Roadtrip: Hidcote and Snowshill

On this visit I especially loved Mrs Winthrop's Garden in Hidcote with its yellow and blue planting scheme

I always wanted to return to Hidcote in June. In 2011 I had watched the BBC Programme Hidcote - A garden for all seasons and knew I had to visit. This first trip to Gloucestershire sparked my interest in the National Trust gardens and as I like to experience favourite places in different seasons or at least at different times I simply had to put Hidcote on my list for 2015.

I arrived early yesterday morning and actually when things were still quiet and I had the chance to be the first visitor in many of the garden rooms. Everything was saturated with dew and the rain that had fallen in the night and all my photos have a weird haze on them, as if the garden had been shrouded in mist.

After spending the morning in Hidcote I drove on to nearby Snowshill, where I visited the manor garden (also National Trust) and the lavender fields of Cotswold Lavender. The garden of Snowshill Manor lies on a steep hillside and - like Hidcote - is made up of several garden rooms. Really wonderful was the flight of white doves (according to britishbirdlovers.co.uk you can use "a dole of doves", "a piteousness of doves" or "a pitying of doves" as alternative collective nouns for doves ...) which was busily getting on with life among the visitors.

Much love,
Qaroline

The iconic cedar at Hidcote Manor

The Old Garden, Hidcote

Rose in the Old Garden, studded with rain drops

Primroses in the Stream Garden, also one of my favourite gardens at Hidcote



The Pillar Garden, Hidcote

The Long Borders, Hidcote. Especially loved the Crambe cordifolia (flowering sea kale - small white flowers)

Topiary in the garden of Snowshill Manor. And doves.

More doves. And flowering cat mint

Snowshill Manor

Snowshill Manor

Long border at Snowshill Manor

Blue and white planting, Snowshill.

Lots of lavender. Different varieties in the display fields of Cotswold Lavender

Display fields of Cotswold Lavender