A Stroll Round Sarah Raven’s Garden

Hello everyone!

How are you all?  Here we are, a few steps closer to August!  We got back late Sunday night from such a lovely few days staying with my parents in East Sussex.  We packed the time full with day trips, visits to gardens and fish and chips.  It was gorgeous.

On meeting up for a coffee with an old school friend (one whom I hadn’t seen for 20 years!), she told me that Sarah Raven was was opening her cutting garden to the public, as she does from time to time.  I looked at a map, and realised that Perch Hill is a mere 25 minutes from my parent’s house.  I had to go!  So first thing on Saturday morning, my little lad and I drove through the sunshine to go and spend an hour soaking up the gardens.

Perch Hill is a little patch of pure heaven, nestled into the beautiful Sussex countryside.  Full of vibrant, colourful planting schemes, and neatly organised tiered vegetable beds that look out across the lush green countryside.  Beds bursting with dahlias, lilac verbena, pale blush hollyhocks and huge sculptural box shapes.  Brick weave paths, willow arches and beautiful rusty metal arbours add an architectural element.

We had a cup of tea and a plum cordial in the beautiful glasshouse, full of geraniums and huge, old pine tables.  I loved the high enamel pitcher full of globe artichokes, a striking centrepiece surrounded by succulents in reclaimed vessels.

Although it was a short visit (we had a day trip planned that we had to get back for), we came away feeling so inspired for our own little plots.  We bought some seeds (Ammi majus and Ammi visnaga – ethereal white flowers reminiscent of cow parsley, good for cutting), and we are going to give globe artichokes a try too.

I find shooting in bright sunshine tricky for one reason or another, but I’m really happy with these snaps I took, I hope they give you some idea of how gorgeous the gardens are!  Just in case my missed my last post about my botanical corner in my living, you can see it here.

Have a wonderful day!

Tamsyn x