Clinton Lodge Gardens
In the charming village of Fletching, we’ll find behind a high hedge, Lady Collum’s Garden and 17th century home with eighteenth century façade.
She will welcome us with coffee or tea and explain the vision she had of the many green rooms with connecting walks, creating a place of sheer beauty against the backdrop of the rolling Sussex landscape.
In this very personal garden, it is obvious she, and her head gardener, leads a good and friendly team of gardeners, who are very willing to answer any questions.
From the double herbaceous border, designed in white and blue we’re led to the Cloister Walk inspired by a Pre- Raphaelite painting, glimpse through green arcades to show the wild garden full of spring bulbs and native flowers the Pre-Raphaelites so admired.
With a Folly Garden, Potager, a Medieval Garden, a yew hedged walk showing single fountains to a 17th century Italian marble cistern and a pink and white Peonie Walk which leads us to the Pool Garden, so cleverly designed it is not intruding in the overall atmosphere.
In every part of the garden, you will find well-kept seats where you can take in the beauty of this extraordinary romantic and beautiful garden before we gather in the vinery, where lunch awaits us.
Town Place, Sussex
This 1.3 ha garden around a C17 Sussex farmhouse, tucked away in the Sussex countryside, was once a large lawn with a few beds. The present owners have transformed the garden over 30 years into several ‘rooms’ with different forms, topics and colour schemes with 600 roses planted throughout.
From the east lawn, with the view of the 800 year old hollow oak, we enter the informal, well-kept herb garden with a camomile path and are led to the unique ‘ruined’ cloisters and priory church created in massive hornbeam.
A potager, hornbeam walk, rose garden, spring garden, circus with topiary inspired by sculptures of Henry Moore, short -and long borders and orchard are to follow.
The garden is a sheer delight, an inspiration and kept in pristine condition.
A very short drive will take us to Trading Boundaries at Sheffield Green, where tea and cake will be served in their Indian inspired restaurant before we drive back to Haywards Heath Station.
Please, meet at Haywards Heath train station at 9:45am, bus will depart at 10am.
