Hope Springs Eternal

Just found this unpublished post written before Covid dominated our lives and thought I’d post it anyway, even if just to provide me with an incentive to attempt to re-establish some regular blogging! It also reminded me of the gloomy winter months that still lie ahead of us before experiencing that glimmer of hope I mention below that happily occurs, occasionally and without warning, during the early months of the new year.

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(Written a few years ago BC………)

Well, I'm not quite sure where the last six months went, but here we are already in mid February and well on the way towards Spring.

Yesterday I visited an interesting nursery with my friend Jane. Down a narrow lane and set in the grounds of a school, we first discovered The Walled Nursery at Hawkhurst in Kent last summer and it is a little gem.

Set in a beautiful Victorian walled garden, they are gradually restoring the old Vicotrian glasshouses, melon house etc. As well as a great selection of plants, they serve excellent homemade lunches, coffees and teas set in the old vinery where a huge, gnarled vine of over 100 years old still lives on. Tables and chairs are set out on gravel (clever use of tennis balls prevents your chair sinking!) and the tall brick walls are covered in vintage and antique gardening and agricultural tools.

We were lucky to visit on a bright and sunny morning and were excited by the sight of honey bees buzzing in and out of the pretty pale yellow primrose-like primulas, mini irises, hellebores and hebes on sale. After the bitter cold dark days of winter this year, the sight and sound of bees filled me with delight, a sudden surge of happiness and hope, that Spring is not far off, that it will get warmer and light and brighter, and there will be flowers!