Walled Garden near Hawkhurst

A packed and very interesting day with Al and Liz who were down for the day. Before they arrived we nipped out our for a walk and to collect some red lentils which I needed for the curry. Isn’t it always the case that you’ve run out when you think you’ve got the stuff in the cupboard? Even found we’d run out of white wine for the evening so it was on my bike down to the Co-Op....

After lunch we visited the Walled Garden nursery near Hawkhurst. https://www.thewallednursery.com It is a fascinating place sited within, of course, a walled garden which used to be part of the Tongswood Estate owned at one time by the Gunther family, of OXO fame, who bought the estate at the turn of the last century.

In the last few years the place has been revitalised as the old glasshouses have been repaired and renovated and are now full of a vast range of plants. It was particularly poignant for me as it took me back over a substantial part of my life as my dad worked all his life in a Victorian walled garden at Orleton in Shropshire. I spent many an hour with him in the garden and this place transported me back to those long gone times.

Loads of photographic opportunities but of all the shots I favoured this one with the colourful herbaceous border in front of the low melon house with the main greenhouses in the background. Great examples of patina, texture and weathering on many of the structures which were tempting to post.