Open Gardens (NGS) Toft

Three Gardens were open in Toft yesterday for the National Gardens Scheme which raises valuable money for nursing and health charities. I started at the largest, Manor Cottage by the church with its sweeping lawn, meadow, copse and herbaceous borders. Old Horse Yard is more compact and very beautifully laid out with its arches, paths and geometric beds. By the time I got to the third garden on Comberton Road the thunderstorm was arriving but certainly time to appreciate a garden started from scratch in 2020 which reimagines a late 18th century garden with four interconnected zones including my favourite, a Ritual Landscape Zone, which was full of British native plants.

Dorset - Minterne Gardens

On our last full day in Dorset, we spent the afternoon in Minterne Gardens - a study in greens, dappled sunlight and magnificent plants and architecture.

Garden Project 16 - Variety!!

After a week away, even though there has been no rain, the garden is a riot of colours - all of it self seeded now or original plants probably purchased back in the late 60s when I moved to Toft (my only house removal within Toft included many plants as cuttings, seeds etc). Quite a few days work to reestablish paths etc and record all the new invertebrate inhabitants!