Slow Spring

The first leaves of the Japanese maples against the white bark of the bare birch tress, Furzey Gardens

So far this has been a weird year.

We had 2 dumps of snow in March and Spring has been very slow to come - until this week and suddenly everything is out at once: the yellow, coconut suntan lotion-y smelling blooms of the gorse, the sloes and wild cherries while the first green pushes through everywhere.

Last weekend a friend and I went to Furzey where the most of the azaleas were nowhere to be seen (I am thinking about going again next Saturday to catch them ...) but there was still some colour about. This weekend it is very warm, I have been working in the garden, reading in the sun and taking a few selfies (haven't done this in a very long time) to document a new hairstyle.

Much love,

Qaroline

First heavy snow in March

The second snow, end of March - the Euphorbia looking decidedly unhappy, camellias wrapped up a bit for protection

Grey skies in Furzey

but some blossom at least

Bare branches in Furzey

but camellias

and the first rhodo blossoms

Weather change!

I would love to have enough space in my garden for a birch tree ... still in Furzey

Hazels in bloom

Heathers and cornus

all together now

A one week old male donkey foal, born in the car park of Furzey Gardens

already a poser

My garden: cowslips doing really well this year

A selection of double-flowered daffodils

Generally I am not a fan of wallflowers but I need something big and orange to counterpoint the bright blue brunnera blossoms

Only one of my camellias is doing well this year, the Madame Vansittart - I repotted the other ones this year, hopefully next year they will be as covered in flowers

Daffodils and tulips and all the little seedlings in the greenhouse

Lungwort, wallflowers and the brunnera, some forget-me-nots intermingled

new side cut

First day I need my hat in the garden! (it's very old and falling to pieces but I haven't found a replacement yet)

Q2 Omnibus

Orangery at Knole

I have been on the road a fair bit this Spring. My parents came to visit end of May and we met up in East Sussex to visit Great Dixter, Charleston Farmhouse and Knole and we even managed to squeeze in another trip to Furzey Gardens which was in a very interesting transitional stage from the full-on riot of the azalea and rhododendron season to a more mellow summer colour. 

During the trip to East Sussex I read Helen Attlee's The Land Where Lemons Grow: The Story of Italy and its Citrus Fruit, which had me slightly obsessed with owning a lemon tree, and of course the Orangery at Knole, filled with the strong scent of its flowering citrus plants, became even more fascinating.

Charleston Farmhouse, once owned by Vanessa Bell and a centre of the Bloomsbury Group going-ons has been on my list for a long time and was absolutely crammed with the most wonderful stuff but we were not allowed to take photos of the interiors ...

Much love,

Qaroline

Cherry blossom at Oare House

Bluebells at Oare House

Orange tip butterfly in my garden

The Sunken Garten at Great Dixter

Ladybird poppies at Great Dixter

At Great Dixter

At Great Dixter

'The House Opposite' in Rye, East Sussex

Ypres Tower in Rye

Iris in Charleston

Water feature at Charleston

Citrus plants in the Orangery at Knole

Wall in the Orangery at Knole

Knole

Furzey Gardens, third trip

Furzey

Primulas and iris at Furzey

Furzey

Acer at Furzey

Red vista at Furzey

Roadtrip: Azalea Season

Furzey Gardens, New Forest

I had promised myself another trip to Furzey Gardens in the New Forest ever since the unexpected autumn colour spectacle that I found there in November and even though I could feel the beginnings of a cold catching hold I took the chance of Easter Monday bank holiday to pay a second visit.

I arrived quite early and had the gardens to myself for a while, apart from a ginger cat called Lily who accompanied me for the first twenty minutes. This time I had expected a great display but was again overwhelmed by the boldness of colour combinations, especially in the azeleas that are now coming into their own, the fresh foliage of the acers and the scented summer azeleas. If I had to draw up a High Fidelity style top five favourite gardens, Furzey Gardens would currently hold number one.

Much love,
Qaroline

Summer azaleas have a very distinctive fragrance

Lily the cat

Camellia, almost open

Some great structures.

This acer and the azalea in the background just work so well together.

Not quite sure what this climber is ... but the buds remind me of teeth on a necklace