Visit to Loseley Park - July 2025
Twenty members went on the GAG visit to Loseley Park organised by Prue Baker and Sarah Bunce.
We left Lymington at 8.30 and arrived at 10.30 after a very smooth journey.
We were taken on an organised tour of the house by an extremely knowledgeable lady called Gaye. She amusingly entertained us for well over an hour by telling us about the history of the house and about the people past and present who have lived in it. Amazingly it has been in the same family since Elizabeth 1st requested the house to be built.
Most people had brought a picnic which they ate in the grounds or by the lake.
It was a joy to walk around the gardens with their magnificent herbaceous beds that looked stunning.
The Tea Room provided a good place to shelter during the short downpour.
Visit to Bennett's Water Gardens - June 2025
Our GAG June visit to Bennett's Water Gardens near Weymouth was a chance to focus on the water lily, and what a wonderful array of flower colours and foliage were in evidence. Since 1993 the Bennett Family have been custodians of the National Plant Collection and refer to their 300 cultivar collection as a 'living library'. Such was the peace , tranquillity and beauty of the grounds and lakes , complete with a Monet style Japanese bridge the surroundings were indeed reminiscent of Giverny. Here in the UK we have just one native water lily, the 'European White' which was in evidence in its eponymous pond. More generally the flowers have a special significance in Buddhism and Hinduism , symbolising spiritual rebirth as these flowers close up at night and reopen in the morning. An enjoyable trip; thank you to Jenny Brewis for making all the arrangements.
Visit to Arundel Castle Tulip Festival - April 2025
Not quite tulip fever akin to the 1630's but members of the Garden Appreciation Group ( GAG ) very much enjoyed their visit to Arundel Castle to see the annual spectacle of tulips planted throughout the grounds. With over fifteen types and over 3,000 registered varieties of tulips it was a glorious celebration of colour, shape and form in the many courtyard pots , castle slopes and surrounding gardens. Massed tulips in the red and purple combinations were particularly dramatic and there were also lots of useful ideas to take home regarding colour and plant combinations to set the tulips off to their best advantage. With plenty of time for coffee , exploring the castle and a look round Arundel itself if desired it proved an interesting and enjoyable trip; many thanks to Cathy Rose for organising everything on our behalf.