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Garden Club

I write this immediately upon my return from the gardens of Sezincote near Morton-in-the-Marsh.  Entry to the grounds is from the A34 and a half mile drive leads one to the mature oak studded pastureland recorded in the Doomsday book and which gives the estate its name.  Entry to the gardens is across the Indian Bridge with bronze effigies of Brahmin bulls on the parapets and stunning views below of unusual shrubs and trees – some in flower but all linked harmoniously by foliage form and colour.

The house and grounds were closed to the general public on this particular day (Wednesday 16^th July) and we were privileged to have the place to ourselves apart from one other party - this ‘double booking’ resulted in our getting a half price concession!  A guided tour of the main parts of this unique 18^th century Mogul / Indian style house beautifully restored in the 1940s brought to light a succession of large paintings, rare artefacts and beautiful pieces of furniture. Regrettably none of the latter was available to sit upon! Décor was in the renaissance style with ceilings, drapes and hangings being particularly noteworthy.

We exited the house through the main dining room with its lovely murals onto the terrace / South Garden with its canals (lily ponds!) and Irish yews.  Mature bush fuchsias were in full bloom and a trip through the curved orangery revealed a number of exotic climbers – as well as much needed bench seating!  The twenty six of us then dispersed throughout the grounds and very much enjoyed the rest of a warm and sunny afternoon.

A lack of chairs was specifically not a problem at the Garden Club’s annual party held Thursday 19^th June at Sue and Alan Hedley’s house. Their beautifully tended garden was filled with a profusion of flowers and plants of every description living in perfect harmony – there was not a square inch of bare ground to be seen! The hum of bees of every variety filled the air and we were treated to a lovely spectacle brought about by much hard work.

Proceedings were started by Jill Tucker with a minute’s silence for remembrance of Ruth Gibson and a blessing for the wonderful spread of food put on / prepared by various individuals supervised by Sue and Martin Hunt. Chimeras and pagodas had been provided for warmth and shelter respectively for the seated cold buffet meal, but a fine evening meant that they were hardly necessary.  Thank you so much Sue and Alan for a lovely evening amongst friends.

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Last modified: August 05, 2014