May Time at Levens Hall

We recently visited the gardens at Levens Hall. It's another one of those places where I like to visit each season, as there's always plenty of flowers and plants and things of interest to see whatever the time of year. There's always birdsong in these beautiful gardens too and I think May must be the most harmonious month to hear it and watch the birds swooping between the stunning topiary trees and flower and shrub displays. 

Levens Hall and its estate is situated near the village of Levens in South Cumbria - the gateway to the Lake District. You can enjoy a visit to the house, a stunning walk in the Levens Deer Park, a visit to the shop or Bellingham Buttery Tea Room or a browse around the gorgeous world renowned topiary gardens. The topiary gardens make Levens a unique place to be and some of the topiary trees are over three hundred years old. It is a world renowned topiary garden being the oldest and most extensive. 

Here are just a few of the plants we spotted: glorious banks of winter pansies displaying their finest before they finish for summer; wisteria tumbling over and across walls, as always the stunning topiary trees and shrubs, beautiful and vibrant displays of pink double daisies, blue and white hibiscus shrubs and weigelias, irises in purples, blues and yellows, geranium Johnsons Blue, wild garlic and cow parsley by the river. 

I'm looking forward to visiting again very soon...

April and May In the Garden

Apologies I've been away a little while due to being unwell and April seems to have passed me by and suddenly we are well into May. Here's a little snapshot of what's been happening in the garden while I've been recuperating. When I went in hospital all the daffodils were out and since then the cherry blossom trees and tulips have been and gone and now the garden is full of vibrant colour and plants again. Here are a few photos.

The cherry blossoms 

Magnolia and tulips 

Vivid yellow and pink broom in the front garden with aubretia and yellow alyson in the foreground

Phlox making a purple carpet

One of my May favourites - Aquilega 

A deep red broom currently brightening up a back border

The Californian lilac bushes are in flower

The geums are out and will flower all through summer

Another May favourite - weigelia 

May isn't May without a clematis in full bloom

Borders are brimming with forget-me-nots

The wallflowers have sprung back to into life for the summer

And bluebells - well they sing of May and signal the summer isn't too far away now

A peony unfurling in the early morning sunshine

It's all come to life so quickly and as we approach mid May, the cold snaps and frosts are leaving us. It's already time to redo the summer baskets and pots...