Butterfly tortoiseshell in garden

August/September

We’ve seen quite a few different butterflies this year enjoying the insect loving plants at Huxtable Farm, all majestic but this is one of my favourites, the small Tortoiseshell butterfly.

Saw quite a few butterflies at this years RHS Rosemoor Flower Show. Here are some photographs of the show for you to enjoy, the date for next years Flower Show will be the 17th, 18th & 19th August 2018

Other events & things to do during August and September in North Devon  ; –

RHS Rosemoor Gardens –  Enid Blyton Exhibition of Memorabilia exhibition 15th July – 28th August. Famous Five fun at Rosemoor (childrens activities) 29 July – 3 September Mon – Friday

Tapeley Park Gardens, Instow, Devon

Tapeley Park Gardens, Instow, Devon

Gardens to visit in North Devon

National Trust Arlington Court – Family ranger days, drop-in family crafts & garden days – PDF of events

Things to do for free at Huxtable Farm B&B

Barricane beach Woolacombe

Barricane beach Woolacombe

 

 

Beaches to visit in North Devon

Arts and Crafts in North Devon

Family Fun in North Devon

Huxtable Farm Jacob wool cable wrist warmers & scarf Knitting Kit

Huxtable Farm Jacob wool cable wrist warmers & scarf Knitting Kit

 

September – I have entered this year’s Art Trek 2017 – North Devon Open Studios, so that you and others can view Huxtable Farm’s Jacob wool products. We will be open on the 16th, 17th, 19th, 26th & 30th September & 1st October 11am – 4pm.

 

Blackberries

Blackberries

 

With September approaching, foraging and harvesting fruit from the wild will begin; The elderberries are ripening and we’ve already pick a few blackberries – You are welcome to pick your own too and do some fungi spotting whilst staying at Huxtable Farm B&B!

 

 

North Devon fields of thatching straw

August – Things to do whilst visiting North Devon

I love seeing these fields of thatching straw drying out in the summer sunshine – An ancient craft still maintained.

Wellies

With the North Devon Show taking place on the 2nd August– at Umberleigh EX37 9DX (Sadly CANCELLED due to wet conditions under foot) you’ll be able to see many other North Devon crafts, horticultural, farm animals, machinery, displays, exhibitors, food & drink local to the area. A great day out for everyone. You’ll probably need some wellies though!

 

Other things to do during August in North Devon ; –

RHS Rosemoor Gardens, rose festival and hot garden

RHS Rosemoor Gardens, roses and hot garden

RHS Rosemoor Gradens –  Enid Blyton Exhibition of Memorabilia exhibition 15th July – 28th August. Famous Five fun at Rosemoor (childrens activities) 29 July – 3 September Mon – Friday

Gardens to visit in North Devon

National Trust Arlington Court – Family ranger days, drop-in family crafts & garden days – PDF of events

Things to do for free at Huxtable Farm B&B

 

Westward Ho! Sea pool and Westward Ho! beach

Westward Ho! Sea pool and Westward Ho! beach

 

Beaches to visit in North Devon

Wildlife & Nature of North Devon & Exmoor

 

Spinning Jacob wool

Arts and Crafts in North Devon

 

Arts and Crafts in North Devon

Family Fun in North Devon

September – I have entered this year’s Art Trek 2017 – North Devon Open Studios, so that you and others can view Huxtable Farm’s Jacob wool products. We will be open on the 16th, 17th, 19th, 26th & 30th September & 1st October 11am – 4pm.

 

 

 

 

Butterfly

Butterfly Count & Exmoor – South West Coast Path

We’ve done the 2017 Butterfly count , have you? Here’s some of the butterflies we spotted at Huxtable Farm B&B.

butterfly-peacock

Butterfly Peacock

Butterfly Red Admiral

Butterfly Red Admiral

Butterfly Speckled Wood

Butterfly Speckled Wood

Butterfly Meadow Brown

Butterfly Meadow Brown

Butterfly Green Veined White

Butterfly Green Veined White

Butterfly Gatekeeper

Butterfly Gatekeeper

 

It’s National Parks Week from 24th to 30th July and we’re so lucky to have Exmoor National Park just up the road from Huxtable Farm B&B. Exmoor National Park boasts the highest sea cliffs in England and some of the most stunning sea views, making this part of the South West Coast path dramatic and stunning!

Exmoor is home to an amazing variety of habitats & wildlife, including historic Exmoor ponies and Red deer. There’s vast open moorland to deep wooded valleys with rambling rivers & waterfalls e.g. at Watersmeet. There’s so much to explore on Exmoor.

Things to do during July & August in North Devon ; –

RHS Rosemoor Rose Festival has 2000 roses on display now 17th June – 30th July – The largest rose gardens in the South West. Enid Blyton Exhibition of Memorabilia exhibition 15th July – 28th August. Famous Five fun at Rosemoor (childrens activities) 29 July – 3 September Mon – Friday

National Trust Arlington Court – Family ranger days, drop-in family crafts & garden days – PDF of events

Things to do for free at Huxtable Farm B&B

Gardens to visit in North Devon

Beaches to visit in North Devon

Wildlife & Nature of North Devon & Exmoor

North Devon Show 2nd August

Sunflower

July – A bountiful of fruit & roses

July fruit

July fruit

The abundance of fruit (gooseberries, rhubarb, red currants, black currants, loganberries & raspberries) has kept us busy picking fresh fruit for the breakfast table and making a variety of preserve jams also for the breakfast table to enjoy with warm butted toast or croissants.

Raspberry picking

Raspberry picking

 

Raspberry picking

Thank you to my little helps ! 🙂

 

 

 

 

Hampton Court Flower Show Roses

Hampton Court Flower Show Roses

Having been to Hampton Court Flower Show 2017 and loving the roses purchased there,

Hampton Court Flower Show, Monty Don and Joe Swift

Hampton Court Flower Show, Monty Don and Joe Swift

makes me so grateful that we have RHS Rosemoor so close to visit at anytime of year, so special at the moment as it’s RHS Rosemoor’s Rose Festival until 30th July, the roses and their scent are amazing as is the gorgeous ‘Hot garden’.

RHS Rosemoor Gardens, rose festival and hot garden

RHS Rosemoor Gardens, rose festival and hot garden

Mean while here at Huxtable Farm B&B the newly created ‘Wild Flower’ patch is looking lovely and is a great hit with insects and butterflies, as is the wildlife pond too!

Wild Flower patch at Huxtable Farm B&B, North Devon

Wild Flower patch at Huxtable Farm B&B, North Devon

Wildlife pond at Huxtable Farm B&B, West Buckland, Devon

Wildlife pond at Huxtable Farm B&B, West Buckland, Devon

Recently caught on camera, whilst on the Devon Wildlife Farm Trail at Huxtable Farm a ‘Funnel-web spider’ with it’s prey, a grass hopper.

The French Toulouse Goslings are now fully grown

Things to do this July;

RHS Rosemoor Rose Festival has 2000 roses on display now 17th June – 30th July – The largest rose gardens in the South West. Pick up your free Rose Trail Garden Map when you get there.

Lynmouth Raft Race 22nd July

Clovelly Maritime Festival 16th July

Mid Devon Show – National Trust Knighthayes, Tiverton 22nd July 

National Trust Arlington Court – Family ranger days, drop-in family crafts & garden days – PDF of events

Things to do for free at Huxtable Farm B&B

Gardens to visit in North Devon

Beaches to visit in North Devon

Wildlife & Nature of North Devon & Exmoor

North Devon Show 2nd August

July – Picking fruit & making jam – Things to do

Blackberry flowers at Huxtable Farm B&B

Blackberry flowers at Huxtable Farm B&B

 

Looks like there’s going to be a bumper crop of blackberries this Autumn. However, there’s plenty of fruit to pick for the breakfast table at the moment to eat fresh or to make jam with – Fresh raspberries, ‘Gooseberry & Elderflower’ and Loganberry jams.

July fruit

July fruit

 

 

Things to do this July;

RHS Rosemoor Rose Festival has 2000 roses on display now 17th June – 30th July – The largest rose gardens in the South West. Pick up your free Rose Trail Garden Map when you get there.

Lynmouth Raft Race 22nd July

Man vs Moor 15th July

Clovelly Maritime Festival 16th July

National Trust Arlington Court – Family ranger days, drop-in family crafts & garden days – PDF of events

Things to do for free at Huxtable Farm B&B

North Devon Show 2nd August

 

Honeysuckle

June – some wild flowers found around Huxtable Farm B&B

Some of the wild flowers you can find on the Devon wildlife farm trail at Huxtable Farm B&B, West Buckland, situated between Barnstaple & South Molton, near Exmoor, North Devon.

Thistle

Thistle

Water Lily

Water Lily

Red dead nettle

Red dead nettle

Meadow saxifrage

Meadow saxifrage

Iris

Iris

Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle

Hop Trefoil

Hop Trefoil

Groundsel

Groundsel

Elderflower

Elderflower

Cow parsley

Cow parsley

Common hemp nettle

Common hemp nettle

Clover

Clover

Birds foot trefoil

Birds foot trefoil

Charlock

Charlock

Wild flower ?

Wild flower ?

Beautiful roses - RHS Rosemoor

Rose Festival time

The ‘Rose’ is ‘Gardeners’ World Golden Jubilee Plant’ – An easy choice!

Not only is there a great variety, they are beautiful, many have delicious scents and are used to celebrate lots of occasions.

RHS Rosemoor Rose Festival has 2000 roses on display now 17th June – 30th July – The largest rose gardens in the South West. Pick up your free Rose Trail Garden Map when you get there.

Here are a few of the roses (two are not rose flowers can you spot them?) found at Huxtable Farm B&B, situated between Barnstaple & South Molton, near West Buckland, Devon,  offering quality farmhouse B&B accommodation, within half an hours drive to RHS Rosemoor and a variety of beautiful North Devon Gardens.

Roses

Roses

rose-20 rose-21

june-rose-15 june-rose-16 june-rose-17 june-rose-18

june-rose-2 june-rose-3 june-rose-4 june-rose-5 june-rose-6 june-rose-7 june-rose-8 june-rose-9 june-rose-10 june-rose-11

Roses

Gardens of North Devon

June – Elderflower & Gooseberry Jam, Roses & Cream Teas

Lupins and Roses at Huxtable Farm B&B, Devon, Barnstaple

Lupins and Roses at Huxtable Farm B&B, Devon, Barnstaple

June – With the longest day of the year approaching (21st June) with bright fresh morning and balmy evenings, we’re grateful for the long days as there is so much to do on the farm at this time of year, from making hay & silage for winter feed, cutting the lawns & weeding the garden to picking fruit.

The rhubarb, gooseberries & elderflowers are lovely this year giving us plenty of fresh produce for the breakfast table; honeyed rhubarb and homemade gooseberry & elderflower jam (a favourite with everyone).

– The Lupins and Roses are just coming into bloom, which reminds me to tell you to visit RHS Rosemoor to see their beautiful rose gardens during their Rose Festival June 17 – 30th July.

June is a great time to visit the beautiful gardens, National Trust properties, historic houses, harbours and market towns of North Devon & Exmoor or enjoy a stroll away from it all on Exmoor along the side of a river (We’ll share with you some special places to visit!).

Devon Cream Tea welcome

Devon Cream Tea welcome

With National Cream Tea Day on the 30th June, in Devon we like to put the cream on the scone and the jam on top of the cream. You can enjoy a Devon Cream Tea welcome any time of year at Huxtable Farm B&B

There’s so much going on in North Devon during June here are a few thing taking place over the next few weeks: –
What’s on at RHS Rosemoor – Rose Festival June 17 – 30th July
National Trust Arlington Court – What’s on during June – Meet the gardener, garden Trail, garden talk
South Molton Vintage Rally 3rd – 4th June
South Molton Olde English Fayre 9th- 13th June
17th June 2017 – Point to Point at Umberleigh.
16th, 17th & 18th June 2017 – Gold Coast Ocean Festival, Woolacombe & Croyde
Getting active during your stay in North Devon
Beaches of North Devon

Point to point horse racing

Point to point horse racing, North Devon