Today at Colesbourne Park

NGS visitors at Colesbourne Park this afternoon.

In 1927, the first year of the National Gardens Scheme, Colonel HC Elwes opened the grounds of Colesbourne Park to the public. To commemorate this 85th anniversary we were asked if would open again this year for NGS. We agreed to open on May 27th, though never having opened  in May before we did not really know how many visitors we could expect. In the event we hosted about 130 visitors on a lovely warm day, when the garden was looking lovely - there was certainly no problem about the 45 minutes of interest NGS gardens are supposed to provide! Here are a few of the plants and views on show today.

Woad (Isatis tinctoria) is a very useful and attractive tall biennial - here in the herbaceous border (also visible above).

Paeonia 'Late Windflower' in the Spring Garden.

Narcissus poeticus 'Recurvus' in the pinetum -   now melting rapidly in the heat.

Molopospermum pelopponesiacum: a wonderfully structural perennial umbellifer.

The golden new growth of Cornus alba 'Aurea'

New growth on Abies nordmanniana in the Arboretum.