Ham House Gardens

Walled Garden at Wallington

Bicester Village

A tour of Renishaw Hall Gardens with the Head Gardener

Osborne House Gardens in May

Renishaw Hall Gardens in April 2018

Balmoral Castle Gardens

Renishaw Hall Gardens in March 2018

Wild in the Country, Eyam

Jardin du Luxembourg

Flowers of Paris

Sheffield Botanical Gardens in June

Renishaw Hall Gardens in May 2017

Osborne House Gardens

Easter at Renishaw Hall Gardens

Hardwick Hall Gardens in Spring

The seasons and their plants come and go so quickly in Britain that you have to grab every opportunity you can to see the flowers when they appear. I do think that is one of the benefits of living in this country that nature provides us with ever changing varieties of flowers. Despite daffodils being in abundance at the moment and my trip to Renishaw Hall Gardens last week I still wanted more. I hadn't been to Hardwick Hall since Christmas so I decided a visit was overdue.

The best display of the daffodils are the end of the gardens. The long border provides the perfect stretch to show off the mass of golden trumpets.

When you see so many daffodils about it seems strange that within weeks they will all be gone and something else will have sprung up in their place.

One of favourite areas is always the Herb Gardens. It is looking smart and tidy with some early signs of the new season coming through.

One delightful addition to the gardens this year is turning the Ornamental Orchard into a wildflower haven. The grass has been cut in order to allow the wild flower seeds to be spread.

Other wildflowers have already been transplanted in this area so there are now cowslips of various colours plus snake's head fritillaries.

The grass was being freshly cut in the other orchard. It has produced some very smart lawn stripes.

Another welcome sight in the gardens was a bee. It wasn't the first I have seen this year but all the ones I have seen have been huge. This one was obviously attracted by the brightness of the pink of the flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum).

I somehow resisted the goodies on offer at the nursery shop. Maybe I'll save them for another visit.

Renishaw Hall Gardens in March

Dig for Victory Garden at Newark Air Museum

Hardwick Hall at Christmas

Renishaw Hall Gardens in November

It looks like I've had my final visit of the year to Renishaw Hall Gardens. I was greeted in the car park aka front lawn with the sight of some of the wonderful trees in their full autumnal glory.

It's definitely time to put the garden to bed until spring. The fabulous collection of statues have been wrapped up to protect against the winter frosts and possible snow.

The only statues that remain uncovered are round the side of the house with the collection of stonework oddments.

The borders have been cleared and are now ready for the new year.

A little nod to Christmas is the topiary reindeer. There's also a rabbit presumably waiting for Easter.

I'm not sure the red berries will last until Christmas but I'm sure the birds will be grateful for an easy feast.

We didn't go down to the woodlands. The rain has been so heavy recently I thought it would be more like a swamp down there. Whatever the season the path leading down to the temple is always romantic.

Not everything has got the memo about what time of year it is. Some of the hydrangeas are still in full bloom with no signs of the petals turning to their winter skeletal state.

I'm not sure some of the rose buds will ever have the chance to bloom now but the ones that have come out this year have provided a magnificent display.

With so many plants now dying away it allows others to display their final hurrah.

So farewell for now Renishaw Hall Gardens and I'll be ready to see you again in March.