Tyntesfield House, Bristol
A couple of weeks ago, while my Dutch friends were visiting, we went to Tyntesfield house, near Bristol. I went there a few years ago, in September 2009 in fact - I've just checked. It's a National Trust property and is still in the process of being done up. It's actually been a bit of a public project for the National Trust. Normally they would ( Read more... )
Perhaps 'disappointed' wasn't quite the right word. I love kitchen gardens at places like this - and I think of places like Knighthayes or Forde Abbey. In the summer and autumn they are colourful, abundant and beautiful. It's a joy to be between those four brick walls marvelling at the different vegetables and flowers, the old varieties and the interesting designs and shapes laid out in the soil. When I visited Tyntesfield before, it was September and the kitchen garden was splendid, and by far the most interesting part of the whole place. They had so much produce they were giving it away to visitors. I remember taking home flowers for Florence and multi-coloured beetroot for JC.
Now, I know that at this time of year, before it's all planted out, it's not going to be like that. But I hadn't quite prepared myself for just how empty and lifeless it would actually be.
The rest of the gardens were great this time, different but no less interesting, and the things you point out are exactly the ones that appealed to me too, so I wasn't really disappointed, but I wasn't overwhelmed either. :))
That little summer house, which does indeed look like it's come out of a fairytale, is gorgeous. Those paint pots were inside it and I couldn't resist the splash of colour.
I hope spring arrives with you soon. We have daffodils and snowdrops out in the garden, and crocusses are poking their heads up through the lawn. The plum trees are covered in white blossom. (I must take some photos to prove it!) It has definitely warmed up here, though it's still quite dull most days.
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