Life is a journey, treasure it…..
Bluebells are a famous feature of many of our woodlands and they are truly beautiful. As we move further into April they will carpet woodland areas. This annual display is just stunning.
Did you know native bluebells have a strong sweet scent? Much weaker scents come from the non native varieties. Native bluebells are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
The truly beautiful Emmett’s Garden is a fantastic day out, boasting beautiful landscape views and tranquil gardens. A must visit for anyone wanting to explore a glorious part of the ‘garden of England’.
As with many gardens you must book a time slot to be able to book the gardens (there is a small possibility on non-holiday weekdays that availability will be available to the same day, but you would be taking a chance). Currently March 2021 National Trust are releasing visit slots every Friday for the following week. Please ensure that you are following national guidelines in relation to travel and visit places of interest.
The garden is open daily between 10am and 5pm, with the last entry slot between 3.30pm and 4pm.
There is a beautiful woodland walk that takes you to the ‘Ram House’ & Pond’ you can opt to take a longer walk or a shorter walk the walks clearly marked and easy to follow.
There is a play park and lots of room to play games and have picnics on the open grassland.
The Emmett’s Garden Tea Room is currently open serving takeaway hot and cold drinks, bakes and light snacks. The outdoor seating has been removed for the safety of visitors, staff and volunteers but there are benches across the site and picnic tables available in the meadow. Picnics are welcome with plenty of benches across the gardens to use.
Why not visit Emmett’s Gardens for their Easter Egg Hunt this spring running from Monday 29 March 2021 – Sunday 18 April 2021 (whilst stocks last); 9am-5.30pm (last entry at 5pm). The trail is £3.00 per person (including National Trust members). Normal site admission applies.
Pashley Manor Gardens in Ticehurst East Sussex award winning gardens and are an excellent place to visit for a relaxing day out. With 11 acres there is plenty of space to be able to social distance when you visit.
I mean this is my dream gardens….On our visit it felt like we were in the Mediterranean, it was really relaxing and peaceful.
On arrival there was plenty of parking in a field scattered with trees. We walked down to the front of the house where you enter the gardens, there was an entrance table set up outside to buy your tickets from. The social distancing measures in place were ingenious they had tennis/badminton rackets attached to the card machine so that they could move the machine to you safely for payment.
We spent hours exploring the extensive gardens following the paths and walking around the lake. We found the gardens to be tranquil and peaceful with plenty of room for everyone not to be on top of each other.
We made a pit stop for lunch at the Garden Room Café, with a one way system in place and a table allocation once you have ordered food (you can choose to sit inside or outside). There are plenty of tables available. Homemade food filled the plates and it was delicious, there were gluten free options available. If you wish to have a picnic you are invited to do this in the car park field, this is a large field and a lovely setting.
My highlights have to be finding the sculptures across the gardens, the swimming pool area and meeting the owner James Sellick who had been pruning the roses.
On exit there is a gift shop again with a one way system in place, I purchased some seeds and a reed diffuser in the scent ‘blue bell’ (it smelt just amazing). The products in the shop had a focus on supporting local business which I particularly liked I am not one for always buying something from a gift shop but I couldn’t resist here.
The gardens host many special events including kitchen garden week, Sussex guild craft show and dahlia days.
Remember now more than ever our local attractions will need support as tourist numbers will be much lower than normal.
Mount Ephraim House & Gardens are privately owned and lie between Canterbury and Faversham in Kent. Entry prices are reasonable with an excellent value annual option.
My Mum and I visited the gardens on Friday 26th June as the Covid19 pandemic social distancing rules aloud us. We arrived in the car park in our separate cars and walked to purchase our tickets at the entrance gate building. With excellent procedures in place including hand sanitizer, contactless payments and a glass screen. We were informed that the tea room was offering a takeaway service if we wished to use it – we all know that I will end up getting something yummy from the tea room.
We were provided with a map and asked to follow the route one way to ensure that social distancing could be easily facilitated.
There is a stunning Japanese rock garden & water garden, arboretum, Miz Maze and a beautiful walled garden near the tea room. You can take as much time as you wish exploring the many parts of the gardens then a stop off at the tea room for refreshments.
Picnics are welcome at the gardens, a great reason to buy an annual pass – remember to always take your rubbish home with you.
Remember now more than ever our local attractions will need support as tourist numbers will be much lower than normal. Why not plan your visit now?
My Jones Life 