Although the annual chance to look at some of the gardens in Bedford Park clashed again this year with the CHAS Summer Show, after helping out, I whizzed home for lunch and then set off to visit 13 gardens on what was quite a hot day.
The gardens ranged from elegant patio gardens – one in particular with beautiful fencing which truly turned it into an outside room – to larger, more traditional, gardens, some with sunken lawn areas and some more relaxed which have clearly evolved over time to cope with children and now grandchildren.
There were some very desirable plantings and some strangely sterile ones – over designed perhaps?
Hydrangea Zebra caught my eye in a couple of gardens – black stems and white flowers – in fact, hydrangeas seemed to appear in most of them – time of year perhaps? Ponds seem to feature in quite a few of the gardens, although I suspect they will all have been netted over as an anti-heron precaution once the visitors had left.
I gather that the Festival tries to feature new gardens every year which of course reduces the stress for the owners of opening but does mean you don’t have a chance to see how gardens evolve over time.
For anyone visiting the gardens next year I would recommend calling in at St Michael’s and All Angels half way round both for a refreshing cup of tea and more importantly a chance to use their loos.
