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Last year I went twice to see the gardens at Forest Lodge, and once those at Lower Shalford Farm, both near Wincanton, south-east Somerset. The two open twice a year on the same day, on a joint entrance fee, under the National Gardens Scheme, and yesterday, Saturday 23rd March, was their first time in 2024. Friday’s weather was not bad, today’s quite reasonable, but yesterday it was foul! Vey cold, very windy, rain, hail showers, and just occasionally very brief glimpses of sun. But I wanted to see those gardens again. As I found, so did others, though not, I suspect, as many as would have done had the weather been better.

Anticipating that much of the time I would be having to cope with an open umbrella, I did not take my camera, and just used my phone to record a few views.

I started at Lower Shalford Farm, the owner greeting me with apologies and regrets. One of his main regrets was that many of the thousands of daffodils had already gone over in this extraordinary (becoming ordinary?) topsy-turvy weather pattern that is now erratically ours. He really didn’t need to apologise. By far the worst thing was the weather.

And there weren’t just daffodils.

After a while, it got very blustery indeed, presaging rain. I didn’t get very wet before making it to the tea room. And while I was in there, the sun came out and was radiant for a while. It had gone in again by the time I had finished my coffee.

But what a difference sunshine can make! I snatched this during a ten-second opportunity.

Shortly afterwards, I bumped into a bridge friend, Gill, who had a friend with her. I had recommended the gardens to my bridge four, and here was one of them.

I moved on to Forest Lodge. Firstly a general view from the terrace.

As on my previous visits, I did a sort of double circumference, outer, then inner.

From a distance this rhododendron looked like a dead tree decorated with baubles. Though the effect is not captured here, ‘they’ glowed in the grey light.

I was astonished to see a bluebell – just one that I noticed – so early. Now that really is topsy-turvy.

Not sure how long my outing would be, I had taken a snack to eat for lunch, which they were happy for me to eat there. I sat rather chilly on the terrace, though when the next shower came, I took what remained inside the conservatory, where I bought a coffee, and a very generous and very delicious chocolate brownie to round things off. Had it been warmer I might have walked round the garden again.

Later in the day, I learned that I had missed the two remaining members of our bridge four, each of whom had brought companions.

I shall return in May, for their second opening of the year, hoping that I may have with me a friend who was not well enough to come this time. And that it is warmer!