Monday 5 March 2012

Colour in the garden

After a bit of a drizzly start on Saturday, the skies cleared leaving us with a wonderful Spring day to enjoy. My friend had reminded me that 3 years previously, I had promised to take her to Hodsock Priory for the snowdrop walk, but then she had inconveniently gone and had a heart attack - and the window of opportunity had been missed! However, all's well that ends well. She recovered to tell the tale and finally we made the trip.

We couldn't believe the amount of colour and the beautiful fragrance that met us at every turn of the garden.

Every time I visit Hodsock, I always return with a few plants and lots of vision for my own small plot!





And finally we found the woodland with its carpet of snowdrops. Even though they were probably a week past their very best, they were still spectacular.
After such a lovely stroll, it was of course mandatory to call back at the cafe for coffee and a scone.

Hodsock is a family home, but also has some new bed and breakfast accommodation in a converted dairy, hosts several events throughout the year, and is a wedding venue.
We had a wander around some of the rooms that were open and a nice sit down in the very comfy chairs feeling the lovely warm sunshine which streamed through the windows on our faces.

24 comments:

Rowan said...

Hodsock looks really lovely, I didn't realise that you could see some of the inside as well. The snowdrops have been very early this year, I wish I'd thought about going to see them - next year maybe!

Elderberry-Rob said...

What a beautiful place and snowdrops in abundance, they are very scarce around here this year.

diane b said...

Wow that looks a beautiful place. I love the snow drops and daffodils. what a place to have coffee and scones. I thought the english had tea and scones. Great photos.

greenthumb said...

Looks like spring is in the air, such a pretty place, glad you had a nice day.

elaine said...

What a lovely place and nice to see so much going on in the gardens - my one bunch of snowdrops look a bit pathetic compared to the ones you pictured en masse - lovely.

Lady Mondegreen's Secret Garden said...

I don't manage to visit your blog as much as would like. But what a lovely bit of garden and architecture to find today, especially with my garden feeling decidedly autumnal. Lovely photos :-)

Shortbread and Ginger said...

Looks like a lovely place - the chandelier is gorgeous! Great to see the sunshine, isn't it.
Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

Elizabethd said...

What a gorgeous place, and so full of flowers. We have both written about colour in the garden today...but colour here is much slower.

Lisa said...

The house and the garden both look gorgeous. Like the plant that has the long dangley flowers, as you can probably tell by that description I have no idea what it is!
Lisa x

Patricia said...

It certainly looks a lovely place to visit and what an abundance of flowers.

Rosie said...

I love Hodsock and have been lucky enough to visit a couple of times. last time we were there the cafe was in a big marquee as they were doing some work on the building - looks like it's all done now. Glad to hear that your friend is well again and that you had a lovely time looking at the snowdrops:)

Jo said...

Snowdrops are seen at their best when there's an abundance of them like that, so lovely. There's certainly plenty of colour about.

HippieGirl said...

Lovely photos there, Diane. I love the photo of daffodils you have, one of my favorite kinds of flower. Seeing these photos makes me really want to see the English countryside someday. It's so beautiful, I love the photos you put on here, always an improvement for mood, makes me feel nice and cheery.

Carol said...

Well we got the snowdrops but you got the colour! Guess need to visit more than once in the 'season.
I find it hard to resist their plants, bought two hellebores this year. The Garrya Elliptica 'James Roof' we bought a few years ago is doing really well, absolutely covered in its 'catkins'.
Glad your friend had recovered enough to make the visit, it is a special place.
Are you going to the Vintage Sale/Tea Party at Sheffield City Hall on Saturday? I fancied going but looks like we will have a very late night on Friday so don't think I'll make it.
Carol xx

Jackie said...

What stunning photos Diane - I never knew about Hodsock, though Mum knows it apparently. The photos make me feel that spring is round the corner although I don't have nearly so much colour in my garden yet! You chose the perfect day to go, it was gorgeous on Saturday, would have been rather greyer yesterday. x

A garden just outside Venice said...

See!!! Someone heard your complain about the weather!!!
xxxx

Diane said...

You are way ahead of us. I have one tiny splash of blue from a hyacinth in the garden. My daffodils rotted in the ground under the snow but my bluebells are shooting through the ground. The crocus also are only just shooting above the soil. T'other Diane

Anonymous said...

I wish that there was something similar here, it all looks marvellous.

John Going Gently said...

that portrait of the edwardian lady is wonderful

Cathy at PotterJotter said...

Gorgeous snowdrops but how lovely to share them with a friend who has had to 'wait' so long! xCathy

noelle said...

Lovely snowdrops,there is a lot of early colour around isn't there? Theres quite a bit in my garden too , primroses have been out ages and even a wallflower! Spring,spring,spring!!!

BadPenny said...

The snowdrops might be nearly over but what you did see... lovely !

Jennyff said...

Inspirational winter gardening. By the time our daffs come out they are finished in the rest of the UK and it's perishing here today.

sea-blue-sky & abstracts said...

Sun and colour Diane, so nice to see the pics in this post. We've had rather a lot of mist and grey cloud in this part of the world - although yesterday afternoon was gloriously sunny for a few hours. Lesley x