Gardens of Norfolk and The Sandringham Flower Show

We depart Sussex and make our way north via the Dartford Crossing . Having made a suitable comfort stop we arrive at Wyken Vineyards to visit the lovely gardens  The gardens at Wyken nestle around the old manor house, and rest peacefully between the house and the wider landscape. The herb and knot gardens lead into the old-fashioned rose garden, flanked by a pergola and old flint walls.  Wildflower meadows, a beech maze and gazebo stretch beyond. A traditional orchard and kitchen garden supply the restaurant. Created over the past forty years, by Kenneth and Carla Carlisle, Wyken is now a Royal Horticultural Society partner garden and has shrubs and plants of interest throughout the year. Later in the afternoon we continue to our hotel.

This morning we visit the lovely four acre garden at Manor House Farm, home to Robin and Libby Ellis. The Garden offers a series of different spaces which surround the house on three sides. The unusual walled ‘Taj’ garden is a highlight; complete with formal carp pond, old fashioned roses and tree peonies. Leading away from the house is a fragrant tunnel of roses with a pleached lime walk beyond. Elsewhere in the garden a small arboretum has been planted with unusual specimen trees and a ‘hot’ gravel garden has been created. Beyond the formal gardens are Libby’s hens and guinea fowl with Robin’s unusual pair of rhea sharing a paddock with a small group of Formosan Sika Deer  Later in the day we take the short journey to Hindringham Hall, a delectable little moated manor house that looks as though it has been plucked straight from a storybook. Surrounded by a medieval moat, fishponds, walled vegetable garden and delightful flowering borders this Tudor manor is a true picture of perfect country living. Although we are only able to view the house from the outside, we are treated to the beautiful gardens which we can enjoy, with lots of quaint corners to explore and the sweet smell of roses lingering in the air.

This morning we make the short drive to The Sandringham Estate where we spend the day enjoying the 141st Sandringham Flower Show.   Sandringham Flower Show is one of the most prestigious horticultural events in the East of England. Now in its 141st year, it is much more than just a Flower Show. It is a unique event offering not only the best in horticulture but also an excellent day out, filled with family entertainment.  Set in the magnificent surroundings of Sandringham Park with Sandringham House and Sandringham Church as a backdrop, this one-day Show attracts around 20,000 visitors each year. From the beginning the Show has been privileged to enjoy Royal patronage and traditionally our Royal Patron attends the Show.  Many of the region’s leading nurseries and horticultural specialists exhibit. In addition to these displays the show features display gardens by leading designers, around 200 trade stands (both horticultural and general), a craft marquee, main arena events and a military band.  The Royal marquees contain the competitions in vegetables, fruit, flowers and floral art, with the entries grown by local residents; there are also some open classes which anyone may enter. In the amateurs’ marquee, local gardening and horticultural clubs enter a judged display competition, whilst the Horticultural Trades marquee features displays by leading nurseries.

This morning we make our way to the old market town of Fakenham where it just happens to be market day. We spend time here with the opportunity to get refreshments before we continue to our afternoon visit.  This afternoon we visit the breath-taking 32-acre East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden, which for many will be the highlight of our visit to Norfolk. It is quite unbelievable that such an exotic garden can lie less than two miles from the North Sea. With the benefit of good shelter beds and hedging it has been possible to grow many plants not normally associated with Norfolk. The separate gardens including Tropical Borders, Mediterranean Garden, Sunken Garden, Autumn Borders, Kitchen Garden, Desert Wash and Cornfield, vary strongly in mood. Sculptures, lavishly planted pots and finely detailed walls and gates play their decorative part. This is truly one of Britain’s great new gardens.

After a leisurely breakfast we depart our hotel and make our way to Cambridge where we visit The Cambridge University Botanic Gardens. The Gardens have 8000 different species of plants over 40 acres. The original garden is located in the city centre, specifically at the New Museums Site. Founded in 1762, the plants it grew were used for teaching medical students. Since then, it has expanded significantly both in size and its range of activities. In 2019 the Botanic Gardens received a Conservation International (BGCI) Accreditation Award. The Garden has been acknowledged as a world-leader in both the managing its living collections and supporting world class research.  The Garden has plenty to offer, including a garden shop and cafe, a grass maze, and a school’s garden which aims to teach the younger generation about horticulture. Additionally there are many different areas of the Garden to wander:

•  the Autumn Garden: perfect for admiring seasonal leaf colour

•  the Bog Garden: full of shallows providing a sheltered habitat for marginal plants

•  the Rose Garden: set up to examine the development of modern garden roses

•  the Bee Borders: a gorgeous collection of flowers adored by both honey bees and visitors

There will be time to have lunch and explore this lovely site before we depart for Sussex. Having made a suitable comfort stop we expect to be back in the Maresfield area by approximately 18.30