We are entering the finest gardens in Warninglid, open during the National Garden Scheme! Won’t you join me in the garden? More to come!
The Garden at Old Post, Warninglid, Haywards Heath, West Sussex
Love the Lush Green Along the Fenceline!!!!!
A Cottage in Warninglid, Haywards Heath, Sussex
I’ll Grow Anywhere, North Hall, Sheffield Green, UK
North Hall, Sheffield Green, Uckfield
Why just have a driveway, when you can have a garden in it?
North Hall, Sheffield Green, Uckfield
North Hall, Sheffield Green, Uckfield
Here it is, the house and garden of a woman’s dreams! From the moment we entered the drive and was directed to the meadow to park in, I couldn’t wait to see the gardens surrounding this beautiful home! For background musica there was a couple seated at a table playing old time favorites on old, old, crank record players.
The Music at North Hall, Sheffield Green, Uckfield
What sound! So crisp and clear! Who knew! No Beats headphones here! Next was the antique Rolls Royce to inspect. Setting the mood we entered the garden!
The Rolls Royce at North Hall, Sheffield Green, Uckfield
North Hall is overflowing with a palette of soft colors and heady scent. The garden is planted abundantly with a variety of plants. Pathways along the house show off antique planters and old garden equipment creating interest in the multiple tiers of the garden. There are themed island beds, moated terraces, and roses tumbling over the walls. On the back lawn is an area with tables covered in vintage lace cloths and antique table covers, set up for tea and cake. Let’s wonder through this garden shall we? I’m sure this will be one of your favorites on the National Garden Schemes too. This garden is very much loved!
Entering the Path to the Garden at North Hall
THE Lawn Roller at North Hall, Sheffield Green, Uckfield
Stepping down, the multi-tiered brick paths along the brick walls allowed you to see plants up close at eye level.
More Chimney Pots Used for Planters at North Hall
The Terraced Gardens at North Hall
The Garden at North Hall, Sheffield Green, Uckfield
The roses covered the house. Notice the contrast of the pinks and violets.
A Side Garden of North Hall, Sheffield Green, Uckfield
Four sides to the house gives one four different gardens!
A Look from the Back of the Garden, North Hall
A delightful seating area, was surrounded by a garden moat! What an inspirational way to add a water garden!
The Moated Terrace at North Hall
Water Lillies in the Moat at North Hall
There were garden rooms created for relaxing and meeting up with fellow gardeners!
Real English Gardeners!
A Look at the Tea Sets, North Hall
I loved the contrast of the black and lime colors in the garden!
Tea Time in the Garden at North Hall
Entering another “Garden Room.”
An Arbor at North Hall
Rainfall water storage and composting in the garden! Nothing was overlooked!
Garden Interest at North Hall
Garden Tools Adds Interest to the Clematis Garden at North Hall
The Flowers of North Hall
Trees and flora were tagged! How thoughtful!
Tree Tag at North Hall
The Flowers of North Hall
The Flowers of North Hall
The Flowers of North Hall
Add a spot or two!
The Flowers of North Hall, A Mixture in the Garden
Or maybe a bright PINK!
The Flowers of North Hall
The Flowers of North Hall
Can you believe the combination of lavender and blue? They were iridescent!
The Flowers of North Hall
The Flowers of North Hall
The Greenhouse at North Hall
The Other Side of North Hall
The Topiaries at North Hall
The Garden at North Hall, Sheffield Green, Uckfield
This is one garden I could visit over and over! I just loved it! Thank you, North Hall, for sharing your beauty with us!
The Varied Terrace Gardens of North Hall
I have so many beautiful pictures from the gardens on the National Garden Scheme in the UK. I called my visit to the gardens, “The English Garden Tour.” Local gardeners open their gardens once a year for charity. Luctons, in Sussex, is a must see! Can’t you just imagine sitting at the end of the day in this garden? I can!
Luctons Garden on the National Garden Scheme, UK
The Church of St Andrew and St Mary the Virgin, Fletching, Uckfield
1 Whites Cottage, Fletching, Uckfield
1 Whites Cottage, Fletching, Uckfield
Across the street from the Church of St Andrew and St Mary the Virgin, in the village of Fletching, is a row of tiny, clustered, connected cottages that look just like dollhouses. The garden at 1 Whites Cottage is compact, and exactly what you would think a cottage garden should look like. Following winding paths there are lovely groupings of flowers, delights for the child of any age, and riots of color, color, color in that messy, disheveled look imagined in fairy tales. What child could not spend the day in a gypsy caravan surrounded by a family of ducks? Snuggled in your perfect spot, this cottage is where stories are told. Let’s take a peek at Whites Cottage, one of the cottages on the National Garden Scheme.
The Rows of Small Cottages at Fletching, Uckfield
Beauty at the Whites Cottage, Fletching, Uckfield
And what is beyond the garden gate?
Beauty and Color at the Whites Cottage, Fletching, Uckfield
Masses of Soft White Blooms at Whites Cottage, Fletching, Uckfield
What’s behind here? Let’s look and see!
The Tiny Gypsy Caravan, Whites Cottage, Fletching, Uckfield
One of the Duck Family at Whites Cottage, Uckfield
The Duck Cottage at Whites Cottage, Fletching, Uckfield
Here was an area for the succulents! Some were planted in chimney pots! Waste not, want not! Where can I get one of those and how can I get it home? Hmmmm…..
Garden Interest at Whites Cottage
Bright colors in the garden!
More Succulents at Whites Cottage, Fletching, Uckfield
The blooming clematis was so delicate and I loved the lime and lavender centers with the crisp, clean, green leaves!
The Beautiful Blooming Clematis at Whites Cottage, Fletching, Uckfield
What’s down this grassy knoll?
Another Look at the Garden, Whites Cottage, Fletching, Uckfield
I love the way you see the seeds in this plant!
The Vines at Whites Cottage, Fletching, Uckfield
The Greenhouse at Whites Cottage, Fletching, Uckfield
Art in the garden, look up, look down. We don’t want to miss anything!
Art in the Garden Adds Interest, Whites Cottage, Fletching, Uckfield
Visiting the different gardens on the National Garden Scheme has taken us to very interesting small villages! Lets take a walk and see the village! Is this the Clergy House? Love it!
A Beauty Next Door to St Andrew and St Mary the Virgin, Fletching, Uckfield
Here is an old door to the Churchgate Cottage!
Another Old Cottage Door in Fletching, Uckfield
In medieval times Fletching was the major producer of bows and arrows; many were used in the battle of Agincourt in 1415. In 1912, The Piltdown Man was discovered near Fletching and thought to be the “missing link” between humans and apes. The significance of the specimen remained controversial, until amidst great publicity and much embarrassment in scientific circles, it was exposed as a forgery in 1953. I think their treasure lies in the beauty of their tiny dollhouse cottages! And maybe this delight, the Tudor Cottage.
The Tudor Cottage in Fletching, Uckfield
We still have several gardens to see on my “English Garden Tour.” Won’t you join me! Another village tomorrow!
The Succulents at Whites Cottage, Fletching, Uckfield
Help! What Am I?
This was my favorite flower during my “English Garden Tour.” We saw it several times in many gardens, but no one was able to identify it. Can a gardener help me out? I loved the way it kept blooming on a single stem!
The Back Lawn of Luctons, West Hoathly, Sussex
The Back Lawn of Luctons, West Hoathly, Sussex
The Back Lawn of Luctons, West Hoathly, Sussex
It was so entertaining sitting on the terrace at the Cat Inn in West Hoathly watching the wedding guests stroll in for a wedding lunch. Such beautiful summer finery and oh the hats! Why don’t we wear hats anymore? I am always so envious of women in hats! So elegant looking in the smallest of fluff and feather!
Time to move on to the next garden, Luctons, just a short walk to the end of the street where the “newer homes” are. Talking with the owners, who have lived in their home for thirty years, we find there have been many adjustments and improvements to their 19th century home, green houses and two acre garden.
Herbaceous Borders at Luctons, Sussex
The Flower Garden at Luctons, Sussex
The Flowers of Luctons, Sussex
The Flowers of Luctons, Sussex
The Flower Garden of Luctons, Sussex
The Flowers of Luctons, Sussex
That is what I find so interesting about the gardens I have seen so far. You get a chance to talk with the gardeners/owners of the gardens and learn more about their garden plans, choice of flowers and involvement with other gardens and gardeners. This garden was designed in the Gertrude Jekyll style, which focused on a relationship between the house and its surroundings. Gertrude Jekyll’s style included foliage, color and texture to achieve a practical and beautiful view. To give a picturesque and natural appearance in the garden the use of stone walls, walkways, and natural partitioning of the garden, ensures a gentle flow. To quote the famous landscape gardener,” A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness: it teaches industry and thrift; it teaches entire trust.” At Luctons, we see the small box partere, yew topiary, shrubs and flowers that frame the front of the home giving it an inviting entrance. Won’t you join me for careful watchfulness?
The Front Entrance to Luctons, Sussex
The Front Entrance to Luctons, Sussex
The Front Garden at Luctons, Sussex
The Front Garden at Luctons, Sussex
The Front Garden at Luctons, Sussex
The Peacock Topiary, Luctons, Sussex
In the back is a large lawn with herbaceous borders centered in a large fruit and vegetable garden.
Leading to the Cricket Court at Luctons, Sussex
The Vegetable Garden, Luctons, Sussex
The wild flower orchard is not mowed revealing beautiful meadow flowers and spotted orchids. A tent has been set up where cream teas are served. Could there be anything more English? All I need is my hat!
Tea in the Garden, Luctons, Sussex
Looking at the Orchard at Luctons, Sussex
Spotted Orchids in the Meadow at Luctons, Sussex
The Lovely Unknown
PS This was hands down my favorite flower! I saw it in many of the gardens we toured, but could never find out the name of it. Can anyone identify it for me?
The Priest House, West Hoathly, Sussex
Map of Center of Village, West Hoathly, Sussex
Today we traveled to West Hoathly, in Sussex, to see the first gardens that I had chosen from the many offered this weekend on the National Garden Scheme. Driving well over an hour we arrived in the center of the small village of 9 homes, including the pub. The Priest House is our first destination. The only one of its kind open to the public, this 15th century Wealden hall house stands in a traditional cottage garden on the edge of the Ashdown Forest. Originally owned by Henry VIII it was given to Anne of Cleaves, wife number four, upon their divorce. The herb garden is planted with over 170 culinary, medicinal and household herbs. Today a special exhibition for the NGS, featured on the upper floor, built in 1600, reveals pictures of local children and their place in the workforce in the 19th century. Many children, as young as five and six, were farm laborers and chimney sweeps. It was not uncommon for the chimney sweep to get stuck in the chimney and die. The Priest House is maintained by the Sussex Archaeological Society and provides rotating exhibits, research, and other learning experiences.
Walkway to the Priest House, West Hoathly, Sussex
The Priest House, West Hoathly, Sussex
The Priest House, West Hoathly, Sussex
The Gardens at Priest House, West Hoathly, Sussex
The Gardens at Priest House, West Hoathly, Sussex
The Gardens at Priest House, West Hoathly, Sussex
Flowers in the Garden at Priest House, Sussex
Another Garden at The Priest House, Sussex
The Priest House, West Hoathly, Sussex
The Priest House, West Hoathly, Sussex
St Margaret’s Church, settled in 1090, records the names of the village from Hadlega, later standardized to Hodlegh, then West Hoathly. This Anglo-Saxon word signifies a heath covered clearing, or the dense woodland of the Ashdown Forest. In 1556, Ann Tree was burnt at the stake near here for refusing to renounce Protestantism, one of seventeen martyrs to suffer this fate in Sussex. A brass memorial in the church commemorates her.
St Margaret’s Church, West Hoathly, Sussex
St Margaret’s Church, West Hoathly, Sussex
The Gate to St Margaret’s Church, West Hoathly, Sussex
The Manor House was built in 1627 for Mrs Catherine Infield of Gravetye Manor, as a dower house. Her family was the wealthy owners of the local iron works. Later abandoned to smugglers the buildings and grounds were rejuvenated in 1884 when “the greatest English Gardener” William Robinson bought it. Upon his death it was turned over to the Forestry Commission. It now sits vacant and forlorn.
The Manor House, West Hoathly, Sussex
Looking Through the Gate to the Manor House, West Hoathly, Sussex
The Phlox and Rose Cottages are 19th century weather boarded over timber framed cottages. They were the newest houses in the village!
Rose Cottage and Phlox Cottage, West Hoathly, Sussex
Rose Cottage and Phlox Cottage, West Hoathly, Sussex
The Upper Pendent is a timber framed, tile-hung 17th century home which previously housed the village stores and post office in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Upper Pendent, West Hoathly, Sussex
The Cat Inn is the 16th century pub of medieval origin standing in the crossroads of the village. The name is derived from an emblem of the Sackvilles of Knole, which is a leopard. We will be learning a lot about the Sackvilles, a very prominent family in Kent. This is the pub I had picked to stop in for lunch after touring the village. It was highly recommended by the locals also. We sat in the lovely terrace and had a most agreeable meal. Now on to the next garden in the “burbs” of West Hoathly.
The Cat Inn, West Hoathly, Sussex
A Great Ride Awaits at the Cat Inn, West Hoathly, Sussex
P S For a good read about the wives of Henry VIII, I suggest, Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir. The author draws on early biographies, letters, memoirs, account books, and diplomatic reports to bring each woman to life. Very interesting!
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