The Galloping Gardener

French Gourmet Gardens - Yves Gosse le Gorre's allegorical acreage at Sericourt

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:10:00 +0000

The Warrior Masks at Sericourt, inspired by those of Easter Island

Just occasionally you walk into a garden that etches itself on your soul. For me, Yves Gosse de Gorre’s Jardin de Sericourt in northern France did just that - as the latest addition to a small, but growing list list of truly memorable landscapes I’ve encountered in my years of garden visiting. It justly deserves its accolade as a "Remarkable Garden" (Jardin Remarquable) of France; is easily reached from the Northern Channel ports of Calais and Boulogne; and is definitely a garden to add to your visiting "Wish List".

The latest addition at Sericourt - the Renaissance garden - recently added by Yves Gosse de Gorre

Located in the south of the Pas de Calais region, this is an allegorical garden, which in part depicts the war-torn history of the area through the huge collection of shrubs and trees amassed by its creator. It has been thoughtfully landscaped and planted over the last 20 years to reflect some of the themes that travellers often forget when following the roads that traverse the European ‘Killing Fields’ – for it was here in Picardy and in the neighbouring Somme that so many men lost their lives in the two World Wars.

The Warrior Garden at Sericourt is filled with clipped topiary symbolising scenes of war

Yves is a passionate plantsman and runs a nursery next to his ten-acre garden, where you can buy many of the specimens you see on your tour of his personal Eden. The garden is about trees and shrubs and vistas, with a fine collection of topiary and some new “land art” areas. There are carefully placed evergreens in the Warrior Garden (above), intended to look like soldiers lined up and ready for battle; yew hedges clipped in the shapes of human faces; dark tree alleys symbolising death and destruction associated with the two great wars in Europe; and, if you visit at the right time of year, magnificent swathes of poppies and a tunnel of roses that will leave your senses reeling.

Yves Gosse de Gorre is always adding new vistas to his 10-acre garden

It's the famous Cathedral of Roses (below) that draws visitors in the summer months, but with the seasons running at least a month behind, there was little evidence of the massed blooms that would normally be on show by now. But this hardly mattered because there was too much else to see at Sericourt and by the time I’d stepped around Gorre's strategically-placed war craters in the ground and admired all the allegorical figures, there was more on my mind than the sweet-smelling climbers that will appear later in the season.

The cathedral of roses at Sericourt - normally at its peak from late May to July

Sericourt is easily accessible from the North Coast of France and is well placed if you are heading to Paris or further south, without taking too much of a detour from your route. The garden is open throughout the year from Tuesday to Saturday (9.00-12.00 and 14.00-18.00), but also open in the afternoons on Sunday and Monday from May to October (15.00-18.00). Combine this with the Jardins de Maizicourt (to be reviewed soon) for two very different garden experiences!

The topiary garden at Sericourt

Other notable gardens in Northern France include Le Bois des Moutiers, Les Jardins Agapanthe and Claude Monet's garden at Giverny - all previously reviewed here and accessible by clicking on the links.

Two of the best small gardens in Britain open in Seaford this weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:07:00 +0000

Driftwood in Seaford opens regularly for charity and is well worth visiting - open both days this weekend

It may be blowing a gale, but there's also plenty of blue sky overhead, so set off for Seaford on the south coast and catch two of the best small gardens in Britain this weekend - Driftwood and Sandgate Close - just a short distance from each other and open from 11.00-17.00 on both Saturday and Sunday as part of a group of five Seaford and Bishopstone gardens open for the NGS. Both gardens are delightful and you can see full details and more pictures by clicking on the links above.

Neighbouring Sandgate Close has an astounding array of plants on show - get there if you can!!

There are also three further gardens open in nearby Bishopstone village this weekend - Barrack Cottage - a partly walled, five-acre chalk garden, Buckthorn Close and Elizabeth Cottage, none of which I've yet visited. Full details are available on the NGS website. Teas available at Driftwood on both days and at Sandgate Close on Sunday.

Gourmet gardens in Normandy - Lutyens' masterpiece - Le Bois des Moutiers

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 06:30:00 +0000

Le Bois des Moutiers is less than 15 minutes drive from Dieppe - a short hop across the English Channel

There's little doubt that the gardens in France - Normandy especially - pose a serious threat to our English gardens in terms of the "wow" factor. I've just spent four days there looking at some of their wonderful gardens and they certainly provide a gourmet delight for anybody who loves looking at gardens and landscapes. The main problem with the French properties is there's remarkably little on the internet about them and the stretch of water (often stormy) that divides us from them, seems to deter us from visiting.

The White Garden at the rear of the property has parterre style boxed hedges and is planted with roses

France is not just "foreign", but the French drive on the wrong side of the road for us Brits (although not for our American friends) and then, of course, there's the language barrier. Their road signs are erratic, and just like here in Britain, those much-needed direction signs always run out at the point we rely on them most, although I noticed on this recent trip that the gardens are remarkably well sign-posted. But all of that aside, I urge readers to take a trip across the Channel to enter a whole new world of magical gardens, starting with Le Bois des Moutiers just four miles outside Dieppe - the unusual Arts and Crafts style house designed by Edwin Lutyens, surrounded by countless acres of formal gardens and parkland, overlooking the sea.

A series of formal garden rooms surround the house at the rear - the front has views over the park and the sea

Le Bois des Moutiers is at Varengeville-sur-Mer, close to Dieppe (there's a reasonably priced ferry from Newhaven on the south coast twice a day and for those who don't want to drive, you can go as a foot passenger and take a taxi to the garden), this must surely be the greatest garden that Lutyens created anywhere in the world. He designed both house and garden, and Gertrude Jekyll, his formidable planting partner provided the lists of plants and plans, although she never actually visited the property.

The Jekyllesque borders at the front of the Lutyens house make a huge impact on visitors

Lutyens was only 29 years old when he designed this house for Guillaume Mallet. Described by present owner, Antoine Bouchayer-Mallet as "an early example of the new art of gardening born in Surrey at the end of the 19th century, it was conceived as a living picture in the style of a tapestry or embroidery". An apt description for the series of Arts and Crafts garden rooms adjacent to the house, with long Jekyllesque borders (above), a pergola similar to the one at Hestercombe in Somerset (below), white garden, walled garden and rose garden, created from the original potager.

The pergola at Le Bois de Moutiers entices the visitor into a series of formal garden rooms near the house

When you arrive at Le Bois des Moutiers you think at first there are just formal gardens here adjacent to the house, but walk to the rear of the property and you will see glimpses of the sea across a sloping, verdant landscape, filled with remarkable plants and trees all planted by the Mallot family more than a hundred years ago. But everywhere you look, the Lutyens influence is present, with brick built seating areas, paths of brick and stone and remarkable clipped yew hedges.

The rose garden - created from the former potager

Summer sees the rose garden in full bloom. Sited on what was once the potager, this area has been replanted by successive generations of Mallots and is now a place to enjoy the heady scents of summer. Claude Monet, who created the garden at Giverny, loved this place and often came here to stay and to paint, because the light reflected off the sea gives the grounds at Le Bois de Moutiers a special hue, particularly in the early morning and evening sunlight. And for once the French lunchtime closure, (from 12.00-14.00) does visitors a favour, because the harsh, midday light detracts from the beauty of this garden.

The rose garden seen from the opposite end (see above)

And then there's the woodland garden leading down to the sea, planted by the Mallet family, and now a major part of the attraction of this property, particularly in early summer when all the camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons flower. The hydrangeas are astounding later in the year, but sadly I was between the two seasons, although the formal gardens make wonderful viewing in summer time, and a walk through the woodland areas will give any gardener an idea of just how stunning this property is, throughout the seasons.

The woodland garden leading down to the sea - particularly glorious in springtime

The gardens at Le Bois des Moutiers are open daily for visitors from 15 March to 15 November, from 10.00-12.00 and from 14.00-18.00. Tours of the house are available for larger groups by prior arrangement - for a full history of the house and further contact details, look at the website. Entrance is 10 Euros per person (money well spent), with discounts for groups. And if you can't get to France this year, you could visit the Lutyens garden at The Salutation in Kent, but hurry, because the house is up for sale.

Lutyens has left his mark everywhere at Le Bois de Moutiers ... in the paths, archways and pergola

For more gardens to visit in France and England, click here

Wordless Wednesday - Monet's garden at Giverny

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 07:08:00 +0000

Even the wet weather can't dampen the excitement of a visit to Monet's garden at Giverny at this time of year, when the irises are still in bloom.

Les Jardins Agapanthe - the best of gourmet gardens in Normandy

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Alexandre Thomas has created Les Jardins Agapanthe around his family home in Normandy

If you live in England, there's a whole new world of gardens on your doorstep, just across the English Channel. I travelled to France this week in search of pastures green, and was amazed by what I found, just a short hop across the water. There's a choice of ferries from the south coast and of course, there's also the Chunnel, which will transport garden gastronomes into a different world - the gardens and landscapes of Normandy - made famous by Impressionist painters like Claude Monet. But his garden at Giverny is just a starter - there are many other gourmet gardens waiting to be tasted - including Les Jardins Agapanthe.

Thomas has created the garden at Agapanthe on many different levels, with enticing paths and steps linking the different areas

This wondrous garden has been created over the last 30 years by landscape architect, Alexandre Thomas around his family home in Normandy, just an hour's drive from Dieppe. It's a truly magical garden, which has doubled in size in the last three years, following the acquisition of an adjacent property - and a visit here will transport you into a completely different world. It would be impossible to capture the true essence of this garden without seeing it through the seasons and exploring every inch of the property, but I've tried to give readers a taste of it here in late May and early June.

Swathes of perky perennials are broken up by paved pathways

The palette is predominantly green - a veritable plantsman's paradise - broken up with a network of pathways and steps, that lead you through his garden labyrinth, begging you to reach out and engage with all the plants you see. There's hardly an inch of ground where you can see the soil, so dense is the planting. But with a true artist's eye, Thomas has added statues, urns, steps and arbors, that draw you through the garden, to the next area of interest, and you find yourself meandering through the perky perennials in wonder. But don't forget to look down at your feet because the pathways are an art form too.

Balls of box and many mature shrubs (bought in from local nurseries) add structure to the garden created by Alexandre Thomas at his home

The best way to appreciate this garden is to walk around slowly and savour what you see, before returning to look at it in detail. The original garden created by Alexandre is shown here in the first six photographs, but if you visit for yourself, you won't necessarily see the same scenes, because Agapanthe changes rapidly throughout the seasons, adopting a new look every week as different perennials bloom. But whenever you visit, I'm sure this garden will put a spring in your step, because it's lively, enchanting and quite unlike anywhere at home.

The lavender garden at Agapanthe - too early to see it in bloom, but still inviting

When the opportunity arose in 2006 for Alexandre to buy the property over the road - another austere, red brick Normandy house with adjoining land, he realised he could create a completely different style of garden in the grounds here. Work only began three years ago, but this garden already has its own unique personality and feels as though it has been here for much longer, thanks to the mature conifers that provide a backdrop to the new planting, which concentrates primarily on shrubs and smaller trees for year round interest.

Pathway leading to the new garden created by Thomas at Agapanthe

The tempo here is very different - more Mediterranean in style, and the plants are more exposed to the sunlight because there are fewer trees. But you'd never know this was a new garden because the plants have been carefully chosen and Alexandre has made full use of his landscaping skills to ensure that the architectural features - great urns and huge terracotta pots - give a sense of timelessness to his new creation. He's also taken care not to repeat the planting found in the first garden and covered the ground with a layer of river sand so visitors can stroll between the plants.

Find the wrought iron gates at the lower end of the garden and cross the road to see the new garden created at Les Jardins Agapanthe

Make sure you don't miss the new garden (although the wonderful ladies at the entrance gate will make sure you know about it). You exit the first garden through wrought iron gates (above) and cross the road, wondering if you are entering some private garden, because there are no signs and on arrival, you encounter an established circle of pines, reminiscent of the Cote d'Azur, protecting juvenile plants in a dug out hollow. But the only indication that this garden is new, is the size of the plants, which are still establishing themselves in their new abode.

The Pine Circle at Agapanthe, planted just three years ago when Alexandre Thomas acquired the house over the road

It's hard to believe that there was nothing here five years ago because Alexandre scoured nurseries to find plants of interest for his new project. He says he was lucky to find specimens "that were as remarkable for their size as for their rarity and originality", thus enabling him to create an apparently mature garden in the space of just a few years. His decision to use a layer of river sand on top of the heavy clay soil that is typical of this part of Normandy, means that plants from different habitats are flourishing side by side.

The new garden has a very different ethos - it is less densely planted and shrubs have been chosen to give structure and colour

The second garden has a totally different feel to it - more space and essentially an antique feel, despite its youth. The shrubs have been carefully chosen to give structure, form and colour throughout the seasons, although Thomas has stuck to his tried and tested formula of introducing architectural interest in the form of giant urns and ceramic pots, together with carefully placed chairs and benches, for visitors to sit and admire his handiwork.

There are many places to sit and reflect at Les Jardins Agapanthe

And all this behind a garden gate in Normandy, less than an hour's drive from the Channel port of Dieppe. Les Jardins Agapanthe open from May to September every day except Wednesday from 14.00-19.00. There are plenty of places to stay nearby and many other gardens to visit within 50 miles, including Le Bois des Moutiers and Giverny.

The best of British cottage gardens - Chiffchaffs, Dorset

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 07:21:00 +0000

Chiffchaffs in Dorset is a delightful cottage garden surrounding a property that is more than 400 years old in parts. Well worth making a visit to if you want ideas for your garden at home and with an adjoining nursery - Abbey Plants - where you can buy many of the plants you see in the garden. I'm going to let the pictures tell the story.

The garden is open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 2.00-5.00 (March to October) and the nursery is open Wednesday to Saturday. Well worth making a detour to see if you're in the vicinity, or visiting nearby Stourhead. Also close to Barrington Court, Lytes Cary and Tintinhull, if you're touring the area.

The Salutation in Sandwich is up for sale again, so catch this Lutyens masterpiece while you can!

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:17:00 +0000

The Salutation in the heart of Sandwich, was designed by Edwin Lutyens

Take a look at the house above and you will immediately recognise it for what it is - an Edwin Lutyens design, with Jekyll borders. This is The Salutation in Sandwich, Kent, which has been completely restored by current owners, Dominic and Stephanie Parker, but is now up for sale with a £4.5 million price tag. The Parkers have spent the last nine years restoring the property, which they operate as an exclusive bed and breakfast, but have decided to move on, and there's no guarantee that the new owners will want to share their country home with you as a paying guest or garden visitor.

The long border at the entrance to the garden

It is evident that no expense has been spared at The Salutation, which is marketed as "The Secret Gardens of Sandwich". When I visited this week there were at least five gardeners at work in the 3.5 acre garden, which was looking immaculate, after its lengthy restoration programme. But the Parker family have decided that their decade at the manor house is sufficient and feel the time has come to pass the Grade I listed manor house onto another custodian.

Hedges have been used to divide the 3.5 acre garden into compartments

There's little doubt that this garden is charming and the restoration has certainly been a labour of love for the Parkers. Both house and garden are remarkably similar to Le Bois des Moutiers, the other side of the Channel at Dieppe, although on a rather smaller scale. The huge Jekyllesque borders occupying prime position in front of the house are similar to those at the Lutyens property in Normandy, as are the compartments within the garden where hedges act as dividers between different garden rooms.

View from the lake area to the holm oak walk

The Salutation lies just off Knightrider Street in the heart of Sandwich - one of the Cinque Ports - close to the River Stour. Edwin Lutyens designed the house for the Farrer family as a weekend retreat and building was completed in 1912. The architect's long association with garden designer, Gertrude Jekyll means that she was probably involved in the original planting schemes here. Today the gardens are maintained by head gardener, Steve Edney and have been restored to their former glory.

The white garden lies to the side of the property and is enclosed by hedging - make sure you don't miss it!

There's plenty to see in the 3.5 acres here, including a kitchen garden close to the house, a tropical garden and long border at the entrance to the garden, a small lake area, an impressive vegetable garden, the main perennial borders stretching away from the house, a woodland garden, holm oak walk and spring garden. Make sure you don't miss the enclosed yellow and white gardens at the side of the house when you visit, because they are hidden by hedges and all too easily forgotten.

The Holm Oak Walk at the heart of the garden

The Parkers say that they intend to keep the gardens open until the end of October, but if you want to be sure to see The Salutation, get there soon. The gardens are open daily from 10.00-17.00 and admission is £6.50 for adults and £3.00 for children under 16 (under 6 go free). The paved walkways mean that most of the garden is accessible to disabled visitors. Other gardens nearby include Goodnestone Park and Walmer Castle (to be reviewed later this week).

A sortie into three Somerset gardens - Barrington Court, Lytes Cary and Tintinhull - compact enough to see all in a day!

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 16:46:00 +0000

The walled kitchen garden at Barrington Court is a particular favourite with visitors

There's a little corner of Somerset that has more than its fair share of gardens, so for a blissful and bucolic day out, head to Ilchester (see map below) and seek out the charms of three National Trust properties that form a triangle at the south-western edge of the county. Each garden is small enough to savour and you'll comfortably visit all three in a day, but make sure you avoid Monday or Thursday if you're planning to see all of them.

The Pergola Walk at Barrington Court was added by Andrew Lyle in 1981

Start out at Barrington Court - a huge Tudor house, set in 11 acres of grounds - with a fine 20th century garden, commissioned by Colonel Lyle, who took a tenancy of the house from the National Trust in 1920. He commissioned Gertrude Jekyll to help with the planting at the property, although she never actually visited the garden because of her advancing years and failing sight. But it is still considered to be one of the finest examples of her work, even though much replanting has been done in the last two decades.

The Lily garden was one of Gertrude Jekyll's later garden designs, although she never visited the property

The original Tudor house (open to the public) is surrounded by lawns and parkland, bounded by a moat, but there is also a later addition to the property dating back to the 17th century, known as Strode House, which sits at the heart of the formal gardens, including the Lily and White gardens and the Pergola Walk. The Kitchen Garden is another striking feature here and is always popular with visitors, although the ravages of last winter, combined with a late spring, mean that both flowers and vegetables are running behind.

The forecourt garden at Lytes Cary Manor, with

For a smaller and more intimate property just a few miles away, head for Lytes Cary. This has long been one of my favourite Somerset gardens that I make a special effort to visit when passing through. The combination of the charming forecourt garden (above) with its dumpy yew topiary and a colourful three-acre Arts and Crafts garden with splendid borders and many hidden nooks and crannies, make this very different from the more formal gardens at Barrington Court. But do remember that it's closed on a Thursday. For a full review and more pictures click on the link above.

The third must-see garden in this Somerset trio is Tintinhull House where a glorious 17th century stone village house overlooks a series of garden rooms, originally created by former resident Phyllis Reiss, who arrived here in 1933. Well-known English garden critic, Patrick Taylor, says: "It is in essence like a miniature Hidcote or Sissinghurst in the way in which a harmonious sequence of spaces, often with strong architectural features, is embellished with carefully thought-out planting."

In the 1980's Penelope Hobhouse came to live here and made her own stamp on the two-acre property with her detailed planting schemes, which still form the backbone of the garden there today as plants are reaching full maturity. Part of the charm of Tintinhull is the way that each part of the garden leads into the next and you are enticed through doors and gates from one room to another, giving a deceptive illusion of size.
All three properties are owned and operated by the National Trust and are free to members. Barrington Court is open daily, Lytes Cary is open every day except Thursday and Tintinhull is shut on a Monday. Driving distances between each property are short and each garden is so different, that it's well worth making the effort to see all three if you're in the area.

Dalliance with Dorset - Gourmet garden at Cranborne Manor

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Thu, 30 May 2013 11:22:00 +0000

First view of Cranborne Manor from the wildflower meadow

When you're lucky enough to step through the garden gate at Cranborne Manor in Dorset, you'll realise you're somewhere special. First glimpse of the ancient house is across a flower-filled meadow where you encounter 'Druid' (below), a life-sized bronze bull by Nicola Toms, who gazes over summer displays of cowslips, ox-eye daisies and orchids. And this is just one of many delights in a garden that was originally laid out by John Tradescant (the Elder) in the 17th century.

Druid, a life-sized bronze bull is one of several sculptures in the grounds of Cranborne Manor

In medieval times the manor of Cranborne and all hunting grounds associated with neighbouring Cranborne Chase belonged to the Crown and it was King John - a passionate hunter - who first built a hunting lodge on the site. This was rebuilt by Robert Cecil (who later became the Earl of Salisbury) at the beginning of the 17th century, and he engaged Tradescant to help with the layout of the garden and the planting of trees. But little remains of his original plans, save for the area known as The Mount to the west of the house and the Bowling Allee stretching the length of the croquet lawn.

The Jacobean gatehouses open onto the circular South Front courtyard

If you're lucky, you'll be able to access the gardens through the huge gates of the Jacobean gatehouses, flanked by two elephants (above), which open onto the circular South Front courtyard, with an Angela Connor water sculpture at its centre. This is where you'll see spectacular displays of climbing and shrub roses in the summer months, but don't be surprised if the courtyard is closed, as it often is during the season. You will still be able to access all other parts of the garden.

The sundial on top of the mount - part of John Tradescant's original garden to the west of the manor

Although little remains of Tradescant's original garden, much of what you see today at Cranborne Manor is the work of Viscountess Cranborne, who came to live here in 1954. The garden has evolved into a series of garden rooms in the last 60 years and is an interesting mix of formal and informal areas that include white, green and herb gardens, an orchard with naturalised tulips, a chalk walk with double herbaceous borders and a delightful church walk, which has colour and structure throughout the seasons.

Church Walk to the East of the Manor has colour and structure throughout the seasons

Cranborne Manor has so many different aspects that you could be forgiven for thinking you're wondering around a French chateau garden. Each view of the Grade II listed house is different and it can look large and imposing or small and sedate, depending on where you are in the garden. But it is the endless attention to detail that will captivate you if you take the time to look - small statues hidden in hedges and larger pieces of sculpture like Elizabeth Frink's 'In Memoriam' head (below).

Elizabeth Frink's 'In Memoriam' head presides over the manor garden

Cranborne Manor is only open one day a week and some areas of the garden (South Front courtyard) can be closed to the public. This garden is not just about herbaceous borders, but rather vistas across wildflower meadows and the rolling Dorset countryside beyond. Open Wednesday 9.00-17.00. (last entry 16.00), 1st March - 30 September. Admission £6.00 for adults and £1.00 for children. Free for individual RHS members on presentation of membership card.

Wordless Wednesday - Gardens to come ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Wed, 29 May 2013 16:01:00 +0000

Cranborne Manor, Dorset

Chiff Chaffs, Dorset

Wilton House near Salisbury

Denmans Garden near Chichester

Brilliant blooms at Bowood House in Wiltshire - A Capability Brown landscape at its best

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Sun, 26 May 2013 18:59:00 +0000

Glimpses of rolling countryside seen from the woodland garden at Bowood House in Wiltshire

For spectacular views of a truly English landscape, punctuated with some of the finest rhododendron displays in the country, head for Bowood House in Wiltshire as quick as you can and enjoy a blaze of colour in the 60-acre woodland garden currently in full bloom. An unusually cold winter combined with the late arrival of spring and temperatures still failing to make the norm for May means that this year's crop of rhododendrons are more spectacular than ever.

Part of the charm of the rhododendron walks is the great swathes of bluebells at this time of year

Bowood is one of several English country houses where Lancelot 'Capability' Brown was employed as the landscape architect and Robert Adam was involved in the design of part of the house and interiors. The mausoleum at the heart of the woodland garden is regarded as one of Adams' finest early classical-style buildings. It is this area of the estate that opens separately from the main house and garden in May and June for the rhododendron walks. Opening times are 11.00-18.00 and entrance is £6.50 for adults (children aged 12 and under free).

The grounds at Bowood House are one of Capability Brown's best-known English landscapes

But there's more to Bowood than the spring rhododendron walks and during the summer visitors come to see inside the house, which is open to the public and to enjoy 100 acres of pleasure grounds, set in the heart of a 2,000-acre estate with fine views over the surrounding countryside. Capability Brown's handiwork is evident in the sweeping landscape that drops away from the house to a large lake at the bottom of the hill. Few would imagine that prior to his involvement in the middle of the 18th century, there was little more than a stream at the bottom of the valley.

The present Marquis added the herbaceous border on the eastern side of the house

Bowood has seen both prosperity and poverty during the three centuries that the various Marquises of Lansdowne have lived here. The original house was purchased by the 1st Earl of Shelburne in 1754. He was succeeded by his son, the 2nd Earl (also the 1st Marquis), but it was the 3rd Marquis who made improvements to the property and added the upper and lower Italianate terraces overlooking the Capability Brown landscape on the south side of the house.

The Italianate terraces at Bowood were added by the 3rd Marquis in the 19th century

By 1955 the original house had fallen into such disrepair that the 8th Marquis decided to demolish it, leaving only the smaller property that remains there today. His son - the present Marquis of Lansdowne - first opened both house and grounds to the public in 1975 and is the first member of the family to live there permanently.

He is committed to improving the gardens and as recently as 2008, added the long herbaceous border on the eastern side of the surviving house. It is now a well-established feature of the garden, offering colour throughout the summer season. Current projects include the restoration of the private walled garden (left), which is open one day a month to visitors, (pre-booking required) who can enjoy a guided tour followed by lunch in the house restaurant (£27.50). As expected with work in progress, this part of the garden is being developed all the time, but particularly spectacular is the late summer wildflower meadow (below).

The wildflower meadow in the walled garden at Bowood

When I first visited Bowood last year, I was surprised to discover that it's not possible to visit the gardens without paying for entry to the house as well. Entry price to both is £10.50 for adults (£9.00 for over 60s) and £8.00 for juniors (5-12 year olds). Members of the Historic Houses Association get free admission up to five times a year. But for garden lovers like me, it would be helpful to be able to wander around the garden, without having to pay for admission to the house.

What makes a winning garden at RHS Chelsea? Let the people decide!

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:44:00 +0000

Trailfinders Australian Garden designed by Phil Johnson won Best in Show and a Gold medal at Chelsea this year

As RHS Chelsea opened its doors to the public for the third day of the centenary Flower Show, it appeared that all was not well among the horticultural fraternity when Christopher Bradley-Hole, creator of this year's Telegraph Garden, questioned the RHS judges' decision over the coveted Best in Show award presented to the Trailfinders Australian Garden. Readers may wish to read the full article here.

The Telegraph Garden designed by Christopher Bradley-Hole won a Gold medal, but not Best in Show

The crowds this week at the world's most prestigious horticultural event are a testament to the popularity of the annual Chelsea Show and it will be interesting to see who they vote for in The People's Choice competition, organised by the RHS and actively promoted on its web site. If the queues to see the Trailfinders garden are an indication of public opinion, could it be that the Mr Bradley-Hole's recent comments about the "ugly" solar panels and the "unsubtle" planting are not shared by the hordes of visitors trying to get a close-up view of the Australian garden, which occupies a prime corner position at Chelsea this year.

The East Village Garden, designed by Michael Balston and Marie-Louise Agius won a gold

Christopher Bradley-Hole is certainly no newcomer to Chelsea and has an impressive track record of five Chelsea gold medals and two Best Show Gardens. The Telegraph Garden won a gold medal this year, so the designer had nothing to complain about. Other seasoned exhibitors and gold medalists included Brewin Dolphin, Homebase, Laurent Perrier, M&G and Royal Bank of Canada - who are all delighted with the results, as are newcomers to the show who won golds, including the East Village Garden (above), which was attracting much bigger crowds than the Telegraph garden opposite and Un Garreg (One Stone) in the Artisan section.

The B&Q Sentebale Garden designed by Jinny Blom won a silver gilt medal

Gardens that attracted a lot of publicity before the opening of the show included the B&Q Sentebale Forget-Me-Not Garden (above), with its connection to Prince Harry's Lesotho charity; Stoke-on-Trent's story of Transformation and Stop the Spread (below) - all awarded silver gilt medals. Yet none of these complained about the judging at Chelsea this year! So if you've already been to the show, do let us know which garden you preferred - Trailfinders or The Telegraph.

Stop the Spread, designed by Jo Thompson, won a silver gilt medal

Small is beautiful at RHS Chelsea - don't miss the Artisan gardens!

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Wed, 22 May 2013 06:16:00 +0000

An Alcove (Tokonoma) Garden - Best Artisan garden and Gold medal winner

If you're visiting Chelsea this week, make sure you visit the eight Artisan Gardens, hidden away in Serpentine Walk - a cluster of small gardens that will give you ideas for your patch at home and where you can get close enough to see the finer details of the planting. Overall winner is the Alcove Garden (above) designed by Kazuyuki Ishihara, which also won a Gold.

"Get Well Soon" - awarded a Silver medal (designed by Kati Crome and Maggie Hughes)

Right next door is "Get Well Soon", which won a silver medal. Sponsored by the National Botanic Garden of Wales and designed by Kati Crome and Maggie Hughes, this garden emphasises the ways in which plants can improve your health, and reflects many of the design features of the sponsor garden in Wales.

Motor Neurone Disease - A Hebridean Weaver's Garden - Gold medal winner

The Hebridean Weaver's Garden (above), designed by Jackie Setchfield and Martin Anderson to reflect the solitary life of an island inhabitant in the 1950s, trying to eke out a living from the land, also won a Gold medal. This is a delightful garden, that makes you realise just how far removed we are from island life in the heart of Chelsea during the Flower Show.

NSPCC Garden of Magical Childhood, designed by Adam Woolcott and Jonathan Smith

The NSPCC Garden of Magical Childhood, designed by Adam Woolcott and Jonathan Smith, and winner of a Silver Gilt medal, reflects nostalgic concepts of our early years, with an enchanting tree house taking centre stage and a collection of vintage toys. Look out for all the pebbles in the wishing pond with their individual messages, inscribed by NSPCC supporters.

Um Garreg, designed by brothers Harry and David Rich, both first timers at Chelsea

Un Garreg (One Stone) also won a Gold medal - this garden, designed by Harry and David Rich - two brothers who are first timers at Chelsea, who've drawn on the Welsh landscape of Brecon where they grew up - is both simple and harmonious and would be easy to replicate at home, if you knew a good dry stone waller!

Walkers' Pine Garden by Graham Bodle won a Silver medal

Walkers' Pine Garden, designed by Graham Bodle takes inspiration from some of Britain's great gardens including Rousham for the rill and Chatsworth for the gold leaf gilding on the obelisks, and shows just how much you can pack into a tiny space, with innovative planting and some interesting features. The wall sculpture celebrates RHS Chelsea's Centenary.

Le Jardin De Yorkshire, designed by Alistair Baldwin Associates

Even simpler is the design of Le Jardin De Yorkshire, inspired by the county's successful bid to host the 2014 start of the Tour de France. The water feature at the front of the garden lists many of the villages and towns that cyclists will visit when they set off next year. This garden won a Silver Gilt medal for designer, Alistair Baldwin Associates.

The Herbert Smith Freehills Garden for WaterAid - a blaze of marigolds

The Herbert Smith Freehills Garden for WaterAid is inspired by the the work of the charity WaterAid in India - a blaze of colour, reflecting the benefits of access to clean water, improved hygiene and sanitation, even when water is scarce. Designed by Patricia Thirion and Janet Honour and winner of a Gold medal.

To see Gold Medal gardens in the Show Garden category at Chelsea this year, click here.

Medal winners announced at RHS Chelsea Centenary Show - Australians awarded Best Show Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:48:00 +0000

The Trailfinders Australian Garden by Fleming's wins Best Show Garden and a Gold medal at Chelsea 2013

The Australians have taken top prize at this year's RHS Chelsea with Trailfinders Australian Garden by Fleming's winning the coveted Best Show Garden and a Gold medal. If you're off to Chelsea this week, you'll love this innovative garden, designed by Phillip Johnson, which showcases native Australian plants, set within an urban setting, while demonstrating the possibilities of sustainable landscaping.

The Arthriis Research UK Garden designed by Chris Beardshaw

To see the rest of the gold medal winners in the Show Garden category scroll down through the pictures below. They are The Arthritis Research UK Garden, designed by Chris Beardshaw (above); the Brewin Dolphin Garden (below); the Laurent-Perrier Garden; the East Village Garden (below); The Homebase Garden - "Sowing the Seeds of Change" in association with the Alzheimer's Society; The Wasteland; the M&G Centenary Garden; the RBC Blue Water Roof Garden and The Telegraph Garden, designed by Christopher Bradley-Hole.

The Brewin Dolphin Garden designed by Robert Myers

East Village Garden designed by Michael Balston and Marie-Louise Agius

Homebase Garden - "Sowing the Seeds of Change" designed by Adam Frost

The Wasteland designed by Kate Gould

The M&G Centenary Garden "Windows through Time" designed by Roger Platt

RBC Blue Water Roof Garden by Nigel Dunnett and The Landscape Agency

The Telegraph Garden designed by Christopher Bradley-Hole

There are 15 Show Gardens this year at Chelsea, as well as the Artisan and Fresh Gardens. Make sure you visit The SeeAbility Garden (below) - it was certainly one of my favourites, along with Le Jardin de Yorkshire, in the Artisan section and Jack Dunkley's Juxtaposition. I shall be featuring more gardens each day this week while RHS Chelsea 2013 is in full flower.

The SeeAbility Garden designed by Darren Hawkes, won a Silver-Gilt medal

Ready for RHS Chelsea 2013? Gnomes to make their first (and last) appearance at centenary show!

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Sun, 19 May 2013 11:27:00 +0000

RHS Chelsea 2013 opens its doors to ticket holders on Tuesday, 21 May

This year's RHS Chelsea promises to be more closely scrutinised than ever by the media and, on the eve of the Centenary show, exhibitors and eager ticket holders are anxiously watching the weather forecast. It's not looking good for the first day, but later in the week there may be clearer skies. Good news for all those who managed to get tickets this year, since they sold out sooner than ever before.
Gnomes are being allowed to make their debut at the show for the first and last time in this centenary year. In the past they came under a ban covering "brightly-coloured mythical creatures", but they will be there in force at Chelsea this week because they are playing an active role in the £1 million RHS Centenary Appeal, with more than 100 well-known personalities including Sir Elton John and Dames Hellen Mirren and Maggie Smith using their skills to decorate the little people, which will then be auctioned on e-Bay.

If the weather is wet at Chelsea, there's always plenty to see in the marquee

The 15 show gardens normally attract the most interest at Chelsea. Many of the usual designers are there and the coveted medal results will be announced on Tuesday, 21st May. In the UK we're all used to hearing about Prince Charles' gardening endeavours, but this year the crowds will be looking out for Prince Harry's efforts in the show garden category because of his involvement in the B&Q Sentebale 'Forget Me Not' garden, designed by Jinny Blom. Sentebale is the Prince's charity in the kingdom of Lesotho in Africa, which aims to help poor and vulnerable children and set up following his gap year visit there in 2004.

For those of you joined at the hip to your I-Phone, there's a new RHS Chelsea 2013 app, downloadable for free and featuring a range of useful information for visitors about exhibitors, split into sections on the show gardens, plus full details of plant and shopping exhibitors and where to find them.

I'm off to Chelsea tomorrow, with umbrella and waterproof clothing, so watch this space. But don't forget Chelsea Fringe, which has its own app downloadable for free detailing all events with dates and location and there's also Chelsea in Bloom. TV coverage starts today (Sunday) on BBC1 at 17.00 and there's daily coverage on BB2 starting Monday at 20.00.

Galloping Gardener Walks © - Catch the best rhododendron displays in Britain

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Sat, 18 May 2013 08:00:00 +0000

The Isabella Plantation in London's Richmond Park has one of the best displays in the country

An exceptionally cold winter here in Britain means that even the rhododendrons and azaleas are blooming later than usual this year, but there are many wonderful gardens around the country where you can now see stunning colour displays as the weather begins to warm up. But what is the difference between the two plants? Millais Nurseries, one of the UK's leading suppliers, says that: "All azaleas are actually rhododendrons, but not all rhododendrons are azaleas." And, if you're confused, rhododendrons are a genus (a group of plants with shared characteristics) whereas azaleas are a group within that genus, but all belong to the Ericaceae family.

Sheffield Park is open year round, but visit now to see the rhododendrons in bloom

The best display in London (and you might want to drop in on the way to Chelsea this week) is to be found at the Isabella Plantation (top). This is undoubtedly one of the capital's best kept secrets, hidden away behind a wrought-iron gate in the heart of Richmond Park and quite apart from being spectacular, the blooms cost nothing to view. You'll find more than 50 different rhododendron species here, as well as the national of collection of Kurume azaleas. The garden is also a notable bird sanctuary and as you wander through the woodland landscape, you'll be astounded by what you hear as well as what you see.

Catch contrasting woodland colours at Ramster - open until June 9 this year

Head south from London and the notable woodland gardens with wonderful colour displays include Borde Hill, Ramster (above), Riverhill Himalayan Garden and Sheffield Park. Sadly, Leonardslee, which was famous the world over for its colour displays at this time of year, is no longer open to the public. It closed in 2010 and although you'll still see road signs directing you there, you can always visit High Beeches instead. And, as all these gardens are quite close to each other, you might want to visit more than one in a day.

High Beeches offers spectacular woodland walks in Sussex and is now in full bloom

Further west, you've got Exbury, which is renowned for its show of spring colour and Furzey Gardens, on a much more personal scale, but with equally spectacular displays. Furzey exhibited at Chelsea for the first time last year and won a gold medal for its "Field of Gold" designed by Chris Beardshaw (below), which has now been recreated back at the garden in Hampshire. I haven't had a chance to visit yet this year, but know from past experience just how lovely this garden is at this time of year.

Chris Beardshaw designed Furzey's winning garden "Field of Gold" at RHS Chelsea 2012

And further north, you've got the Dorothy Clive Garden (below), which left a lasting impression on me when I was last passing through (despite the dismal weather that day), Holker Hall in Cumbria and Bodnant in North Wales. Many smaller gardens nationwide also have good rhododendron shows, so it's worth checking which gardens are open for the NGS in your area. But wherever you choose to visit, there's something magical about the spring light shining through the rhododendron glades around the country.

Even a wet and dismal day can't dampen the colours at the Dorothy Clive Garden

Wordless Wednesday - Whichford - potty about the planting!

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:35:00 +0000

The photographs can tell the story here - I dropped in at Whichford Pottery last week and was absolutely potty about the planting - a real source of eye candy and ideas for your own garden. Definitely worth making a detour for if you're visiting Brook Cottage, Hidcote Manor or Kiftsgate Court.

Rosemary Verey's Cotswold garden - Barnsley House

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Sat, 11 May 2013 19:30:00 +0000

Barnsley House, former home of Rosemary Verey, is now an exclusive hotel

There are some gardens that you have to see, and Barnsley House - former home of Rosemary Verey - is one of them. The property now operates as an exclusive hotel, where the gardens are maintained primarily for guests, but there are a series of open days on the horizon, and if you can find the time to visit you should, because it's an iconic garden, and you'll soon see why this grand dame of English horticulture so appealed to aspiring gardeners in Britain in the last part of the 20th century.

Although the garden is quite small, there are wonderful vistas throughout, giving the illusion of a larger space

Rosemary's husband David Verey, inherited the 17th century manor house from his family in 1951 and together they set about creating the garden that is there today. David was a distinguished architectural historian, and did much of the heavy work in the Barnsley garden, including construction of all the buildings, like the neo-classical temple below, which presides over a pond filled with lilies in the summer. But it was Rosemary, who created the garden that came to be so celebrated in the last quarter of the 20th century, with her unusual ideas and clever planting.

The Temple Garden at Barnsley, featuring a neo-classical building reconstructed by David Verey

It's the clever use of space, garden ornament and grand features borrowed from other larger gardens, but scaled down for a smaller space, that makes Barnsley House so unique. The much-photographed laburnum arch is based on a larger version at Bodnant in North Wales and her potager is modelled on Villandry in France. Combine this with her planting skills, which favoured herbaceous plants, bulbs and clipped topiary and you've got a garden that's not just pleasing to the eye, but also extremely memorable.

The site of the famous laburnum arch at Barnsley - planted with tulips in April

I don't have wonderful pictures of the laburnum arch in flower because when I first went to Barnsley, it was past its peak (below), but visit on one of the open days in the next few weeks and you'll be able to catch this for yourself. When I visited last week, it was planted with tulips (above) and you could see the structure of the arch, but the best is yet to come.

The famous laburnum arch at Barnsley, modelled on a larger one at Bodnant

When you visit Barnsley you'll also be able to see why Rosemary Verey had so much influence on British garden design right up until her death in 2001, with her various books - "The Englishwoman's Garden", "The Classic Garden", and "The Garden in Winter". Today the garden is tended by head gardener, Richard Gatenby, who worked alongside Verey in her latter years. He has continued to nurture the garden and made many changes during the last couple of seasons, giving the garden a cleaner, fresher and less cluttered look.

The potager is filled with spring bulbs in April and May

If you visit, don't forget to cross the lane at the far side of the garden to take in the potager, which is a delight throughout the seasons (even in the rain). It makes its debut in springtime as a canvas of bulbs, with produce interspersed, and moves on to become a charming, scented lavender haven in summer. Espaliered fruit trees are underplanted with flowers and low, shaped box gives structure and form to this mini Villandry.

Rosemary Verey favoured yellow and purple plants in her potager in high summer

Barnsley House first opened to the public in the 1970's for the National Gardens Scheme and by the time Rosemary Verey died, the number of visitors exceeded 40,000 a year. But that has all changed since the house became a hotel. Now it opens for just a few days each year - with three open days later this year - on the 18th May (10.30-17.00) for the annual Barnsley Village Festival, and the 4th June and 13th August for charity, but check website for details.

Clever use of space makes the garden at Barnsley seem much larger than it is

When David Verey died in 1984, Rosemary turned her hand to garden design, writing books and lecturing around the world. She was entirely self taught, but her skills became so celebrated that she was asked by both Prince Charles and Elton John for advice on their gardens. Go and visit Barnsley House for yourself and you will soon see why this English woman gained such a formidable reputation in gardening circles. There are many wonderful gardens nearby, including Cerney House and Misarden Manor if you fancy more than one garden visit in a day.

Catch a spring blaze of colour at Bodnant - and savour the views over Snowdonia

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:23:00 +0000

The Pin Mill at Bodnant - recreated stone by stone when moved from Gloucestershire in 1938

Bodnant, near Colwyn Bay in North Wales, is one of Britain's most visited gardens. It is famous for its outstanding spring colour displays and its legendary laburnum tunnel underplanted with pink azaleas (below) which, at 55 metres is one of the longest in the country. I made my pilgrimage here in 2012 and even though I arrived at opening time, the crowded coach park gave a fair indication of what to expect in terms of crowds. Fortunately the size of the garden - 80 acres - means that you can get away from them.

Partial view of the laburnum arch at Bodnant - there were too many visitors to photograph the whole

Part of the charm of this property is the fact that the garden is so well established. But change may well be on the way because head gardener, Troy Scott Smith, who has been at the helm here for seven years, has now moved to Sissinghurst - another National Trust property that attracts huge numbers of visitors annually. At the time of writing, it has not yet been announced who will be the new head gardener in Wales, but there is a whole team of horticulturists there, so visitors need not worry about the upkeep of these gardens.

The 2nd Lord Aberconway commissioned the stepped terraces around the house at Bodnant

Bodnant has been home to the Aberconway family since 1874, although the original purchaser knew nothing about gardening. Spring heralds the arrival of colour displays found only in well-established woodland gardens and the extensive collections of azaleas, magnolias and rhododendrons - many of which were brought home from plant-hunting expeditions to the East - provide real eye candy for those visiting at this time of year. Autumn is equally impressive when the leaves change colour. Visitors need to explore the Dell (below) to truly appreciate the extent of the woodland garden here - a deep ravine filled with camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons, which descends into the Hiraethlyn valley.

Visitors should not miss The Dell at Bodnant - a steep ravine filled with woodland plants

There was no garden here when the first Aberconway arrived. He was a man called Henry Pochin - a wealthy chemical manufacturer from Salford - who clearly appreciated the outstanding views that the property commands over Snowdonia. But with no horticultural knowledge at all, he had the foresight to commission landscape architect, Edward Milner, to bring structure to the garden. His grandson, the 2nd Lord Aberconway, was responsible for commissioning the series of Italianate terraces below the house.

View of the Pin Mill from the Lily Terrace

When the spring colour disappears, it is these five terraces that visitors enjoy. They descend a west-facing slope and command wonderful views of Snowdonia and include a Lily Terrace which is spectacular later in the season and the Canal terrace, with the much-photographed Pin Mill (top) at the southern end. This building originally graced an estate in Gloucestershire, but was moved brick by brick to Bodnant and work was completed just before the Second World War. To the side of the Canal Terrace is the pergola and lower rose terrace, presided over by the sphinx (below).

The Sphinx presides over the lower rose garden adjacent to the canal garden

In the summer, it is the terrace areas that are planted to appeal to visitors, particularly the upper and lower rose and lily terrace, and the large lawned areas close to the garden entrance, with their shrub borders and the round garden. To the south of the house there is a large parkland area. Bodnant prides itself of offering interest throughout the seasons and on its extensive rhododendron collection, as well as many specimen trees.

There's enough space at Bodnant to get away from the madding crowd

Bodnant is open daily from 10.00-17.00 throughout the summer. Admission is £9.30 for adults and £4.65 for children. Parts of the garden are available to wheelchair users, but not all, because of the large number of steps and terraces and steep gradients. If you are in the area and want to see a very different property, head for Plas Brandanw, the amazing garden created by Clough Williams-Ellis, who also designed the holiday village of Portmeirion.

Roald Dahl's garden openings this summer - follow in the footsteps of the BFG!

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Sat, 04 May 2013 07:22:00 +0000

Gipsy House, where Roald Dahl wrote his children's books, opens for the NGS every year

First sight of Roald Dahl's home, Gipsy House, gives you little insight into the man who brought James and the Giant Peach, the BFG and Fantastic Mister Fox into the lives of children the world over. It's a handsome 18th century farmhouse, with perfect doll's house proportions, set in what would once have been rolling countryside, but now sitting firmly in the heart of commuter-belt Buckinghamshire, in the village of Great Missenden. This is where the popular children's author lived and wrote for 36 years before his death in 1990.

The pleached lime walk leading to Roald Dahl's writing hut

His widow Felicity continues to maintain the one-acre garden that she and her husband created in the decade before his death and Dahl fans can make the pilgrimage to see Gipsy House on the days it opens for the NGS each year. Like all gardens in Britain, it is running a little behind schedule in terms of flowering, but at the first open day on 1st May, the weather was perfect and the garden showed the promise of what's to come later in the season at future open days. Head back in May and June and the spectacular alliums will be in flower!

The children's maze at Gipsy House

The one-acre garden surrounding the house is divided into different spaces on varying levels and includes a sundial garden, a terraced kitchen garden, a children's maze, sunken garden adjacent to the house and a pleached lime walk leading to the author's Writing Hut. At first sight it appears so manicured and charming that you'd never guess the creator of so many inspired childrens' book characters lived here, but look a little harder and you'll begin to see some more clues, like the old painted caravan (below) purchased by Dahl as a toy for his children and featured in Danny, Champion of the World, plus quotations from his books engraved into the flagstones at either end of the maze.

The old painted caravan featured by Dahl in "Danny, Champion of the World"

During his lifetime Dahl was committed to helping seriously ill children and thought nothing of dropping into hospital to read to them or making a special recording of a story for a particular child. His widow, Felicity set up Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity just a year after his death and the charity continues to help children with serious illnesses. Gipsy House opens for the NGS several times each year, and future dates are 23 May, 19 June and 18 July (all 14.00-17.00).

Almost Wordless Wednesday - Magnificent May displays

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Wed, 01 May 2013 06:44:00 +0000

The universe cascade at The Garden of Cosmic Speculation

Portrack House opens its doors to the public again for just one day this year - on Sunday May 5th from noon to 5.00 pm - but get there early if you're visiting because "The Garden of Cosmic Speculation" designed by Charles Jencks and his late wife Maggie Keswick, draws thousands of visitors each year. Definitely worth making the effort to see if you can! I went last year and thoroughly enjoyed my visit.

Expect to see the spectacular at the Pashley Manor Tulip Festival

Tulips on display around the country, but particularly noteworthy are the special displays at Pashley Manor in East Sussex and Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire. These blousy blooms are running a little late this year because of the long and cold winter, so Pashley has extended its Tulip Festival until 9th May.

The laburnum arch at the Dorothy Clive Garden in May

May is traditionally the month for alliums, laburnum and all the woody plants including rhododendrons, so make your way to the Dorothy Clive Garden (above) to enjoy the laburnum arch and stunning colour displays in the wooded areas, or head to Rosemary Verey's iconic garden at Barnsley House during the annual Village Garden Festival, taking place on 18th May.

And then of course, there's RHS Chelsea - surely the most famous Flower Show in the world - celebrating its centenary this year and running from 21-15 May, although I understand that tickets are like gold dust! Every day brings more news about what to look out for this year and I'm lucky enough to be there with my cameras on the first day, so watch this space.

"Bloomsbury Set" gardens blooming in East Sussex - Monks House and Charleston

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Monks House - weekend retreat for Leonard and Virginia Woolf - open five days a week

For a memorable day out in East Sussex, visit the gardens of the well-known Bloomsbury Set sisters, Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell - who resided at Monk's House (above) and Charleston (below), just a stone's throw (approximately half an hour's drive from each other) and both set in beautiful countryside. The good news is that Monks House (previously open for just two afternoons a week) has extended opening hours - daily from 13.00-17.30 except Monday and Tuesday and entry is free to National Trust members.

Charleston where Virginia Woolf's sister, Vanessa Bell lived

Nearby Charleston was the one-time home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, who were part of the Bohemian circle of writers and artists, collectively known as the Bloomsbury Group. It's a pretty farmhouse (above) sheltering beneath the South Downs and there are regular tours of the property for those interested in Vanessa's paintings. There is also a charming walled garden filled to bursting with densely-packed flower beds and a riot of colour. Now run by the Charleston Trust, the garden has been faithfully recreated to look like it did when Vanessa Bell lived here.

The cottage garden adjacent to Monks House, filled to bursting with blousy perennials

Monks House at nearby Rodmell, outside Lewes is a small cottage-style garden, with wonderful views of the South Downs and the Sussex flint church (below). This was a weekend retreat for Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard. And like Charleston, the charm of this garden is the dense planting and vibrant colour displays - every inch of ground in the garden close to the house is packed with stunning perennials that beg you to come back and look again and again, the orchard is filled with fruit trees and the potager where Leonard worked is flourishing.

The orchard at Monks House, overlooked by a Sussex flint church

Neither garden is large, but Arts and Crafts style planting ensures lots of visual delights, with blousy perennials packed tightly in the beds. Charleston is open on the same days as Monks House (Wednesday - Sunday 13.00-18.00) and although the house fills up with Bloomsbury Set admirers intent on catching a glimpse of their Bohemian lifestyle, the garden is rarely crowded and is well worth a visit. It's been faithfully restored to its former glory and is lovely on a summer's day, when you can sit and listen to the birds singing.

The flint-walled garden at Charleston Farmhouse, former home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant

Charleston has a lovely Sussex-flint walled garden, densely packed with cottage-style plants and lots of nooks and crannies to hide in. It's easy to imagine the parties that went here in days gone by, when Vanessa lived here with her menagerie, and wrote: "The house seems full of young people in high spirits ... lying about in the garden which is simply a dithering blaze of flowers and butterflies and apples." If the statues here could speak, I'm sure they'd have stories to tell!

If the statues at Charleston could speak, they'd tell a story of days gone

There's lots of sunshine forecast for this week - for more spring garden ideas click here

You might also visit Great Dixter and Dungeness whilst in the area

Great Dixter to Dungeness in a day - sublime to surreal!

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:48:00 +0000

Great Dixter has featured many times on my blog over the years, but my visit yesterday was particularly special because I went with friend and fellow blogger, Ronnie of Hurtled to 60 and Now Beyond, for whom I have the greatest admiration. Ronnie recounts her personal story on her blog about her fight against bowel cancer and although much of her life is currently taken up with her battle against "Eric", which you can read about for yourself, we have promised each other that we will visit gardens together whenever we can this summer.

Some tulips are beginning to bloom at Great Dixter, but the garden is running well behind this year

Ronnie had never been to Great Dixter before, and I had promised to surprise her with a visit to somewhere new. As luck (and endless perusal of the weather forecast) would have it, the day dawned bright and clear, which is a remarkably rare occurrence in England this spring. Great Dixter was looking good, despite the lack of sunshine so far this year and although the garden is running well behind on terms of what's in bloom, my fellow blogger was delighted when she realised where we were going because this was her first visit.

The Great Dixter meadow is filled with fritillarias

There's little doubt that Dixter is a sublime garden, created originally by gardening guru and author, Christo Lloyd, but continuing to attract visitors from all over the world under the successful stewardship of Fergus Garrett as head gardener, who worked closely with Christo for many years before his death in 2006. It's particularly glorious at this time of year, when you can see the bare bones of the garden and the basic structure before all the perennials rise to dizzy heights and obscure the earthy skeleton which prevails in winter.

Now is a good time to see the bare bones of the garden at Great Dixter

Particularly glorious at this time of year is the meadow filled with the remnants of daffodils and bobbing purple and white fritillarias, plus all the brightly-coloured potted plants at the main entrance to the house. The tulips are beginning to bloom and the magnolias are magnificent, but get there quickly if you want to catch them, because they'll soon be gone and the beds will begin to fill with the riot of colour that the garden is renowned for in high summer.

The Beach Bistro is just half an hour's drive from Dixter

After our visit, we needed lunch and whilst I don't normally write about restaurants here, the place we went was so good, that I'm flagging it up for fellow gardeners who make the pilgrimage to Great Dixter this summer. There are, of course, many pubs locally, but I've yet to find one that I really like, and the food and the service at The Beach Bistro near Rye, is well worth making the half-hour drive to if you want a perfect meal. We had a really delicious lunch - fish is the main offering here - all locally sourced, but combine that with excellent service and charming decor and you're onto a winner. Although I suspect that you'll need to book well ahead during the summer months because Camber Sands is a popular beach destination.

Prospect Cottage, former home of film director Derek Jarman, at Dungeness

While at lunch, we realised that we weren't far from Derek Jarman's cottage and seaside garden at Dungeness - an unlikely spot for a holiday home when you consider that one of the country's largest power stations is just a stone's throw away. But having tracked down the charming timber house with bright yellow windows and wandered down to the sea, you could see the attraction of living here on a sunny day. Sadly, there was little in bloom, but for a really good review and pictures, check out wellywoman's blog.

Prospect Cottage is not open to the public, but you can see it from the road and a telephoto lens affords a good view of the garden with all its driftwood sculptures and the writing on the wall of the house is taken from John Donne's "The Sunne Rising". You can access the sea from the other side of the road. Ronnie and I plan to return when Dixter is in full bloom, because that's when this charming garden will also be at its best.

Wordless Wednesday - Magnificent magnolias in bloom ... spring is here at last!

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:10:00 +0000

Spectacular spring gardens - Sir Harold Hillier, Hampshire

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Early flowering magnolias outside Jermyn's House

Spring is definitely in the air today so get out and visit a garden! Why not head for Sir Harold Hillier's former home in Hampshire - a glorious 180-acre garden, just outside Romsey? And although this famous plantsman, who trained with his father as a nurseryman, is more commonly associated with the chain of Hillier nurseries around the country that carry his name, the garden and arboretum he created during his life is worth more than a passing visit because it has something to see throughout the seasons, and now is the time to see glorious displays of early flowering spring blossoms and great drifts of daffodils.

The garden is currently filled with spring colour - drifts of daffodils and many types of magnolia are in bloom

This garden is a credit to Hampshire County Council, which has run the garden since it was given to them by Hillier in 1977. It is immaculately maintained and constantly evolving. At the moment the Centenary Border - which provides a blaze of colour in the summer months - is being replanted. But there are so many different spring flowers in bloom elsewhere in the garden that the upheaval created by the replanting at the heart of the site does little to detract from the blaze of colour elsewhere.

The Winter Garden is looking particularly good and is filled with hellebores, camellias and some exceptional early flowering magnolias; the Himalayan Garden is sporting many fine camellias and early rhododendrons; and Magnolia Avenue, adjacent to Jermyn's House, where Sir Harold spent most of his life, is looking stunning. Elsewhere in the garden, there is already the promise of abundant summer colour as leaves are beginning to form on the trees and perennials are beginning to thicken on the ground.

Vibernum Farreri in the Winter Garden - which smells wonderful

This is a remarkable garden when you consider that Sir Harold only moved here in 1953 - it boasts more than 42,000 plants and is home to one of the largest collections of champion trees anywhere in the country. It is also home to more than 10 national plant collections. But what's really worth noting, is that it's open throughout the year, and careful planning by the Council means that there is always something to see here, even in mid winter. Spring, summer and autumn are just the icing on the cake! There are also talks, walks and other events held here throughout the year.

Acer Negundo - an interesting texture!

The gardens are open every day from 10.00 - 18.00 and admission is £9.10 for adults. But if you're likely to visit more than a couple of times, it's worth buying an annual pass for £31.00, which also gives you free admission to the Botanical Gardens at Kew, Wakehurst Place, the National Botanic Garden of Wales and the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, especially when you consider that a single adult entry to Kew costs £16.00!

Daphniphyllum Humile

Colour and texture is all part of the excitement of this garden. Sir Harold Hillier collected plants from all over the world and you'll find many species here that are unique, but just as impressive as the range of plants is the labelling. When you find a plant you don't recognise, you'll also find a label to tell you what it is!