19th March: Exbury in the rain
I’m keen to see the cherry blossoms on the trees near the Dragonfly Pond since I remembering them last year as being beautiful. However it has not been working out for me to visit on my way to NCI Stone Point so I decided on a special trip. Xcweather was promising cloudy with possibly light rain; as it turned out there was a soft drizzle all morning. However it meant the gardens were very quiet and I did not get wet enough to be uncomfortable.
I walked down past the Daffodil Meadow and along the River Walk which was now very muddy following the weekends visitors. Having read the “Chief Gardener’s Tips” I returned to the main drive via the Camellia Walks and was very glad I did so. Must admit I’ve only recently found out what Camellias are, plus the fact that they include tea bushes in their family.
Still on my cherry blossom hunt I returned to the Gilbury Bridge via the Five Arrows Gallery where there was a beautiful display of Orchids and Lachenalias from South Africa, presumably arranged by Nick de Rothschild. A door by the Gallery was open allowing me to peak into what might once have been a walled kitchen garden and an old hot house running along the other side of the wall. From the Gallery I knew I could return via the new sakura project – an area of cherry trees which will look beautiful when they have matured.
At Mr Eddy’s café I was pleased to find they had put up the sun umbrellas so I was able to sit outside at a relatively dry table; everyone else was inside! After tea and a scone I completed my quest to the trees by the Dragonfly Pond. They were no where near in flower and now, looking back at last year’s diary entry I find it was the start of May when I saw them.
The Gardener’s Tips suggested that the Daffodils were good in the “River of Gold” so I did a second foray over Gilbury Bridge but could not work out where the daffodils might be so gave up on that one!