What a weekend!

For a belated birthday treat (me) we went for a weekend away, to visit Great Dixter and then Sarah Raven’s garden at Perch Hill, with a nice bit of dinner in between. Both gardens were FANTASTIC (see photos below). The weather was amazing both days, lovely sunshine and about 20 degrees.  

The planting combinations and colours that Christopher Lloyd used in his garden were stunning, and totally inspirational. Probably the best garden I have ever visited. Around every corner was something totally brilliant and beautiful.  (I took 140 photographs!).  As we had gone without the children, I was able to really look around properly and take my time, a rare treat!

And of course Sarah Raven’s garden was brilliant and vibrant as ever.

 This is the garden that I am trying to achieve at home, one that produces vegetables and flowers all year round for harvesting and cutting. I have read all of SR’s books, and have visited the garden twice before (last June and August), so it was great to see it at the beginning of the growing season and see the tulips and spring planting, and also get some tips on what I should be doing in my garden now by way of preparation, staking, planting etc.  

1. I must stake my broad beans (did this when I came back – tick)

2. Put out my hardy annuals that are growing too big in the greenhouse (calendulas, poppies, chard, the list is too long to mention) and also perennials.. eryngium, globe artichokes.. 

3. SR let her Kale flower, it looked quite pretty with all the yellow flowers, so I think instead of ripping mine out as usual as soon as it flowers I will leave it in a bit longer. I don’t need the space in that bit of the veg patch just yet..

4. I’m going to steal some of her tulip planting combinations for next year.. (I took over 200 photographs of her various gardens!).

Came away with lots of ideas and inspiration, and also lots of plants – despite husband warning me not to buy any more because they wouldn’t fit in the car when we had to pick up the children from their grandparents on the way home – I managed!  There was NO WAY I was leaving without them.