You will find I will often sing the praises of British gardens in this blog. I guess there are two reasons for that.
One, because I lived there, in the North East for seven years as a child, so played amongst plants all of the time. I saw how they grew, how they looked together, what their needs were, all as I cavorted around under the apple trees, heavy with fruit; watched the peony blooms cascade onto the ground during a summer rain; tiptoed through the carpet of alpine plants between the paving stones on the upper terrace; marvelled at how tall the sweet peas grew on their 'ladder' and the sublime fragrance they produced. All of this left the sights and smells of the garden filling my head with beauty and everlasting memories.
And two, because, for the type of garden I like the best, well, no one does it the way the Brits do. Plain and simple.
Every season in the British garden has its charm. The hoar frosts of winter outline every edge of every blade of grass, every tree and every leaf, every statue or armillary, all backlit by the low winter sun. Spring brings an explosion of colour and life as every nook and cranny, every border planting and every container is filled with a plethora of bulbs, which were thoughtfully planted the previous fall. The seemingly endless, successive blooms of a warm but not too hot summer slip silently, imperceptibly from one variety to the next, eventually arriving in September. After that, the melancholy quiet of autumn descends as blossoms shrivel and die back, leaves collect in shifting eddies throughout the garden, and birdsong is noticeably diminished. Yet there is life in that seemingly dead branch devoid of leaves; that brown clump of grasses, bent to the ground in a tangled mess; the magnolia buds, furry and plump, just waiting to share their beauty come warmer days. There is life and there is hope...for another season soon to come...
So, if we ever get out of this mess we're in, go to Britain, any season will do, and visit those spectacular gardens. Once you do, you'll understand why I am smitten ...you'll never look back.
Winter
Nosegay Garden, Queen’s House, Kew Garden
Queen’s House, Kew Garden
Spring
Early Spring, Kew Gardens. Flowering Trees about to open, daffodils covering the hillside, and perennials showing above the ground.
Flower stall outside Tube station, London — with freshly cut Daffodils.
Summer
Pitcher plants on display, Hampton Court Flower Show.
Summer planting
Fall
Art in the gardens of Pashley Manor, home of Hattie Klotz’s parents.
The Kitchen Garden at Pashley Manor with fruit tree espaliers in foreground.
For more information on Pashley Manor gardens: https://www.pashleymanorgardens.com/