Tags
Blackdown Hills, Edwin Lutyens, Gertrude Jekyll, Hestercombe, Higher Yarde Farm, NSPCC, Quantocks, Snowdrop, Somerset Wildlife Trust, Staplegrove, Taunton
Snowdrop garden. For two days, Friday and Saturday, the owners of Higher Yarde Farm, Staplegrove, near Taunton, are opening their wonderful early spring garden to visitors, in support of the Somerset Wildlife Trust. Last weekend they did the same for the NSPCC.
There had been many visitors before me, despite a typical temperature of around 2°C, but as the last to arrive I had the large garden to myself, and almost missed the tea and cake on offer at the end. I wondered whether the delightful building I had seen in the grounds was a holiday let, and learned that it was. If I lived further away, I would be very tempted to use this as a base to explore the Quantock Hills and the Blackdown Hills, not to mention the wonderful Edwardian Hestercombe Gardens by Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll just a few miles away.
I’d never seen so many snowdrops in one place before, but just as enjoyable were all the other signs of spring on its way, in this garden clearly designed not only to please the human eye, but to be as friendly as possible to wildlife.
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A little bridge soon tempts you off to the right…
…towards a pond.
Onward to some glades and woodland.
The sun came out for a few minutes
I think this may be a hedgehog shelter
Then another bridge leads you on towards the house, and tea and cake (so much choice).
This is the converted barn holiday let.
And back down the snowdrop-lined drive.
I have a third outdoor visit for this week tomorrow…
