Special Cornish gardens for September ...

It's almost the end of August and what better time to go to Cornwall to visit some of the great gardens there? The school holidays are nearly over so the crowds are gone and you'll find many wonderful places to stay once the kids are back at school. One of my favourites is Trebah (above) - one of several really wonderful gardens near Helston, where you'll find all one of the best hydrangea displays in the country right now.

Trebah was purchased by Major Tony Hibbert and his wife Eira in 1981 and they've spent nearly 30 years making this garden what it is today.  The 25-acre site is perched on the edge of a ravine that heads down towards Polgwiddon Cove on the Helford Estuary and you'll be treated to spectacular views of the sea as you wander through this magical landscape, and enjoy a walk on the beach if you feel so inclined. You'll find many rare trees here including the tallest Chusan palms in the country and wonderful swathes of gunnera that are reminiscent of Jurassic Park. Open all year from 10.30-5.00 (or dusk if earlier in deep mid-winter).

Combine this a trip to nearby Bonython (above), which is open Tuesday to Friday and you'll see another very different garden, that has only been under development since 1999. This is another magnificent garden, with a large walled area (above) adjacent to the main house; many unusual South African and Mediterranean plants; and great swathes of ornamental grasses around the lakes (below).

The new owners have been hard at work since they moved here 10 years ago and the planting throughout the garden is really striking - there's always something in bloom - but what will impress you is the bold plant combinations. The walled garden is glorious throughout the season and is filled with flowers and bumper-sized vegetables. Then there are the lakes at the bottom of the garden which lead into a woodland dell. There's also a wonderful water garden adjacent to the 18th century house.

Other notable gardens locally include Glendurgan (above) with its maze - also located on the edge of a ravine, although it should be said that this is more of a spring garden. And of course, if you're in this part of the country, you'll be able to treat yourself to a Cornish cream tea!
I'm off to Cuba this week, where I hear there are some fantastic gardens, but I'm also told that internet connections can be slow, so if you don't see any posts for a couple of weeks, you'll know why!

What to do when it rains .... can I have your feedback?

No garden visits this week because the rain hasn't stopped, so I've been at home editing photographs and organising my garden reviews so that I can eventually offer you full information on what to see and when's best to go in my Galloping Gardener Directory. I know that some of you use it when planning garden visits and I'd really appreciate your input on what you want to see there, so now's your chance to let me know what you need to know to get the most out of a directory!

All photographs today are taken before, during or after rain and were taken at different times at year in gardens around the world. The only common theme is rain or damp, or sunlight before or after a rainstorm, but it goes to show that even wet or changeable weather makes interesting pictures!

But back to what you'd like to see in a comprehensive (and growing) Garden Directory - is it special features; best time of year to visit; proximity to other gardens; what plants you'll see there; or just general descriptions that interest you? Do the pictures make a difference ... and for those of you who've used the guide, did the garden live up to your expectations?

I also appreciate that many of the gardens on the list are currently in the southern part of England, but the reason for this is simple - it's where I'm based, and it's not that easy for me to spend days away from home visiting gardens further afield. I plan to cover new areas each year, when the weather is good, and this year I managed to get to Gloucestershire and see some of the great Cotswold gardens. 

Information on opening times is more difficult, since many gardens change their opening days and times with little notice. That's why I often put a link straight to the garden in question, so you can check for yourself before visiting. However, when two great gardens are close together like Hidcote and Kiftsgate in Gloucestershire, I do flag up opening days wherever possible. 

So please let me know what would be helpful for you in terms of reviews - what you'd like to see and what persuades you whether to visit a garden that you've read about.  And on that note, I'll leave you because the sun is coming out for the first time in over a week .... so perhaps I will get to review some new gardens over the weekend.

Charismatic Claydon - one to watch!

The garden at Claydon House in Buckinghamshire is definitely one to watch - it's one of the most vibrant I've visited this year, with much work in progress, but is quite charming - filled with nooks and crannies, roses and borders and some very unusual features, including a new Florence Nightingale garden. And there's a wonderful restaurant on site too - The Carriage House - where I enjoyed one of the best lunches that I remember. All food is cooked to order and on the day I visited, the sun was shining, so I was able to sit outside in the courtyard. 

Claydon House has been home to the Verney family since 1620 - it's a fine Georgian house with Rococo interiors - operated by the National Trust and publicised as one of its key corporate and wedding venues. But the gardens are private and open from Saturday through to Wednesday (12.00-5.00 March - end of October)  and are definitely worth making a detour for if you're in the area. Set as it is in the heart of fine countryside, this is a great place to walk once you've toured the garden.

Highlights of Claydon include a wonderful two-acre walled kitchen garden, which supplies most of the produce for the restaurant; the new Florence Nightingale garden (above) which is currently under development, but promises to be a major feature in years to come; a rose garden created by the current Lady Verney; and a charming pool garden overlooked by a 19th century greenhouse. Walls and pergolas have been used to best advantage throughout the gardens to give shelter to plants and provide stunning colour displays like the one below.

But there are also lovely borders, abundant blooms and a sense of excitement here that's hard to explain - this feels like a very new garden, even though it's been here for hundreds of years - and has a terrific sense of colour and style that makes it quite different to other properties I've visited in the last few months. Definitely a garden to put on your "Wish List" and worth making a special visit to if you're planning to have lunch out with a friend. Ascott is just half an hour away (approximately 17 miles), so you could easily combine the two for a day to remember!

Small secret gardens in Sussex

Today I'm featuring three charming small gardens, that rarely feature in garden guides, but worth visiting if you're in the area. First is the Wellingham Herb Garden (above) near Lewes - only open at weekends, but within sight of the South Downs and near enough to other gardens (Monk's House and Charleston) to stop at en route - filled to bursting with lavender and other herbs (of course) and in the heart of the countryside, away from the hustle and bustle of traffic and it's FREE! It's a fragrant garden and nursery laid out inside a walled kitchen garden, with a glorious lion statue in the middle. Quite charming!

And then there's the secret walled garden at Preston Manor in Brighton (above) - an absolute haven at the edge of Preston Park and looking greatly refreshed after all the recent rain. Can't believe I've never been here before as it's right on my doorstep, but I never found the way in before last week! A great place to stop and pause if you're doing the sights of Brighton, and you can access it from Preston Park or the manor house. You can also do a tour of the manor, which is reputed to be haunted!

And another charming small garden I visited en route to Titsey Place earlier this week is The Priest House at West Hoathly, on the edge of the Ashdown Forest. This is a cottage garden surrounding an ancient timber-framed house (above), in a sleepy English village, complete with manor house and church. You won't stay long here, but it's the quintessential cottage garden, worth sneaking a peak at if you're in the area and you can always stop at the village pub for lunch.

Where there's a wall there's a way!

I was supposed to go to Birmingham, but it was raining too hard and I didn't go! So when today dawned grey but dry I went to visit several gardens that have very limited openings - Wednesdays and Sundays only throughout the season - but well worth it if you can get there.  First stop was Titsey Place in Surrey, which I first wrote about when I started blogging (above picture taken on first visit, not today) - and I'm glad I made it there because it has one of the finest walled gardens I've seen this year.

The gardens extend to 18-acres and have lovely views over the North Downs, but it is the walled garden that is the jewel in the crown here, with its wonderful displays of cutting flowers, fruit and vegetables, from all over the world. You'll see exotic and native here, displayed to full advantage and it's a real pleasure to amble through this area en route to the main garden adjacent to the house. 

You'll find immaculately trained fruit trees (above) and displays of vegetables here that rival any flower border! And then there's the glass houses with their colourful displays of exotic and tender plants; and tomatoes, peaches and nectarines. It really is a joy to wander through this walled area and see everything growing here, because it's more like an exhibition than a garden - so do make the effort to get there on a Wednesday or Sunday between 1.00 and 5.00 ... you won't be disappointed!

If you're in the area, you can combine this with Squerryes Court (below), just a couple of miles away and also open Wednesdays and Sundays (11.30-16.30). I've been trying to get here for years, but never been in the right place on the right day. The house is filled with wonderful antiques, tapestries and pictures, but the garden is also worth a quick tour. Both properties belong to the Historic Houses Association, so if you're a member, entry is free. Another of my favourite local gardens is Charts Edge, which opens on Fridays and Sundays during the season.

It's raining again ... so head for the glasshouses!

It's raining again and the forecast is gloomy, so head for one of the glorious glasshouses here in Britain to lift your spirits. We are blessed with so many marvellous gardens in Britain and some have magnificent indoor wonderlands, where you'll find enough colour to entertain the kids and have a great day out ... rain or shine ... and it's not just plants you'll find either!

One of the more unusual undercover gardens is The Living Rainforest, near Newbury in Berkshire where you'll find fabulous foliage alongside little critters like the one above, all in a one-acre glasshouse. Filled to bursting with exotic plants, free-roaming animals (not the one above though), butterflies and birds, it's guaranteed to entertain the kids on a rainy day. And if it's any consolation, I've only ever visited when it's pouring and still managed to entertain myself here!

One of my favourites is the National Botanic Garden of Wales (and I've never yet managed to visit when the sun's shining), so have spent many hours lurking under shelter in the glasshouse - the biggest single-span structure of its kind anywhere in the world. It's filled with wonderful blooms like the one above and you'll be able to wander through all the different regions, pretending you're in Australia, South Africa or South America even if the rain is beating down on the roof above. But you get to ogle all the plants and keep dry - this is a really wonderful day out!

Perhaps best known of all indoor garden retreats are the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew - designated a World Heritage Site since 2003 - there is something for everyone here in the glasshouses, from the magnificent palms in the Palm House with its rooftop walk; to the computer controlled microclimate which nurtures the blooms in the Princess of Wales Conservatory; and the fabulous lilies (below), which come into bloom in the autumn.

And don't forget RHS Wisley, which has an equally wonderful glasshouse, filled to capacity with magnificent plants, that will keep both adults and kids occupied for hours. And then there are all the cacti and succulents too (below). There are also glasshouses at the big university gardens - Oxford and Cambridge to name just two. So keep your spirits up and go to a glasshouse in the pouring rain - you'll have a great day out and can even keep the kids entertained in the last few weeks before they go back to school. And do let me know which ones I've missed!

I've never been to Birmingham, but am going to take a leaf out of my own book tomorrow and set off early to see the glasshouses there .... I hear they're incredible so will let you know how I get on!

A Cotswold garden with a difference - Mill Dene

Gloucestershire is home to many great and glorious gardens - you'll find the extraordinary (Sezincote); the stunning (Kiftsgate); the grand houses (Bourton House and Snowshill Manor); the castles (Sudeley) and really special small properties (Stone House); but there's no other garden like Mill Dene! It's an absolute delight - a wonderful cottage style garden on a grand scale - and definitely not to be missed. This is the brain child of Wendy Dare and her husband who moved here nearly 50 years ago ....and they've been working on the garden ever since! 

Mill Dene is one of 100 very special gardens featured in a new book: "Dream Gardens of England" (definitely one to put on your Christmas wishlist), which describes it as a "watery wonderland in a steep valley around an old mill". And watery wonderland it is, with the views over the mill pond (above), but there are also views of the church in the village of Blockley behind, and although the house and garden cover just 2.5 acres, it feels as though you're in a much bigger wonderland than this because there is so much to see and winding paths lead you through many different areas including vegetable and fruit gardens, a cricket lawn, a grotto and a potager with culinary and medicinal plants.

The original mill was probably one of the 12 Blockley mills mentioned in the Doomsday Book and has been variously used as a corn, flour, wool and silk mill. It was even used as a forge to make steam engine castings at the beginning of the 20th century, before being sold as a private house. The Dare family arrived here in 1964 and purchased one half of the property which was derelict, but eventually acquired the other half 12 years later. Its great charm today is that it feels like a private garden.

This garden exudes charm and humour and you cannot miss the owner's sense of fun - you'll find many unusual features here, so do make the effort to visit! Wendy Dare's clever planting means that there's always something in bloom right through from springtime, when the whole garden is awash with bulbs, to autumn when the trees begin to turn. Mill Dene is very close to Bourton House, Sezincote and Snowshill Manor, so you could happily spend a couple of days looking at all these local gardens.

Does the NGS need to reconsider the plot?

Vann, which opens regularly for the NGS in the spring

Britain has beautiful gardens – thousands of them – and we are also lucky enough to have the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) – a fast-growing network of public and private gardens that open their doors to the public to raise funds for various cancer-related charities under the umbrella of the “Yellow Book” scheme. The famous “Yellow Book” is published annually and lists all the garden openings for the year, divided into counties, so garden enthusiasts can get a peak at some gardens that wouldn’t normally be open to the public. It’s a true example of British patriotism – with garden owners banding together under one large yellow umbrella – to support a noble cause.

Brandy Mount House, an early opener for the NGS, with its famous snowdrop collection

Those gardens can be large or small; style is unimportant; they can open for just one day a year under the scheme, or on a regular basis throughout the season; and the gardens that take part all donate the proceeds to the NGS. It’s a wonderful idea and the patron is HRH The Prince of Wales. But it has its disadvantages too and these are becoming all too apparent as the scheme grows!  Each year the NGS proudly announces the fast-growing numbers of gardens in the scheme - 2010 sees more than 3,700 under the yellow umbrella. No doubt there will be more than 4,000 in 2011; 4,500 in 2012 and so on, because it’s considered great and good in Britain to open your garden for a worthy cause. 

Bramdean House in Hampshire, which opens regularly throughout the season

It’s public spirited; patriotic and also a way to test the water for garden owners in a growing garden market. Visiting gardens has become a bit like the old-fashioned Sunday school stamps of the 1960s when, as a child, you collected a shiny new sticker every time you attended church. Visiting NGS gardens has become remarkably similar – as the public race to attend new garden venues nationwide, and cross them off in their Yellow Books. In fact, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they didn’t introduce a Yellow Passport soon, where you get an official stamp for every garden visited under the scheme, and some form of miles accumulator that allows you free garden entries once you’ve attained a certain number of stamps in your book.

Newcomers to the NGS scheme tend to open for just one day in the first year, but this in itself causes huge problems. I’ve visited no less than 10 new gardens under the scheme this year where the hype has led to such severe overcrowding that you can’t actually see the garden that you’ve come to visit; certainly don’t have the opportunity to enjoy the plants; and are hustled and bustled in royal Garden Party style by over-zealous plant fanatics, who are probably more interested in seeing “how the other half lives” than appreciating the garden.

Lake House, Hampshire, which only opened twice for the NGS this year, but has 
plenty of space and adequate parking

In short, it’s  not as much fun as it used to be and it seems that neither garden owner nor organiser has paused to think about the logistics of parking, toilets or serving teas to stampeding crowds of voyeurs!  I have attended city garden openings where the queue goes round the block; country openings where the local village has seized solid with the traffic waiting to get into a parking lot that was never going to provide enough space for all the visitors; been abused by other visitors in their quest to get into the garden on offer; and fled from the scene like a wounded animal, licking my wounds and promising to give up NGS visits.  And if I feel like this, others must feel the same! 

And what of the impact on the environment? These days airlines ask you to donate for your fuel usage and governments tax airline seats, in a bid to offset the environmental penalties of flying. Shouldn’t the NGS be doing the same, because the miles being driven by eager garden gurus must surely be having an enormous impact on our fragile environment? 

Fittleworth House, which opens every Wednesday throughout the season

Now don’t misunderstand me – the NGS is a British institution with a heart – a brilliant way of raising much-needed funds for respected charities that provide real benefits for those in need.  But perhaps they need to re-think the way they operate in a fast-growing garden-visit market where some visitors are only interested in checking off numbers, and wasting valuable resources in the process. And perhaps they also need to consider whether gardens are really worthy of being under their Yellow umbrella, because I can tell you, there are some I’ve seen this year that simply aren’t worth the entrance fee!

In conclusion, I have no doubt that I shall now be beaten senseless about my comments, but I’d love to hear what readers have to say! And just in case there's any question over the photographs I've included here, each garden here gave me permission to use my pictures.

Grand Gardens of Britain 1 - Ascott

Ascott is one of the best gardens I've seen this summer, in terms of grand design and planting. The timber-beamed house (above) was once a simple farmhouse, acquired by Baron Meyer de Rothschild in 1873, but transformed into the grand edifice there today by his nephew Leopold. It sits in 30-acres of gloriously landscaped gardens overlooking the Vale of Aylesbury and is a mix of formal gardens and innovative new design. I visited in mid summer and was impressed, but am told that the spring bulbs are well worth making a special trip for ... next year perhaps!

This is a garden on a grand scale, with fountains (above) sculpted by Thomas Waldo Story - an Anglo-American art historian and critic, born in Rome and married to an English woman - so it's hardly surprising his designs are reminiscent of the grand Italian style. And since it was primarily a winter residence for the de Rothschild family, much emphasis was placed on evergreen plants. The result is astounding topiary, long yew hedges and immaculate lawns.

One of the most stunning features here is the huge topiary sundial sculpted out of golden box and yew (above) which reads: "Light and shade by turn but love always". From here you get wonderful views across the Vale of Aylesbury before meandering through to the famous fountain of Venus (below), also designed by Story. The topiary trimmers certainly have their work cut out for them here at Ascott as these pictures show! There was hardly a leaf out of place when I visited, which adds to the sense of Victorian austerity that is so much a feature of this grandiose garden. 

You'll find glorious borders in the formal Madeira Walk (below), backed by a hedge of golden yew, and it is here that you realise how important the trees are in the overall planting scheme at Ascott. There are huge evergreens everywhere, strategically planted to ensure that there is shape and form even in the depths of winter and I'm sure this garden is just as impressive when there is snow on the ground, even if the garden is only open to the public during the spring and summer (April to mid-September, but check website as opening days vary according to the month).

And then there is the new informal garden and lily pond at the rear of the property (below). The Long Walk was reconstructed by Arabella Lennox Boyd, and there is a wild garden designed by Jacques and Peter Wirtz, with swirling grasses and concentric circles. This area is like another world after the formality of the main gardens.

Ascott is just the first of many "grand" gardens I'll be featuring the next few months. It's close to Hatfield House, Waddesdon Manor and Cliveden - all to be reviewed at a later date.

It's very green, but certainly wet!

Just returned from Rajasthan where it's very green, but very wet!  Monsoon season in a good year means rain, rain, rain... and although it's needed, it makes for difficult working conditions, impossible driving conditions, erratic electricity supplies and little to no internet! But a small price to pay if farmers are getting much needed water. 

It took nearly 24 hours to get from Udaipur to Delhi on the way home and the view from the front seat looked like this (above), but I caught my flight to London, so more over the weekend .... and if you want to see progress on the hospital, click here!