April – a moment to stand and stare

A never-ending list of things to do here means time is often spent nose-to-the-ground, and any walks around usually see the mind race. Would that plant grow better over there? What animal has been digging these up? Do these colours work together? That urgently needs pruning!

On occasion, however, there are moments when the light and the plants work their magic in such a way that gives pause. This past couple of weeks there have been many such instances; the low, soft spring sunlight catching on blossom and pouring through the garden to cast long, elegant shadows.

With the garden looking so very photogenic, we thought we'd take our readers on a virtual a spin around the place with a few shamelessly sumptuous shots...

All eyes are on the Orchard Meadow, where the apples are currently at their blossoming peak.

The meadow is on the starting blocks, ready to race skyward.

Depending on variety the apple blossom varies considerably, from pink and blousy to white and simple.

Shadows are accentuated at this time of year – handy for adding a touch of drama while the borders are still in their early stages.

Possibly our favourite incarnation of the classic spring combination of yellow and blue – cowslips and blue wood anemone.

Where would the spring garden be without the borage family? Forget-me-nots clothe the ground throughout the Front Garden and Curved Border...

...and brunnera adds its airy, blue haze to shady spots throughout the garden.

Another key player at this time of year is honesty, an invaluable source of colour in the Front and Studio gardens.

Historically the pink and white flowered forms have been encouraged to run wild in the Studio Garden, that is, until a recent introduction of 'Corfu Blue' led to a rethink...

Preferring both the colour and more delicate habit, Bella has tasked Jack with eliminating the pink and white forms from the Studio Garden and allow only this newer, blue one to remain.

Jack has duly sown masses of 'Corfu Blue' in the nursery, and once the pink and white forms finish flowering in a few weeks they will be ripped out rather than allowed to set seed as usual. The new blue kids on the block will be planted out in autumn, and, until they set seed next spring, all seedlings will be weeded out. From then on, seedlings will be allowed to remain, though any non blue forms will be removed the moment they show their colours. A few years of this and the population should become entirely blue. It's a marathon, not a sprint!

While spring at Gasper Cottage is glorious, it's a time which doesn't see many visitors pass through. Thanks to the NGS Open Days, the garden's most visited time of year so far has been the hazy days of late summer, when late-flowering perennials glow richly among bleached out grasses and seedheads. This year however, Bella has decided to open much earlier in the gardening calendar, on Sunday 22nd June, giving visitors chance to experience its early rush of freshness and vitality, when a whole different palette of plants are in their prime. See our page on the NGS website for more information, and do pencil the date into your diary. We look forward to seeing you there!