennis courts were actually croquet lawns. A suitable flat area does show on an 1883 map of the garden.  E's plan is to reinstate a croquet grass area ('lawn' might be taking it too far) on the area - with the garden railway limited to running around the edge.  Any passing thoughts of persuading her otherwise are now well and truly spiked.