The June garden is wonderfully explosive as the roses turn from bud to bloom and their scent wafts on the air. They festoon the old walls, the trees and the pergola in the cottage garden; they clamber over two of the arches in the wisteria walk and surround the gazebo just behind. They criss cross several beams around the old pool. They climb the house walls, and the barn walls. They clamber through the trees around the lawn and in the orchard and winter walk. We have over forty climbing and rambling roses, each a huge delight.

As the season advances the montana clematis, with Broughton Star an absolute winner, give way to the late flowering clematis including Mme Julia Correvon, Rhapsody, Blue Angel and others, all gorgeous as they flirt with the roses. We have over 80 to enjoy over the coming weeks and months.

The Garden is also full of poppies, white hesperis, masses of purple Allium christophii, iris, nigella, astrantia, delphiniums, geraniums and foxgloves all my favourite flowers, rich with nectar and insects. The scents are wonderful with honeysuckle especially in the evening or after a shower of rain. Fragrant white Philadelphus flowers are special as well.

Mid summer is magical here with the evening light casting its spell across the wild flower meadow which is in full of flower both with the native grasses and native flowers, all loved by a myriad of insects.

Our evening openings on selected dates will celebrate the low light sweeping through the birch avenue and kissing the grasses and flowers of the wild flower meadow. A perfect time to bring your own lovely picnic and enjoy the moment.

The edible flower garden is a treat at this time of year with many roses and lavender blooms being turned into cakes for my groups. Daylilies, sage, thyme and marigold flowers are other tasty additions to my kitchen fare.

If you wish to see how to use them contact Kathy about a Group Demonstration  for 15-26 people.

We have added borders of lavender where the box has been removed from the formal garden. It looks wonderful and provides the perfect larder my lavender and lemon cakes.

In the containers (a vast array) there are super succulent displays, tender grasses, tender begonias, and bright bedding plants as well as shrubs and lots of herbaceous plants. Quirky ideas involve a planted tennis racket and old crocs!

The wild flower meadow is a treat with its meandering paths, flowering grasses, trefoils, geraniums, scabious, lady’s bedstraw etc. The ornamental grass borders are now looking good with striking silhouttes of upright calamagrostis and soft hummocks of descampsia. Soon the echinaceas will be in bloom.