It's that time of year again - the wisteria is in bloom! A brief few weeks when gardens are transformed by cascades of purple, lilac, and white flowers.
I was a little early visiting Calke Abbey, where wisteria blossoms along walls and falls over archways, and not all the flowers were out, but the effect was still magical.
Calke has a variety of different colours among its wisteria, ranging from very pale to dark purple. For shade, I prefer the darker tones, but the paler lilac seem more prolific, completely covering the walls, and this year set off by pink forget-me-nots and tulips in two shades.
Leaving the wisteria behind, I headed past the garden buildings and the orangery, across an old orchard where sheep were grazing, to an old door in the outer wall. I've seen people going through this before but always assumed they were staff or volunteers; this time I decided to investigate, and find it was open to everyone.
On the far side was a secret garden. With high walls behind it and lower ones in front towards the sun, this was once a 'slip garden' where young plants were started before being moved to permanent positions. To one side it is being used in much the same way, but on the other a small orchard has been created, with old trees, newer ones, and a flower bed to encourage pollinators.
It's lovely to find a new enchanting place in a garden I thought I knew so well
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