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It’s iris season

The irises are standing proud at the side of the lilypond – unfortunately, though, we are not yet winning the battle against the algae, so the waterlilies don’t look quite as beautiful as they should! The yellow flags in the stumpery, blue iri ...

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It is bluebell season!

The current seasonal joy is bluebells – we have them in the Glade and these white bluebells in the bed near the entry! The Gardens are greening up every day now, with the leaves on the acers the definite winners for colour and the walnuts the most s ...

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Apples for all: wildlife and us

We are having a good year for apples and hope you will come and enjoy them with us, on Sunday, at our Apples and Bees Day. We have a good picking of Bramleys for sale and volunteers have taken some for jellies, mincemeat and cakes for the Open Day. Visito ...

cutting the long grass

A late first cut

Like others, we are aiming to support the recovery of biodiversity by giving space to nature. In our case this includes leaving areas for wildflowers, which are both lovely to look at and support a huge range of insect species. To do this we delay cutting ...

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Beautiful borders

Just in time for the Open Day on Sunday 27 June, the borders in the walled kitchen garden and the Italian garden are becoming more colourful by the day. The veg beds are also filling up and today we had our first pickings of baby carrots and beetroot, cha ...

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Grass vetchling

We first found the grass vetchling at the Gardens a few years ago. It is a firm favourite now, flowering alongside the wild orchids in the Glade. At our Open Day on 27 June we will also celebrate the bugs, bees and birds at the Gardens, with Jono Forgham ...

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Glorious bugs

At our next Open Day we will celebrate the bugs and other wildlife in the Gardens, with Jono Forgham on hand to lead nature walks and other activities and Essex Bat Group telling all about the bats in the Gardens. Our wildflower banks had snowdrops, then ...

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Kim’s story

At this Sunday’s Open Day, 23 May, we will be remembering the Countess of Warwick’s love of animals and just in time we have put in place an information board about her baby elephant, Kim. A storyteller will weave tales for children and the ch ...

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The new season’s joy

What a joyous Open Day we had on Sunday – the sun shone all day and the Gardens were looking beautiful, with late daffodils and narcissi and early tulips and tree blossom everywhere. We are now looking forward to the rest of the season and next year ...

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Spring chores

Volunteers worked hard today, tidying the Gardens ready for the first Open Day of the year on 18 April. Maggie and Lesley cleaned the information boards ready for them to be rehung. Primroses now welcome visitors to the Gardens, in the front entrance bed. ...