This garden is renowned for many things, not least it’s Winter Garden and snowdrops. It certainly did not disappoint and the sun shone as we gathered for our February visit. We welcomed one brand new member, on his first event who had joined GOC specifically because of the Gardens Group. We hope that he enjoyed what we also hope will be the first of such trips with us. As we leisurely toured the gardens, it soon became apparent that we had several very knowledgeable gardeners in our midst, with interesting discussions on the plants we were seeing, their own gardens and other gardens they had visited or hoped to visit. The conversation flowed easily, sharing knowledge and making connections. The Winter Garden was indeed stunning, with a range of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants all looking their best in the winter sunshine. The design really worked and was undoubtedly the highlight of the visit for me. But the rest of the garden also had lots to offer – the Alpine House had plenty to see, we looked at Rhubarb forcers and there was plenty of nice walks in the woodland area. Some areas were closed off due to construction work of a new bridge, but it did not detract from our enjoyment. We later made our way to the onsite café for refreshments. As we left, we reflected on what a lovely day we had. Sharing garden visits with fellow plant enthusiasts, where conversations flow naturally due to our common interest is a great way to spend a leisurely few hours. We enjoyed meeting friends old and new, and look forward to many more such visits in the future.. Many thank to those who came. Photos credit – Stephen & Neil.

Details of all our events can be found on the GOC Garden’s webpage.