We pity the poor people who had committed to opening their gardens early this year, because they must have felt everything was being dreadfully slow to come through. But it’s beginning to feel like the awful long, slow, wet and cold winter has actually laid the foundation for what could be a very colourful year. Last 'summer's' rain probably had its part to play too.
We might not actually have chosen the shocking pink azalea and its more subdued near neighbour, the rhododendron (both inherited plants), but they have certainly been blooming spectacularly this year. And the little Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai' has been flowering its socks off too.
It's certainly been a good spring for the daffodils too - all lasting much longer than usual in spite of some strong easterly winds. 'Petrel' has been looking good in a pot with Muscari 'Valerie Finnis' and 'Segovia' is a sweet little thing. Other favourites are 'Jenny' and 'Thalia'. And a bonus year for primroses.
This year, of necessity, the garden has taken on a whole new look. The heavy rains had led to the 'hoggin' paths wearing away, literally being swept down the garden slopes. So longer lasting gravel is the new look. A rich deep umber to match the soil in the surrounding ploughed fields, and bright grey granite chips to heighten the colours in the summer flower garden.
And in the centre of the summer garden we’ve placed a new acquisition, a Baytree Pottery pot which took our eye in a Penzance auction. Unknown to us at the time, it had spent much of its life at Glynn House near Bodmin, where Jeremy’s mother had also spent some of her war years.
We are busy now making arrangements with local sculptors for their work to be shown in the gardens when we open on 30 June. It's new for us, and will be exciting to see how it brings a new dimension to people’s appreciation of the garden.