A Late Spring Afternoon
It is a pleasure working from Betley Court Gardens this afternoon. I’m sitting in the visitors’ hub, looking out towards the edge of the woodland, through the border of wildflowers. The hues of blue, chartreuse and yellow that are the signature of April have given way to the pink blush of red campion Silene dioica – its common name redolent of an era of the English language when colours from pink, through scarlet and orange were collectively described as ‘red’.
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| Red campion Silene dioica by the visitors' hub |
There are a couple of Rhododendrons down in the woods that cause me to wonder if they are remnants of a Victorian planting scheme. Just outside the hub’s kitchen window, a bank of creeping buttercups sways in the breeze. In most gardens, they would be vilified as a weed, but in this setting, they make a glorious, pleasing golden array. Their reflective flowers conjure up a memory of the childhood game of holding the flowers under a companion’s chin to see if they like butter.
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| Buttercups Ranuculans repens |
Up on the
lawns Shane’s efforts looking stunning. He’s mown broad paths into the lawn,
whilst leaving the rest to flower and eventually seed. No Mow May, may be
controversial to some, but at Betley Court, we can see the ecological benefits,
most noticeably in the greater numbers of butterflies. An artist friend commented
that the patches of flowering red field sorrel Rumex acetosella, blue
Germander speedwell Veronica chamaedrys and sulphur yellow mouse-ear
hawkweed Pilosella officinarum gave the garden the diffuse look of a
Monet painting. Quite the complement, even if the look of the lawn won’t be to
everyone’s liking.
The red flowers of field sorrel Rumex acetosella
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| Shane, mowing grass paths into the lawn, allowing most of it to flower for Non Mow May |
Upon their
return from sub-Saharan Africa in April, swallows and swifts swoop back and
forth across the lawn feasting on the clouds of insects that thrive amongst the
wildflowers and flowering grasses. Before the fire, swifts nested in numbers under
the guttering on the main house. They have yet to return there, and I often
wonder where they escaped to back in August 2019.
A bank of buttercups Ranuculus repens by the vivistors hub
In the new-leaf shade of the woodland around the visitors’ hub, windborne dandelion seeds are carried through sunbeams on thermals of air. These seeds, and will, no doubt, find a nice area of cultivated soil to land and germinate on to cause Betley Court’s gardeners trouble later in the season. A chorus of birdsong; blackbirds, robins and others I can’t identify fills the air, making this warm sprung afternoon quite joyous.
Along with red campion, Jack’o’the hedge or garlic mustard Alliaria petiola take off where the bluebells are fading. It is hard to believe bluebell season is nearly over for another year!
Pop-up Exhbition
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| Part of the rebuild; temporary staircase. Photo: Washington & Peart, Centre Space Arts |
What was recovered of the main staircase after the fire
Nigel and I will be on
hand to answer questions, and access to the grounds, and a complimentary drink
and snack are included in the ticket. Please be aware the house remains a construction
site, so dress appropriately if you wish to see the exhibition (stout shoes and
clothes that you don’t mind getting dusty. Tickets are £7.50, children under 12
free, and can be bought at the gate on the day. We take cash or card.
Alternatively, tickets can be bought in advance from our website (Eventbrite
booking fee applies). The footpaths at Betley Court are loose gravel and may cause
visitors with mobility issues problems. We welcome dogs on leads.
Tickets
link: Events
(betleycourtgardens.co.uk)
Hope to see
you there!
All best
wishes
Ladybird Su
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