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Gardens for all Seasons - West Dean, Sussex

October 18, 2012, 1:11 am
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One of West Dean's four "rustic" summer houses, flanked by autumn borders
The days are getting shorter, there's a chill in the air and most British gardens are closed for the winter. But in the next few months, I shall be visiting the few that stay open throughout the year and looking at what they have to offer through the seasons. West Dean near Chichester in Sussex is looking particularly good this month, with borders still in flower, a fine autumn vegetable collection in the walled garden and an orchard full of apples. Combine this with stunning views over the South Downs, and an arboretum where the trees are donning their autumn leaves and it's a great place to take a walk in the winter months.
Brightly-coloured chard stems in the walled garden at West Dean
West Dean has always been renowned for its walled garden - there are a total of 13 glasshouses in this section of the garden, plus three large cold frames. The majority were manufactured by Foster & Pearson at the end of the 19th century, and today they house a prodigious range of squashes, chillies, fruits, vines and hot-house plants - which make for varied viewing throughout the seasons. But particularly impressive in the autumn are the vegetables - including many types of chard with its colourful stems, huge cabbages and root crops - especially when viewed in the watery October sunshine.
Rows of immaculately-tended vegetables in the walled garden at West Dean
The Domesday Book chronicles the first Manor that stood on the estate a thousand years ago, although the Gothic mansion that stands there today was designed by James Wyatt at the beginning of the 19th century. Caroline Harcourt inherited the estate shortly after the house had been rebuilt and had the vision to plant the arboretum that is still there today, even though many trees were felled in the Great Storm of 1987. While she was hard at work in Sussex, her brother-in-law was planting the Harcourt Arboretum near Oxford. 
There is always something on show in the 19th century glasshouses
New life was breathed into West Dean in 1892 when it was purchased by William James, at the start of an era when decorative gardens were becoming fashionable. He was heir to a substantial American fortune, had a beautiful Scottish wife and moved in the same social circles as the Prince of Wales. And, in an effort to make both house and grounds suitably impressive for royal visits, he employed Harold Peto of Iford Manor and Buscot Park fame to help him. Gertrude Jekyll was also brought in to design a water garden to the west of the house, but it was Peto who really made his mark with the 300 foot pergola that remains one of the most notable features of the gardens today (below).  
Harold Peto designed the 300 foot pergola at West Dean and Gertrude Jekyll created a water garden
Although a major feature at West Dean, the pergola is somewhat incongruous in this garden, standing alone on a East-West axis at the rear of the house. It uses 62 classical columns as the central theme, with a handsome gazebo at one end, a reflecting pool in the middle and steps leading down to a Sunken Garden (currently under restoration) at the other end. It was both restored and replanted after the 1987 storm and a new border was added on the south side as part of a plan to "root the structure into the surrounding garden". It's a notable feature of the garden, whatever the season, although you rarely see its true shape except in deep mid winter when the columns are naked and exposed to the elements.
When William James died, his son, Edward inherited the estate although he spent little time in at West Dean, or in England due to an unhappy marriage and a wanderlust that took him repeatedly to Mexico. But fortunately he had a great interest in the arts and in 1964 had the foresight to set up the Edward James Foundation which survives today, and offers courses in traditional crafts, visual arts and music. Nearly half a century later, West Dean is recognised as both an outstanding college and a remarkable garden. There are also many food and gardening courses on offer throughout the year (further details here).
West Dean gardens remain open for 11 months of the year, only closing between 24 December and 31 January. Summer opening times (1 March - 31 October) are 10.30-17.00 and winter opening hours are 10.30-16.00. Admission is £9.00 for adults and £1 for children. RHS members are entitled to free entry from October to April, and Historic Houses Association (HHA) members are admitted free throughout the year. 
One of the mysteries of West Dean is the River Lavant that sometimes flows through the garden. The reason for its intermittent existence is that it's a "winterbourne" - a stream that dries up in the summer. A real case of now you see it, now you don't. But this year was the exception - the wettest summer on record meant that the Lavant was always present!
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Gardens for all Seasons - Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and Arboretum

October 22, 2012, 10:00 am
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Autumn colours at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Hampshire
As I watch the weather forecast with increasing trepidation, hoping for a break in the rain to see gardens in their autumn glory, I must face facts and accept that winter's coming! Many of the gardens I know and love are closing their doors; gardeners are sweeping up the autumn leaves; the clocks soon change; and there's no getting away from the fact that we'll soon be into fog and frost. But there are some gardens that remain open throughout the winter months and I spent several hours at one of them last week.
Hillier's Acer Valley is spectacular in October and November
During a brief burst of wintry sunshine, I visited the  Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Hampshire - one of my favourites throughout the year, but particularly fine in autumn, with its acer valley and heather garden, and you'll find colour here to gladden your heart in the next few months, especially on a frosty day. The Winter Garden is the largest in Europe and is filled with wonderful, colourful barks and stems that will brighten your spirits on the shortest day, particularly the dogwoods and witch hazels.
Subtle colours in the bog garden at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens
The 180-acre site was once home to Sir Harold Hillier, a passionate plant collector, who lived in the heart of the grounds in Jermyns House; worked for his family nursery business and spent most of his life collecting plants. The gardens today are a reminder of his passion for plants and trees and, with a staggering 12,500 different species of woody plants, it has one of the finest collections of hardy shrubs and trees anywhere in the world. He also left a legacy on the Isle of Wight, at the Ventnor Botanic Garden - originally used by this innovative plant collector to nurture his exotic plant collections.
The Centenary Border has been redesigned and replanted
There are many different areas within the grounds and there's year-round interest here - there's a bog garden; Gurkha garden, featuring a wide range of Nepalese plants; heather garden; Winter Garden; children's discovery area; many unusual trees; wonderful vistas over the surrounding countryside; and an annual sculpture exhibition, which runs until the end of October, so every corner you turn reveals another surprise. This year also saw the opening of the new Centenary Border, which has been completely redesigned and replanted during the last 12 months (above).
The gardens host an annual "Art in the Garden" exhibition
The arboretum has many wonderful specimen trees and provides colour throughout the seasons. Particularly noteworthy is the labelling at the gardens, and you will see many plants that catch your eye. All are marked, so if you want to grow them at home, you know what to look for. Plant collections here are arranged by habitat (e.g. Bog Garden, Winter Garden)  and by genus (e.g. Oak Field or Acer Valley). There's a nursery on site, but you can also visit any one of the Hillier nurseries around the country, or look online.
Winter colours in the heather garden
The gardens have been run by the County Council since Sir Harold donated both house and grounds to Hampshire in 1977 - but they they have continued to nurture and maintain his dream, so that everyone can enjoy his legacy, and the result is a truly remarkable garden. With 42,000 plants representing some 12,000 species and the largest number of NCCPG National Plant Collections to be found on any site in the UK - 13 in total - the gardens have developed a worldwide reputation. 
The Winter Garden is the largest in Europe and well worth visiting
It's well worth considering an annual membership here, because for just £29.95 you can visit whenever you want, but just as tempting are their reciprocal arrangements with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Wakehurst Place; National Botanic Garden of Wales and the Birmingham Botanic Gardens. Members get free admission to all these gardens, as well as free visitor passes for the main gardens here in Hampshire. Certainly a great idea for a Christmas present if you have a keen garden visitor within the family!
Spring time offers wonderful magnolia displays to visitors
The gardens are open throughout the year (except Christmas and Boxing Day, from 10.00-18.00 (April-October) and 10.00-17.00 (November-March). Admission is £8.95 for adults; under 16s go free. Happy visiting!
For more garden visits, click here
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"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn."

October 24, 2012, 9:40 am
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"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn."
 Elizabeth Lawrence
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Gardens for all Seasons - RHS Wisley

October 28, 2012, 12:18 pm
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Wisley in October - view across the rock garden to the glasshouse
It doesn't matter where you go at Wisley, or what time of year you visit, because there'll always be something to see at the Royal Horticultural Society's (RHS) 240-acre flagship garden. The RHS originally had its headquarters in London, but moved here when Sir Thomas Hanbury of La Mortola fame, gifted the site to them in 1903.  Students come here from all over the world to study horticulture both as professionals and amateurs and visitors number around 750,000 per year. 
The glasshouse borders at RHS Wisley in late October
Wisley has something for everyone.  At the entrance there are formal canal gardens in front of the main house laid out by Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe and Lanning Roper in the 1960s, which include two walled gardens. Beyond this there's a Wild Garden and an area known as Seven Acres, where the planting focuses on the four seasons - it's here that you will see thousands of daffodils in spring and glorious colours in autumn.
Late-autumn colour at RHS Wisley on a chilly October day
Borders are a major feature at Wisley and you'll see every kind of perennial as you climb the hill between the splendid double borders (originally designed by Piet Oudolf) that lead to the trial test bed area featuring both ornamental and edible plants; but equally impressive are the Glasshouse Borders (above), and the Monocot Borders (below), which you can view on the way to the model gardens, which will give aspiring gardeners much to think about as they wander through the selection of "rooms" that are roughly the same size as English townhouse gardens.
The Monocot Borders at Wisley
The Rock and Alpine Meadow Garden was the first area to be developed after the RHS  received Wisley as a gift and there is always something to see here, whatever the season. It was originally designed by Edward White in 1911, but as the Millennium approached, rock gardens were decidedly unfashionable and renovation work carried out in 2004 included the addition of a new Japanese-style landscape, complete with waterfall. Today this part of the garden sits in perfect harmony with the rest of Wisley notwithstanding changes in horticultural fashion. 
The annual Butterfly Exhibition runs from 12 January - 24 February 2013
The latest addition to the garden is the giant Glasshouse, designed and built to coincide with the bicentenary of the RHS and opened by the the Queen in June 2007. It covers an area the size of ten tennis courts, and houses three climatic zones - from tropical jungle to arid desert - and provides a dramatic backdrop to year-round plant displays that include more than 5,000 cultivated plants including orchids, cacti and glossy tree ferns. But it's the annual Butterfly Exhibition that really brings this cathedral-like structure to life - delighting all ages! It runs from 12 January - 24 February in 2013.
Spring flowers at RHS Wisley
RHS Wisley is open every day of the year except Christmas Day, from 10.00-18.00 in summer and 10.00-16.30 in winter (9.00 opening at weekends). Entrance is £10.50 for adults and £4.50 for children (give ages), but free to RHS members. Well worth considering an annual membership if you live near any of the RHS gardens in the UK - in Devon, Essex, Surrey or Yorkshire, because membership, costing just £38.25 covers all four gardens and you'll also receive the RHS magazine - "The Garden" - every month, as well as free entry to other RHS designated gardens around the country.
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Gardens for all seasons - Sheffield Park, East Sussex - spectacular autumn colours!

October 30, 2012, 10:30 am
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Sheffield Park is famous for its dazzling autumn colour displays
There's little doubt that winter's on the way when English gardens close their gates and the mists start rolling in off the sea and leave us swathed in gray until mid morning. So as part of my ongoing series of "gardens for all seasons" that remain open throughout the year, today's post is about Sheffield Park in East Sussex. This magnificent garden always comes to light at this time of year because of its stunning autumn colours, but in reality, it's a wondrous garden throughout the year and is only closed on Christmas Day.
Huge expanses of water ensure that the autumn reflections are particularly memorable at Sheffield Park 
It's the huge expanses of water and the planting around the lakes at Sheffield Park that makes this landscape so memorable because you get wonderful reflections, particularly from the maples and scarlet oaks at this time of year. There are no formal beds of herbaceous borders here, since this is primarily a woodland garden, but in springtime, there are masses of rhododendrons and azaleas, which give as good a display as the autumn colours.
Both Capability Brown and Humphrey Repton worked here after the property was acquired by the Holroyd family in 1769. But today's planting is largely due to Arthur Soames, who purchased the estate in 1909 and embarked on a major planting programme and built up a magnificent collection of exotic trees, conifers and shrubs suited to the acidic soils found here. He also extended the top lakes and called in Messrs Pulham, who created the Rock Garden at RHS Wisley, to build the cataract between the top and second lake.
The big freeze of 2010 when all the lakes at Sheffield Park froze
In winter too, the scenes are spectacular, particularly if a big freeze comes like in the winter of 2009/10 and the lakes ice over, giving an eerie silence to the garden because the water in the lakes stops flowing (above and below). But Sheffield Park is still stunning in wintertime because Arthur Soames planted so many evergreen trees so there is always something to see here. Definitely a garden for all seasons.
When spring comes, life begins again at Sheffield Park as the daffodils and bluebells arrive. They are followed by spectacular displays of rhododendrons (below) - once again reflected in the lakes. Virginia Woolf, who lived at nearby Monk's House, described them as "massed upon the banks ... and when the wind passes over the real flowers, the water flowers shake and break into each other." 
In springtime, it's the rhododendrons and azaleas that steal the show here at Sheffield Park
The National Trust acquired several hundred acres of the gardens when the estate was broken up in the mid 1950's, although the house remains in private ownership. It has now become one of their flagship garden properties and attracts record numbers of visitors each year, particularly in the autumn. For other suggestions on spectacular autumn gardens to visit, use this link.
Sheffield Park is open throughout the year every day except 25 December, from 10.30 to 17.30 until 31 October, and 16.00 from 1 November. Admission is £8.10 for adults, £4.05 for children, and free to National Trust members. Do try and get there early if you're planning to see the autumn colours, because the car park can get very full on sunny days and you may have to queue to get into the parking areas.
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Thoughtful Thursday. Autumn hues to beat the weather blues!

November 1, 2012, 10:06 am
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The Galloping Gardener © recommends Great British Gardens in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire

November 4, 2012, 10:42 am
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The fountains at Ascott were designed by Thomas Waldo Story
There are many wonderful gardens within easy driving distance of London, and in the first of a new series, which replaces my annual "Alphabet" round-up, I'm going to review the notable gardens within the various counties I've visited over the last three years. Every year, the list grows and although this year has been a battle against the elements, I thought it would be helpful for readers to be able to see an overview of notable gardens by geographical area for future reference. Today I step into the Home Counties of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire to show what's on offer.
The box and yew sundial at Ascott
Ascott in Buckinghamshire, is one of the great landscape gardens, with magnificent views over the Vale of Aylesbury - a mix of formal gardens and innovative new design and one-time home of Baron Mayer de Rothschild. Main features of the garden include impressive topiary - particularly the huge sundial of golden box and yew (above); wonderfully OTT fountains sculpted by the American art historian, Thomas Waldo Story; stunning borders along the formal Madeira Walk; a wild garden and the Long Walk designed by Arabella Lennox-Boyd. Open April to September in the afternoons - check website for details (National Trust - free to members).
Chenies Manor House has a spectacular spring tulip display
Chenies Manor House is a wonderful spring garden - renowned for its fantastic tulip displays in the Sunken Garden adjacent to the 500-year old, Grade I listed, brick house. There are five acres of grounds here, including a Physic garden, white garden, kitchen garden and a labyrinth maze. It's also worth taking a tour of the house, which has hosted both Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth in the past. In the summer months the tulips are replaced with bedding plants, so there's always a good display here. But opening times are VERY restricted - Wednesdays and Thursdays only from 14.00-17.00, plus Bank Holiday Mondays.
Claydon House has a magnificent two-acre walled garden
Claydon House has been home to the Verney family since 1620 and is a fine Georgian house with Rococo interiors, but head for the gardens here and you'll have a wonderful surprise. They are operated independently from the National Trust house and are open Saturdays through Wednesday, from March until the end of October, 12.00-17.00. Highlights here include the two-acre walled kitchen garden, a new Florence Nightingale garden and magnificent rose garden created by the current Lady Verney. Just half an hour's drive from Ascott (above), if you want to combine both properties in a day.
Cliveden - Thomas Waldo Story was commissioned to design this fountain too
Another "grand" Buckinghamshire garden is Cliveden - rich in scandal during the 20th century and burnt to the ground twice in the past, but now restored to its former glory and operating as a hotel. The gardens are operated by the National Trust and are open throughout the year.  First laid out in the 18th century as landscape gardens, William Waldorf Astor added his own particular stamp when he acquired the property in 1893 and added some of his impressive statuary to the grounds. You'll find formal gardens here and an impressive parterre at the front of the house, plus a Japanese garden, and another fountain commissioned from Thomas Waldo Story (see Ascott above). The grounds here extend over several hundred acres.
The Swiss Garden has fine rhododendron and azalea displays in springtime
The Swiss Garden is a hidden Bedfordshire gem and a fine example of a Victorian garden. Named after the bewitching thatched cottage at the heart of the garden, which was reputedly built by former owner, Lord Ongley for his Swiss mistress. You won't find borders and flower beds here, but you will find traditional wrought ironwork, stained glass windows, a impressive grotto and several interesting buildings dotted around the very green landscape. Located next door to the Shuttleworth Collection, which features an array of vintage planes, you could distract non-gardeners with these, while you wander round the grounds. Open throughout the year, but particularly impressive in springtime when the rhododendrons and azaleas are in flower.
Waddesdon Manor has one of the finest parterres in the country
You'd be forgiven for thinking that you'd sauntered into French chateau country when you arrive at Waddesdon Manor. The house was commissioned for another de Rothschild - this time Baron Ferdinand - and has fine formal gardens and one of the best parterres in the country, which is replanted throughout the year to ensure that its seen to best advantage throughout the seasons. Features here include 160 acres of grounds, including the formal gardens, and a Rococo aviary, recently restored, which was commissioned at the end of the 19th century to house the Baron's birds. Operated by the National Trust, Waddesdon remains open throughout the year.
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The Galloping Gardener © recommends Great British Gardens in Essex

November 8, 2012, 2:01 am
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The Beth Chatto Gardens remain open throughout the year
Essex has more than its fair share of wonderful gardens and arboretums and although few of us think of this arid county as being a garden destination, it is home to some of the most popular and unusual plots in Britain. Beth Chatto, plantswoman extraordinaire settled outside Colchester and created a garden from nothing; Sir Frederick Gibberd chose Harlow as his home and filled his garden with unusual statuary and sculpture; while Hugh Johnson, noted tree (and wine) expert has made a garden nearer to the Suffolk border. 
Beth Chatto's Gravel Garden has become a source of inspiration for gardeners in a changing climate
At the Beth Chatto Gardens near Colchester, the world-famous plantswoman has created a seven-acre horticultural oasis from a neglected hollow in the middle of nowhere over the last half century. Beth Chatto is renowned both for her plant philosophy and her best-selling books dedicated to either shade-loving or drought-tolerant plants. This garden is a delight and draws visitors from all over the world. The Gravel Garden (above) is a relatively new addition to the property, and is devoted to drought-tolerant plants. It's an inspiration to gardeners seeking new ideas to deal with climate change. There's also an excellent nursery. Open throughout the year, opening at 9.00 Monday-Saturday and 10.00 on Sundays.
Green Island is a striking triangular plot, offering stunning garden "rooms" and a woodland paradise 
If you're in this neck of the woods, you can't miss Green Island - another plantsman's paradise created by Fiona Edmond at nearby Ardleigh - and open daily (except Monday and Saturday) from February for the snowdrops, right through to the end of November. This is a 20-acre triangular garden, with a series of "rooms" close to the house and woodland borders further afield. Planting is designed for year-round interest and work is ongoing in the woodland areas. Themes for the smaller gardens include Japanese, seaside and dry garden planting schemes. Quite different from other gardens you'll see and a terrific venue for children because there's so much space for them to run around in. 
RHS Hyde Hall remains open throughout the year and is an inspiration to amateur gardeners
Hyde Hall is the RHS garden of the East and is well worth visiting if you're in the vicinity of Chelmsford. One of four Royal Horticultural Society gardens nationwide, this is designed and planted with the amateur gardener in mind, providing inspiration for planting schemes throughout the seasons. The land here was bequeathed to the Society by private donors as recently as 1993 and although there was already a flourishing garden here, much has been done to improve the planting and provide year-round interest for visitors. As with the two previous Essex gardens, there is an interesting Dry Garden, which actively demonstrates how carefully chosen plants can thrive in this arid part of the country. Open daily throughout the year.
Marks Hall is an arboretum with a wonderfully renovated 18th century walled garden
Marks Hall is more arboretum than garden, but has an amazing new walled garden, which opened to the public in 2003. With more than 200 acres here and the trees planted on a geographical basis, representing the world's temperate zones, there is plenty to see throughout the year. A fantastic place to walk, although only open Friday to Sunday during midwinter. It's the newly-designed walled garden that really draws visitors during the summer months - the 18th century brick walls have been retained on three sides and the fourth side opens onto the lake, but this creates a micro-climate and exotic plants flourish here.  
Hugh Johnson has created a Sylvan landscape at Saling Hall in Essex
Heading north towards the Suffolk border, world-renowned wine critic Hugh Johnson has created a Sylvan landscape at Saling Hall. But wine is not his only area of expertise and Johnson is also a tree lover, who has spent the last 35 years creating an unusual garden that opens throughout the high-season summer months for the NGS. You'll find many rare trees and shrubs here and it's a joy to wander throughout the 12 acres, sit by one of the many ponds or pretend you're back in ancient Greece in the mini temple of Pisces. 
You'll find ancient architectural artefacts alongside modern sculpture at The Gibberd Garden
Hugh Johnson also played an active part in saving The Gibberd Garden, created by the architect and master planner who was responsible for putting nearby Harlow on the map in post-war Britain. This is an extraordinary garden, well worth visiting, not just for the spectacles you see - with more than 80 pieces on display - modern sculptures alongside ancient architectural effects, including four urns from Coutts Bank (above). This rolling landscape is like a stage set, filled with terraces and patios, and an impressive lime avenue. Make the effort to get here - you won't be disappointed. Open from April to September at weekends and on Wednesdays.
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Walk with wildfowl at the London Wetland Centre - a November treat!

November 14, 2012, 8:58 am
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Statue of Sir Peter Scott at the entrance to the London Wetland Centre
Today was one of those beautiful, clear and chilly November days, so what better place to explore this afternoon than the London Wetland Centre in Barnes? This is one of nine English sites managed by The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), originally founded in 1946 by Sir Peter Scott. The site is an extraordinary achievement - 42 hectares of of wetlands - located in south-west London and home to both resident and visiting birds throughout the year. It's a wonderful place to walk on a sunny day and a fascinating place to take the children, because you can get close enough to the winged residents to really enjoy them.
View from the Observatory over the main lake at the London Wetland Centre
You couldn't get much better viewing conditions than today - clear blue skies, reflected in the huge blue water pools that make up the wetland setting, with fine views over the capital. But you wouldn't know you were so close to the city centre, because all you can hear are the calls of the birds and the odd metal wings beating their way towards Heathrow Airport. The site was formerly owned by Thames Water who used the former reservoirs to supply drinking water to the local community, but an ambitious project involving Thames, the WWT and a property developer, ensured that the site was secured as a Wetland centre for both man and nature to share and enjoy.
The Wetland Centre was opened in May 2000 - it comprises 42 acres of wetland setting just a few miles from central London
Work began on the site in 1995, just a few years after Sir Peter Scott had died. The reservoirs were transformed into lakes, pools and marshes, reed beds and wet fen meadows, each connected by sluice gates, but providing a constantly flowing water supply. By 1997 the landscaping and engineering work was completed and planting begun - in the next few years more than 300,000 aquatic plants, 25,000 trees and hundreds of rare native bulbs including fritillaries and marsh orchids were planted. And today, the site is unique not just for its wildfowl and visiting birds, but also its plant life. It was officially opened by Sir David Attenborough in May 2000.
More than 25,000 trees were planted on the site between 1995 and 2000 and 300,000 aquatic plants
Bird lovers come here for the wildfowl - both resident and migrant - and the Centre has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of the huge numbers of shoveler and gadwall duck that spend the winter here. There were certainly many bobbing tails when I visited today. But elsewhere there is plenty of interest for garden lovers too, as the trees begin to mature and the plants provide year-round interest. There is also a sustainable gardens exhibit featuring three separate designs, all exploring the concept of sustainability, including the Slate one below.
The Slate Garden is one of the sustainable gardens on show at The Wetlands Centre
The London Wetland Centre is open daily throughout the year (except on Christmas Day) from 09.30-18.00 in the summer months (April- October) and from 09.30-17.00 in the winter (November-March). Admission is £9.99 for adults and £5.55 for children, aged 4-16 (under four's go free). Annual membership of the WWT is £37.00 which gives free admission to all nine centres nationwide - well worth considering if you're an avid bird watcher! 
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Fantastic hues at Kew - on a foggy November morning

November 18, 2012, 12:31 pm
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Few words today, as I shall let the pictures tell the story from the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. There was plenty to see, even on a foggy November morning last week. The leaves are still rich in colour and there's a David Nash sculpture exhibition that runs through until April 2013. And then there's the glass houses - where you'll always find something on display. Open daily throughout the year (except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) from 9.30. Winter closing is at 16.15, with last entry 30 minutes earlier. 
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Best British Gardens - A Directory

November 19, 2012, 5:26 am
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The following is a list of gardens in the UK and Europe that I've visited personally since I started this blog in 2009. It's growing all the time as I continue to visit more gardens. The list is by no means exhaustive and I've visited many gardens that are not included - why? If a garden doesn't make the grade for me, I don't write about it! But that's not to say it won't appeal to other garden visitors.

Thank you for all your visits so far and I hope you'll continue to drop in as my list of gardens grows. Click on the link and it will take you to the garden review. If you're looking for places to stay when visiting gardens, click on the pages link under the header. Happy garden visiting!


Arley Hall, Cheshire
ENGLAND

Abbey House, Wiltshire
Alfriston Clergy House, East Sussex
Apple Court, Hampshire
Arley Hall, Cheshire
Arundel Castle Gardens, West Sussex
Ascott, Buckinghamshire
Asthall Manor, Oxon
Athelhampton House, Dorset

Chenies Manor, Buckinghamshire
Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden, Cornwall
Beth Chatto Gardens, Essex
Bonython Garden, Cornwall
Borde Hill, West Sussex
Bourton House, Gloucestershire
Bramdean House, Hampshire
*Open for NGS and by appt                            
Brandy Mount House, Hampshire
*Open for NGS and by appt                       
Brook Cottage, Oxon
Brook Farm, Worcestershire
Bury Court, Hampshire
Denmans Garden, Sussex
Buscot Park, Oxon

Caerhays Castle, Cornwall
Castle Drogo, Devon
Carwinion, Cornwall
Cerney House, Gloucestershire
Charts Edge, Kent
Chartwell, Kent
Charleston, East Sussex
Cherkley Court, Surrey
**Check website for details
Claydon House, Buckinghamshire
Cliveden, Buckinghamshire
Beth Chatto Gardens, Essex
Coleton Fishacre, Devon
Colesbourne Park, Gloucestershire
Cothay Manor, Somerset
Coughton Court, Warwickshire
Cranborne Manor, Dorset
Crossing House, Cambridgeshire

Denmans Garden, West Sussex
Docton Mill, Devon
Docwra's Manor, Cambridgeshire
Doddington Place, Kent
Dorothy Clive Garden, Staffordshire
Driftwood, East Sussex
Dunsborough Park, Surrey

East Lambrook Manor, Somerset
Easton Walled Gardens, Lincs
Easton Walled Gardens, Lincolnshire
Ecclesden Manor, West Sussex
Eden Project, Cornwall
Englefield House, Berkshire
Exotic Garden, Norfolk
Exbury, Hampshire

Forde Abbey, Dorset
Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire
Furzey Gardens, Hampshire

Gibberd Garden, Essex
Gilbert White's House, Hampshire
Glen Chantry, Essex                                                
** Check website for details
Glendurgan, Cornwall
Godinton House, Kent
Godolphin, Cornwall
Goodnestone Park, Kent
Gravetye Manor, West Sussex
Great Comp, Kent
Great Dixter, East Sussex
Great Fosters, Surrey
Green Island Gardens, Essex
Gresgarth Hall, Lancashire
Iford Manor (The Peto Garden)
Greys Court, Oxon
Groombridge Place, Kent

Hampton Court, Herefordshire
Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden, Surrey
Heale House Garden, Wiltshire
Herstmonceux Castle, East Sussex
Hergest Croft, Herefordshire
Hestercombe Gardens, Somerset
Hidcote Manor, Gloucestershire
High Beeches, West Sussex
Highdown Gardens, West Sussex
Hole Park, Kent
Houghton Lodge, Wiltshire
How Caple Court, Herefordshire

Iford Manor (The Peto Garden), Wiltshire
Hidcote Manor, Gloucestershire
Ightham Mote, Kent

Kelmscott Manor, Gloucestershire (William
Morris' country home)
Kew (Royal Botanical) Gardens, London
Kiftsgate Court, Gloucestershire
King John's Lodge, East Sussex
Knole Park, Kent

Lake House, Hampshire                              
Leonardslee Gardens, West Sussex
**Sold 2010
Larmer Tree Gardens, Wiltshire
Levens Hall, Cumbria
Little Malvern Court, Worcestershire
Lamorran House, Cornwall
Sizergh Castle, Cumbria
Little Wantley, West Sussex
*NGS and by appointment
London Wetland Centre
Longstock Park, Wiltshire
*Limited opening - check website
Loseley Park, Surrey
Lowther Castle, Cumbria
Lullingstone Castle, Kent                                
*See The World Garden (below)
Lytes Cary Manor, Somerset

Manor House, Upton Grey, Hants
Mapperton House, Dorset
Marks Hall Arboretum, Essex
Marle Place, Kent
Marwood Hill, Devon
Master's Garden (Lord Leycester Hospital),
The World Garden at Lullingstone Castle, Kent
Warwickshire
Merriments Gardens, East Sussex
Marks Hall, Essex
Michelham Priory, East Sussex
Mill Dene, Gloucestershire
Misarden Park, Gloucestershire
Monks House, East Sussex
Moors Meadow, Herefordshire
Mottistone Manor, Isle of Wight
Pashley Manor, East Sussex
Parham House, West Sussex
Pensthorpe, Norfolk
**Piet Oudolf's Millenium Garden
Polesden Lacey, Surrey

Saling Hall, Essex
Sandgate Close, East Sussex
Sandringham, Norfolk
Bluebells at Riverhill House, Kent
Sarah Raven's Cutting Garden, Sussex
Savill Garden, Surrey
Scotney Castle, Kent
Sezincote, Glos
Ventnor Botanic Garden, Isle of Wight
Sheffield Park, East Sussex
Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire
Sissinghurst Castle, Kent
Snowshill Manor, Gloucestershire
Spencers, Essex
Spinners Garden, Hampshire
St Mary's House and Garden, West Sussex
Stoneacre, Kent
Stone House Cottage, Worcestershire
Stone House, Gloucestershire                
*Open by appt - check website
Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire
Sussex Prairies, West Sussex
Swiss Garden, Bedfordshire


The Courts, Wiltshire
The Laskett, Herefordshire
Tintinhull, Somerset
Titsey Place, Surrey
Toddington Manor, Bedfordshire
Town Place, West Sussex (NGS)
Trebah, Cornwall
Tremenheere, Cornwall
Trengwainton, Cornwall
Tylney Hall, Hampshire
Tylney Hall, Hampshire

Upton Wold, Gloucestershire
Torosay Castle on the island of Mull, Scotland

Vann, Surrey
Ventnor Botanic Garden, Isle of Wight

Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire
Wakehurst Place, West Sussex
Woolbeding Gardens, West Sussex
Waterperry Gardens, Oxon

York Gate, Leeds, Yorkshire


SCOTLAND
Little Sparta, Scotland
Torosay Castle

WALES


Le Bois des Moutiers, Normandy, France
Aberglasney

Ambrass Schlosspark, Austria
Chateau le Boutemont, Normandy, France
Chateau Marqueyssac, Dordogne, France
Gourdon, France
Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, Holland
Jardines de Alfabia, Mallorca, Spain
Le Bois des Moutiers, Normandy, France
Le Manoir d'Eryignac, Dordogne, France
Les Jardins Agapanthe, Normandy, France
Serre de la Madone, Menton, France
Villandry, Indre-et-Loire, France
Swarovski Crystal Garden, Austria 
Val Rahmeh, Menton, France
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, Cap Ferrat, 
France
Villandry, Indre-et-Loire, France




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Lasting Garden Gift ideas for Christmas. Eat your heart out visiting gardens in 2013!

November 25, 2012, 5:14 am
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Annual membership of the National Trust, Royal Horticultural Society and Historic Houses Association gives
you free entry to some of the greatest properties and gardens in Britain (Hever Castle above is part of the HHA)
It's just 30 days until Christmas and if you're racking your brains about gifts for gardeners, I've put together a collection of ideas here that will bring happiness to those green fingered members of the family for a whole year - guaranteed to inspire them and get them out and about in the UK. And there's even some ideas for overseas visitors planning to make a pilgrimage to Britain in 2013 to see our glorious gardens. I hope some of these ideas will inspire readers - I know that I'd be delighted to receive any of these gifts for Christmas!
Nymans in West Sussex is one of the National Trust's most visited gardens in the southeast
Garden visiting doesn't come cheap any more and one of the most economical ways of getting to see a really good sample of our wonderful gardens is to join one of our big organisations for an annual fee - you need only visit five or six gardens in a year and the annual fee has already paid for itself and if, like me, you spend a major part of your life visiting gardens around the country, these memberships are invaluable! All subscriptions are available on line, and I've included links to each of the featured organisations.  
Sheffield Park is one of the most visited National Trust gardens in England, famous for its autumn colours
The National Trust has a particularly impressive portfolio of gardens all over the country, and owns some of the most visited garden properties in England including Hidcote Manor, Mottisfont Abbey, Nymans, Sheffield Park and Sissinghurst  in the southeast. Elsewhere you've got Drogo, Scotney and Sizergh, if it's castles you like, and some of the finest country houses nationwide. Many of the gardens remain open throughout the year and are great for winter garden walks.
Hidcote Manor in Gloucestershire is one of the most visited NT gardens in Britain
Annual membership of the National Trust is just £39.75 (direct debit) which represents remarkable value when you consider that a single visit to Hidcote is £9.05 while entry to Sissinghurst costs £10.40. Of particular interest to foreign visitors will be the Touring Pass, priced at just £23 for seven days and £28 for 14 days (2012 prices), which gives unlimited entry to all properties for the duration of the pass. Further details are available here.
RHS Wisley - flagship of the Royal Horticultural Society is renowned for its orchid displays in winter
A subscription to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is another worthwhile Christmas gift, because £38.25 (payment by direct debit) or £51 for a gift subscription, gives you unlimited access to its four gardens nationwide plus a family guest - Wisley near London, Hyde Hall in Essex, Rosemoor in Devon and Harlow Carr in Yorkshire - plus its monthly magazine "The Garden", which is filled with useful information about plants, gardens to visit and much, much more. Members also receive an annual directory of all partner gardens, with visiting information.
All the RHS gardens are open throughout the year - there is always something on show, regardless of season
Other benefits of membership include free entry to some 80 partner gardens around the country throughout the year and a further 60 partner properties at certain times of the year, plus the chance to go to what is possibly considered as one of the world's great garden shows - RHS Chelsea - where savings of up to 25% are available to members on tickets. Other notable shows include Hampton Court and Tatton Park.
Houghton Lodge in Hampshire is an HHA member - spectacular in springtime when the bulbs start flowering
And don't forget the Historic Houses Association - another organisation that has some fine garden properties nationwide. Membership is just £41.50 for a single person and £67 for a double membership and covers entry to both houses and gardens. Also available to overseas visitors at the same rates. Property members of the HHA are extremely diverse and include many properties where the owning families are still in residence, so their gardens are often more personal than gardens operated by the National Trust. 
Great Dixter, former home of garden guru, Christopher Lloyd is free to HHA members
Properties are spread nationwide and include many unique gardens including Great Dixter, former home of gardening guru Christopher Lloyd, Gresgarth Hall, home of famous garden designer, Arabella Lennox-Boyd, Iford Manor, former home of Harold Peto and some of the best castles in Britain including Hever in Kent (top) as well as a selection of abbeys, ancient manor houses and major garden members including West Dean. All are free to members and the HHA has a guide to all properties which is sent out annually with membership cards. 
The winter garden at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Hampshire is one of the best in Europe
I live in the south and belong to many gardens that have properties within a 100-mile radius of my home, so another particularly worthwhile membership for anyone on the south coast is the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, because annual membership of just £29.95 covers not just the spectacular gardens at Romsey, but also gives free entry to London's Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, the Birmingham Botanic Gardens, the National Botanic Garden of Wales and Wakehurst Place - with Kew priced at £16 a visit for non members, you can't really get much better value than this. Happy Christmas shopping to all!

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Almost Wordless Wednesday - On the road in Rajasthan

December 11, 2012, 5:10 am
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School run - village style in rural Rajasthan - these young girls are riding in the back of a tractor
Early morning fishing on Lake Pichola, Udaipur
You see highly-decorated trucks on all the roads - often in your lane!
There are few roads signs here, so you stop and ask when you're lost!
Typical countryside view in Southern Rajasthan after a good monsoon
Lunch break at a brick factory in Southern Rajasthan
The only way to get from the mainland to the lake resort at Jaisalmand

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On the road in Rajasthan II - turbans galore!

December 16, 2012, 11:45 pm
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Wherever you travel in Rajasthan, you encounter the most wonderful turbans. The way they are tied and the colours denote the region, although at the moment I can't tell you more than that! I've just arrived in Ranthambore and am going out on safari later, so fingers crossed that we'll see a tiger! More later.
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Garden Memories of 2012 - A year of battling against the elements!

December 31, 2012, 3:45 am
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Rodmarton Manor, Gloucestershire - one of Britain's finest Arts & Crafts gardens
2012 was the year when we had our summer in March - a brief week of glorious sunshine, when temperatures hit record highs and our forecasters warned us about drought! But as the last day of the year dawns, I look out of my window to see yet another wet day, amid reports that this marks the end of the wettest year on record! But it's still been a good year for garden visiting and as I look back over the year, I remember some of the gardens I've visited where the sun did shine, albeit briefly. There are many notable gardens in my memory book this year including two in the Cotswolds - Rodmarton Manor (above) - one of the finest surviving examples of an Arts & Crafts garden and Upton Wold (below), where the owners have created sweeping meadows and a magnificent arboretum at their glorious honey-coloured home.
Upton Wold is a Cotswold garden with a difference - created by the owners over the last 35 years
I managed to travel further afield this year and visit two of Scotland's legendary gardens - the Garden of Cosmic Speculation, which opens to the public for just one afternoon a year. This involved a 700-mile trek from the south with my son to see what Charles Jencks has created at Portrack, and although we weren't disappointed, we just wished we'd had the chance to see this extraordinary garden without being trampled by the thousands of other visitors hell-bent on attending the one open day a year! But this garden is certainly a spectacle if you don't mind joining the queues.
Charles Jencks' Garden of Cosmic Speculation opens to the public for just one day each year
I'm glad I saw this garden, but my vote went to Little Sparta in terms of magnificent landscapes and the chance to see a Scottish garden with a real difference. This five-acre hilltop gem, with incredible views over the surrounding countryside, was created by the concrete poet Ian Hamilton Finlay and although both the theme and the scale of this garden are very different from Jencks' creation, you won't be disappointed. Worth remembering that there is no disabled access. You have to park near the main road and hike up to the property, but well worth the effort.
Little Sparta, former home of concrete poet Ian Hamilton Finlay is well worth making an effort to see when in Scotland
On a slightly different scale, there's a notable smaller garden in the south that's well worth adding to your wish list in 2013 - the immaculate Crossing House garden (below) in Cambridgeshire - a tiny gem that sits right next to the railway line at Shepreth and is often overlooked by visitors who make the pilgrimage to the immaculate garden that Faith Raven has created at neighbouring Docwra's Manor. Occupying a tiny plot, but quite unique in that there are some 5,000 plants in less than half an acre here, this is a garden worth visiting if you're in the Cambridge area.
The Crossing House occupies a tiny plot next to the railway line in Shepreth, Cambridgeshire
My forays into East Anglia took me to visit several interesting gardens for the first time this year including the amazing project at Easton Walled Gardens in Lincolnshire, spearheaded by Lady Ursula Cholmeley. Started just 10 years ago, this is a real work in progress, well worth visiting if you're in this part of the country, as Lady Cholmeley breathes new life back into an historic garden that was almost lost. Savour the 12 acres of outstanding countryside here - it's a work in progress - and each year will see new developments under the stewardship of Lady Cholmeley.
The terraces at Easton Walled Gardens in Lincolnshire - under restoration by Lady Ursula Chomeley
And having ventured this far, I carried on to Norfolk on a long overdue visit to some of the great gardens there, taking in some of the top billing East Anglian gardens including Houghton Hall, which has had new life breathed into it by the owners and is now billed as one of the greatest walled gardens in the country. It's a very different project to Easton Walled Gardens in Lincolnshire, but well worth a visit and there are plenty of other gardens nearby, including the Queen's home at Sandringham and East Ruston Old Vicarage (to be reviewed in 2013).
Houghton Hall in Norfolk has one of the finest walled gardens in Britain
I also visited several other properties in Norfolk and Suffolk, but rain took its toll and some of these gardens may have to wait for sunnier days before I add them to my garden listings, because my photographs simply don't do them justice. I had better weather when I went to Herefordshire and North Wales in May this year, where I encountered Moors Meadow for the first time - the charming garden created by Ros Bissell.
Moors Meadow is a delightful wildflower garden in Herefordshire
Further forays this year took me to Yorkshire for a few days in May, where remarkably, the sun shone throughout my visit. One of the highlights of my trip was a visit to York Gateoutside Leeds - flagship garden for Perennial, the garden charity - and certainly worth making a detour for. This is a tiny property, immaculately maintained by volunteers, hidden at the back of a churchyard, with a series of garden rooms. Opening hours have traditionally been very restricted, but there are plans to offer better access during 2013.
York Gate - flagship of Perennial, the garden charity - outside Leeds in Yorkshire
Cottage-garden enthusiasts should definitely bookmark Stone House Cottage in Worcestershire for inspiration in 2013. This delightful one-acre property has been crafted by the current owners over the last 35 years and although the house is not a cottage, the cleverly-divided garden will have would-be cottage-garden creators enthralled, as will the range of plants in the adjoining nursery. You can easily spend a couple of hours here, climbing the various towers to gain good vantage points and savouring the wonderful range of plants - particularly climbers - that you'll want to grow at home.
Stone House Cottage in Worcestershire - a delight for cottage-garden enthusiasts
These are just some of the new properties that I visited in 2012 - there are many more that I've yet to write about, but with two trips to India with John Brookes behind me (the most recent also waiting for review) and more rain than I've ever encountered before, some will have to wait until the New Year. Best wishes to all my readers for a prosperous New Year and thank you for joining me in my travels in 2012.
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Wordless Wednesday - Winter Wonders at RHS Wisley

January 16, 2013, 10:05 am
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The annual Butterfly Exhibition has just opened at RHS Wisley - it's a wonderful day out for adults and children. Open daily from now until 24 February. Get there if you can! 
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Sunday Sunshine ..... at last!!

January 27, 2013, 3:42 am
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The sun is shining for the first time in a month - gone for a walk in the park!
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Winter treats - the best of British gardens in February

January 29, 2013, 11:17 am
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It's been a terrible winter here in the UK and less than a year after dire warnings of drought, most of us have difficulty remembering when we last saw a clear blue sky. As I went out and about in Sussex today, I was forced to drive through no less than three major floods on country roads, holding back to see how deep they were by watching the vehicle in front! It's a disaster for those hardy gardens that remain open throughout the winter months, and most garden visits are punctuated with wet feet and even wetter clothing in this weather, but that said here are some suggestions for February if you've got cabin fever as badly as I have ...
Anglesey Abbey at Lode in Cambridgeshire remains open throughout the year and has a good winter garden, etched on my memory because of the wonderful white stemmed birches (above). And yes, before readers contact me, the photograph above was not taken in February, but March. I haven't visited yet this year because the weather is so awful, but it's a lovely 100-acre garden, with some fine winter walks. Open daily from 10.30 - 16.30. 
The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens on the outskirts of Romsey in Hampshire have long been one of my favourites because you can visit at any time of year and find something of interest. As we move into February the winter garden, which has remained interesting throughout the cold months begins to be rivalled by other areas in the garden, particularly as the heather comes into bloom (above). Open daily from 10.00.
In Gloucestershire, the Rococo Garden at Painswick is particularly popular because of its spectacular snowdrop displays, followed soon by drifts of daffodils and coming to a spring finale with all the tulips. I haven't seen the snowdrops, but am told they're wonderful. Combine this with the snowdrop displays at Colesbourne Park throughout February and you'll be one happy galanthus seeker! Open daily from 11.00.
Slightly further afield, there's a wonderful winter garden at Pinetum Park in Cornwall (above) - open all year round and just a stone's throw from the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan. This is a family run project with a wonderful nursery and something to see throughout the seasons. Well-worth adding to your wish list if you're heading to the West of England. I'm planning to visit in May, because it's four years since I was last in Cornwall.
The Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew (above) are looking good and are preparing for their annual orchid exhibition in the Princess of Wales Conservatory, which opens on Saturday, 9th February. You can see fine winter displays of witch hazel in the gardens and the snowdrops are already beginning to appear, despite the cold spell last week.There are fine orchids on display at RHS Wisley too, but most visitors this month are enchanted by the Butterfly Exhibition in the glasshouse. Both are open daily.
West Dean Gardens, near Chichester in Sussex opens its doors again on 1st February and you'll find plenty to see here on a sunny day, plus the chance to take long walks in the grounds. Wonderful wintery walks along the fast-running river Lavant (below) - cause of much of the flooding I saw today, but certainly a great addition to the garden when it's not bursting its banks.
In my next entry, I'll be reviewing some of the great galanthus gardens around the country. They seem to be running a little behind this year and I notice that some gardens have already delayed their openings to accommodate the slow appearance of their snowdrops.
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Monty Don's French Gardens - Chateau du Champ de Bataille, Normandy

February 6, 2013, 7:33 am
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It takes determination to move 4 million cubic metres of earth to recreate a garden! But that's what Jacques Garcia did when he started work on the gardens at Chateau du Champ de Bataille in Normandy in 1993. Monty Don visited this property in the first of his new three-part television series "French Gardens", which aired on BBC2 last Friday night (1st February), with him exploring "Gardens of Power and Passion" in and around Paris, concentrating primarily on the gardens of the great and the grand and with particular emphasis on those designed by Andre Le Notre, who was the son of Louis XVIIII's gardener at Versailles.
This former masterpiece set in over 90 acres has been restored by well-known French interior designer, Jacques Garcia, at a cost of millions of Euros (although he wouldn't reveal to TV viewers exactly how many!) and is now open for business. Visitors can enjoy just the gardens, or go for the grand tour (priced at 24 Euros) which includes the interior of the chateau, where you'll be treated to furnishings that will make your jaw drop. But I was happy to wander round the grounds on the day I visited for half the price, when there briefly last summer, if only to stare at the follies, lakes, parterres and statuary.
Monty Don was certainly right in the first programme when he said: "The Baroque garden .... was absolutely about money". Champ de Bataille is no exception and undoubtedly oozes expense. There's hardly a corner you turn without being amazed and much of the garden is pure theatre, with grand vistas, extraordinary sculptures and buildings, and a sense of antiquity whether it be in the sarcophogi scattered around the grounds, or the Baroque features inspired by Le Notre's drawing. Indeed the very idea of moving all that earth is enough to make you want to visit this garden and see the results for yourself.              
The connection between Champ de Bataille and the garden designer, Le Notre, is a drawing attributed to the latter, and Garcia decided to reconstruct this garden on the basis of that drawing. Tenuous perhaps, but if you have zillions of millions, anything is possible. But in reality, this garden left me slightly cold and the odd mix of imported palm trees, looking somewhat incongruous in the middle of Normandy and miles of topiary in need of a trim, made me wonder whether the owner will ever see a return on his huge investment. The gardens were certainly empty when I visited, but perhaps visitors will flock there this summer following Monty Don's programme.
Champ de Bataille is located near Rouen and is easy to access if you're heading for any of the great gardens around Giverny - Monet's former home and the most visited garden in France - to be featured on Monty Don's programme this coming Friday. The gardens are open from Easter until the end of October, weekends only until end of April, 14.00-18.00, but daily during July and August, 10.00-18.00. Check website for further information and prices.

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In search of snowdrops - where to find the best in Britain!

February 16, 2013, 4:36 am
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Snowdrop walk at Heale House near Salisbury in Wiltshire
I don't normally search for snowdrops, but this year's an exception. Perhaps it's been the lack of sunshine this winter, or the endless rain and dire threats of snow, but yesterday, when the sun finally shone, I went in search of galanthus and found some wonderful scenes in the South of England at Welford Park near Newbury and Heale House in Wiltshire. Driving through the dappled sunlight was a real treat after so many months of winter misery and the snowdrop scenes on arrival were certainly worth making the effort to see.
Snowdrops at Welford Park in Berkshire ... as far as the eye can see
An internet search for "Best snowdrop gardens in Britain" will highlight listings by newspapers, magazines and gardening sites that direct you to well-known galanthus gardens around the country. The National Trust publishes a list of its top recommendations, which include Anglesey Abbey, Dunham Massey, Nymans, Kingston Lacy and Ickworth; the NGS is also busy promoting the early opening gardens which offer good white gold displays, while Great British Gardens offers the most comprehensive listing of snowdrop gardens nationwide, with click through links so that you can see what's on offer.
The snowdrop scenes at Welford Park are certainly spectacular, with carpets of little white heads bobbing up and down in the sunlight throughout the beech woods adjacent to the River Lambourne. This is the only time of year that the gardens open to the public and for a walk in the countryside with white gold thrown in, it's worth making the effort to get there. Open from 11.00-16.00, Wednesday to Sunday until 3rd March. Also worth noting is the Specialist Plant Fair to be held there on 28th February. Hodsock Priory near Nottingham has similar spectacular displays, as does Rode Hall in Cheshire, and Colesbourne Park in Gloucestershire.
Drifts of snowdrops at Welford Park, Berkshire
The mighty little snowdrop is becoming ever more popular with garden visitors and plant collectors here in the UK and each year there are more gardens opening early to show off their collections. I first started compiling a Galanthus garden a couple of years back and for more suggestions on places to visit, click here. I shall add to the list as I visit more gardens. But what I do know is that once the white gold appears, spring can't be far away. Happy hunting galanthophiles!
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