First stop on my latest trip was Doddington Hall garden near Lincoln, a place I discovered through my RHS membership. This isn't one of their huge show gardens, but one of the 'partner gardens' - independent gardens which offer free admission to RHS members because of some special horticultural feature - their historic design or special flower collections. In Doddington's case, it's their collection of bearded irises hybridized by Bryan Dodsworth, and my visit fell at the beginning or their annual 'Iris Week'.
With Spring being somewhat delayed this year they weren't all in flower, but enough were to give an idea of how wonderfully vibrant these formal beds would be after a week or so of sunshine.
But if the irises weren't quite in flower, the woodland area was!
Rhododendrons, azaleas, and primulas brought splashes of colour, and under all the trees cow parsley had been allowed to naturalise with winding mown paths leading through it.
In one area of the garden several ancient chestnut trees are still growing. These were already established when the Elizabethan hall was built, so are at least 450 years old!
There are quirky ornaments to find, like this old fountain surrounded by bamboo, and a turf maze (easiest worked out by standing in the middle and plotting the route, instead of walking into all the dead-ends).
This was my favourite view though - the formal temple surrounded by a froth of cow parsley.
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