Banba's Liquid Gold

What an amazing Queen young Banba is proving to be. The colony is active & industrious with the added bonus of a genteel temperament! On our latest inspection we were astounded to see the amount of young brood hatching, together with the sheer number of bees in the hive. Banba's first honey harvest is phenomenol. I love the picture of this curious little worker bee checking in on the 'Bee- Diary'. We removed a few frames of honey, leaving the majority for the hungry young brood to feed on. Despite our restriant the harvest still exceeds 20lb. It is an honour to live in harmony with these amazing little bees & partake in the harvesting of their 'liquid gold'.

Iris River

The cobalt river of Iris snakes through the L'Heure Bleu planting drawing the eye back to the purple shadow of the Smoke Bush Cotinus. This planting was inspired by the iconic Guerlaine perfume of the same name - alluding to the magical skies between sunset and darkness. Half way up the slope facing west this is the perfect place to catch the last of the sun & reflect on the the day. All the plants in this section have a blue hue, even the poppies, which gives an air of sultry seduction. For me this is a cocoon of tranquillity.

Darling Buds of May

What an extraordinary season - roses alliums poppies & tulips all flowering together. VGP is a riot of colour, enhanced by intermittant soft rainful. An early morning tour of the garden is essential to spot the unusual flowering combinations that the exceptional conditions are encouraging!