The Secret Garden

On the Sunday of the open gardens weekend, we took my Nan down to the Church to look at the Church flowers. She's 86 and not really up to making the long trek around all of the gardens anymore. After Mr Bogert dropped her back home, we went back to The Old Rectory for a ploughmans lunch. The Small Person is friends with the little girl who lives there, so she disappeared to play for a little while and we had wonderful peace and quiet!



Chocolate chops :)



Sitting in the back garden of The Old Rectory



Mr Bogert chatting with one of the local event volunteers.

We spent the next few hours checking out the last few scarecrows we had missed and then we wandered down to one of the garden centres (we have a few in our village) that was offering free entry to their landscaped gardens.

The garden is actually located in an old quarry, so it has rocks, hills, ponds and plenty of plants and grassy areas. The locals know it as the quarry garden, but the garden centre has named it "the secret garden" and it really is an appropriate name.

There is a small opening in the hedge alongside the edge of the carpark, and once you walk through it, the space opens up and you are greeted by different paths, hills, a little stream and open space. You really feel like you've entered a secret world.



Pausing for a break in the shade.





It's hard work with a pushchair!

I can't wait to take the Small People back in the summer holidays. I figured a sketchpad and disposable camera for the Small Person, lots of running around for the Smaller Person, and finish it off with a cake and drink in The Potting Shed cafe (the garden centre cafe) will make quite a nice trip out.