Can you believe we find ourselves more than halfway through May already?! It has been an interesting few months; the climate seems utterly confused at times, and we have to admit… we feel the same! Our Head Gardener - Tamsin and her team have navigated bright sunshine and high temperatures, followed by hailstones the size of marbles, sunburnt shoulders, and even a morning frost. However, the gardens are accepting all of these challenges and looking just as beautiful as ever.

Tamsin and the team have been delighted to see the garden thriving despite the erratic weather. Our tulip show was truly wonderful this year, and the beautiful David Austin rose, 'Phyllis Bide', which frames our holiday cottage entrance, is already in bloom with hundreds of buds waiting patiently to open. The alliums, irises, and geraniums are looking strong and vibrant. The Actinidia kolomikta (variegated kiwi vine) is currently stunning with her pink-tipped, heart-shaped leaves, and the peonies are about to burst into flower at any moment. The buds are enormous this year, and we are so excited to see them "sing." 

In the greenhouse and polytunnel, things are moving along beautifully. All of the annual bedding plants we sowed have germinated successfully and are growing so strongly that they are already hardening off outside, with plans to start planting out this week. The dahlia polytunnel currently looks like a jungle! They grew so huge and started to bud weeks ago, that Tamsin gave them a "haircut" to encourage even more buds and a stronger plant.  They’ve reacted very well to the trim which means they’ll be planted out and looking their best in readiness for our NGS Open Day on June 7th. Why not join us and come and meet them? They would love to see you! 🦋🌱