We need just two more stamps on Ruby’s Pooch Passport to complete the challenge of visiting twelve National Trust properties before the end of February.
It would be considerably easier if we had realised sooner that the National Trust was issuing passports for 2025–2026. They seemed to keep this very quiet until something surfaced on Facebook. By then, we were already a month behind, and playing catch-up.
In hindsight, we may have made a tactical error by leaving the two properties that require a trip across the Pennines until last. Still, one of them — Dunham Massey — is well worth a winter visit, so perhaps it’s not such a bad move after all, if only we make it.
Planning trips hasn’t been easy. The weather forecast seems to change by the minute. Rain and snow are predicted, so we cancel plans — only for neither to materialise. Then a dry day is promised and we wake to drizzle, steady rain, or generally miserable conditions.
As a result, we’ve been sticking to local walks in the drizzle, negotiating thick, slippery mud and lake-sized puddles. The thought of sitting in the car in wet clothes with a damp dog on the return journey from somewhere further afield isn’t particularly appealing.
Poodles were originally bred as water dogs, but Ruby clearly didn’t get the memo. She avoids puddles wherever possible. We always wash her feet after a walk — you never know what she’s trodden in — but recently we’ve had to wash her legs and even the ends of her ears, which trail along the ground as she sniffs out interesting smells.
The paths at the allotment are currently squelchy underfoot, so we’ve been avoiding any serious work there. However, last week, a WhatsApp message announced that another load of manure had been delivered, so we had no choice but to go and shift it. With piles already dotted around the plot, we’ve now decided we have quite enough.
While Martyn was barrowing manure, I tackled the last of the buddleias and roses, finishing off the pruning. It was cold work, so I was layered up to such an extent that I appeared to have gained several kilograms.
We also cut down the dead flower spikes from the cardoons. They seem entirely unfazed by the weather and will soon be reaching their usual gigantic proportions in an annual attempt to dominate the plot. It’s hard to believe we grew them from tiny seeds a few years ago.
Martyn has decided to take a gamble this year with some early seed sowing. Normally, we wouldn’t sow anything until March at the earliest, when light levels are friendlier and frost is less severe.
We use a lighting unit surrounded by foil to reflect light back onto the seedlings and discourage them from becoming leggy. Germination itself isn’t usually the problem. The challenge comes later. We don’t heat the greenhouse, and once seedlings need potting on indoor light isn’t adequate, and conditions in the greenhouse can be harsh at this time of year, which is why early sowing hasn’t worked well for us in the past.
This year, though, we’re experimenting with just a few seeds of chillies, sweet peppers, tomatoes, red onions, and cauliflowers.
After just a few days, the cauliflowers and tomatoes are already germinating. The onions and cauliflowers should cope once moved to the greenhouse, but the tomatoes and peppers will require rather more cosseting.
Fortunately, there’s plenty of seed left for later sowing if this early experiment ends in failure.
So — did we succeed in our quest to secure twelve stamps on Ruby’s Pooch Passport?
With two still missing and only a few days left before the end of February (and the passport’s imminent expiry), we concluded there was only one sensible solution: visit two National Trust properties in one day.
We generally avoid weekend visits. Crowds, queues, and crammed car parks are not our idea of fun. However, the weather forecast narrowed our options to Saturday or Sunday.
Saturday looked promising on our side of the Pennines but wet on the western side, where we needed to be. Sunday appeared to be more promising. So Sunday it was.
Our ultimate goal was to visit the winter garden at Dunham Massey, so we decided on a detour, stopping off at Lyme Park.
On arrival at Lyme Park, the place was heaving with cars being squeezed into the car park in a higgledy piggledy fashion,
Still, needs must. We secured Ruby’s eleventh stamp and took her for a short leg stretching walk before making a retreat back to the car.
Just one more stamp needed, so it was looking good.
Dunham Massey was equally busy but somehow the parking was less frenetic
The first aim was to obtain the final stamp. At this point, according to the rules, Ruby should have been presented with a well-earned National Trust collar tag — a small silver disc, admittedly, but a token of achievement and persistence during the worst months of the year when multiple layers of clothing and muddy paws are features of our visits.
Except.
They had run out.
Apparently, the National Trust had underestimated how many determined dog owners would actually complete the challenge. We were invited to email upon returning home, at which point they would “see what could be done.”
But honestly? Even though the prize is just a small silver disc, we felt robbed.
Disappointment aside, we headed for the winter garden.
The afternoon had turned mild and bright, sunlight made taking photos rather tricky but I’m not complaining. As we strolled, around the garden, as always happens when dogs are involved,strangers stop for a chat.
One woman we chatted to mentioned that Saturday had been an absolute washout.
We had made the right call.
So yes — we achieved our twelve stamps.
Ruby completed her passport.
Now we wait to discover whether the elusive silver tag will ever materialise.
Watch this space.
That’s all for this week so as always until next time stay well, stay safe, stay warm and stay dry.
I’m so pumped that you filled the passport. That is a great idea. Especially for the winter. They did something like that last year with the state parks. I’m bummed you didn’t get the charm. Hopefully, they will send one. I wonder if they will do it again next year.
They did it last year so they probably will, Bonnie. It must boost their wonter numbers as people with dogs go out in all weathers
Oh no ! Not fair ! 😔 You really made such an effort for this . I hope Ruby gets her silver medal 🏅
They say they will post one to us Debbie
Oh I do hope Ruby gets her silver tag eventually. I’ve often wondered about visiting Dunham Massey to see the winter garden. So far I have sown broad beans and sweet peas which are in the unheated greenhouse at home. I don’t sow other seeds too early.
Dunham Massey is well worth a visit at any time of the year Margaret. It is my favourite NT garden
Aah, nice to get a medal, but the stamped card is rather nice too.
Lovely plant photos and those lovely bright red berries.
It’s worth a go with seeds but we’re so slow that I can’t see us attempting any this year!
There’s plenty of time still Belinda most of orts are still in packets
A double edge sword! On one hand, objective achieved, on the other Ruby didn’t get her acknowledgment. I’d kick up on FB if I were Ruby. NT must learn “never underestimate the power of a dog chasing a silver disc”
Ruby will wait and see whether it arrives in the post Debbie
I wondered if you’d made it to Dunham Massey this weekend. What a poor show running out of the promised reward, okay, they may have underestimated how many they’d need but couldn’t they have substituted it with something else. It was only two years ago that we decided to join the National Trust as they just never seemed very dog friendly, they seem to have made an effort to rectify that in recent years but only to a point. We’re not dog owners any longer but I can understand the frustration of those who are, we’ve been there. We see children behaving worse than our dog would have done in certain gardens that dogs aren’t allowed in, in fact when we visited Dunham Massey last week we encountered a dad behind a bush with his little girl relieving herself, we were a stones throw away from the toilets! We’ve stopped letting the weather dictate our outings, we’ve missed out on so many days out because it’s been forecast rain which hasn’t materialised. We went to Nostell yesterday, it started raining on the way but we carried on and it had stopped by the time we arrived.
The point about children is one I have made many times. We did sneak Tivvy into a no dogs garden once and they didn’t even notice her until we had been all the way round. There was a sign outside the garden saying park your dog here – as if we would just leave a dog there. I understand not allowing them into houses and play areas, but The garden at Nostell is quite naturalistic whereas pristine gardens allow dogs. I told them at Nostell that if it wasn’t local we wouldn’t think of visiting. They claim to be a two paws venue but I think one is more like it.
We ended up wet at Nostell on Saturday. Mostly we head out whatever but when going over the Pennines we were a bit more cautious as the forecast kept threatening snow.