Yesterday, we met up with my sisters for lunch and culture. This irregular event is something we do as we live about 90 miles apart. We choose a venue around the midpoint between us, meet up for lunch, and have a good old chinwag. Sometimes, like yesterday, we manage to fit in some fresh air and exercise too.
So lunch first. Our chosen meeting point was The Wheatsheaf at Woodmancote, Henfield, where the food was very tasty, with a Brazilian twist. Needless to say, I couldn’t resist the Moqueca, a Brazilian fish and Tiger Prawn stew. It was delicious 😋
Lunch over, we headed, just a few hundred yards along the road to The Sussex Prairie Garden.
In their own words …
We are Britain’s largest “Prairie,” or “Naturalistic,” garden, with eight acres of stunning garden to roam around. Unlike most gardens of a comparable size, we have no castle or stately home! We designed and planted the garden ourselves, on Pauline’s family farm in West Sussex. Instead of armies of servants and gardeners, we planted all 35 000 plants with help of amazing friends and family!
Our garden encourages exploration using a network of small wood chip paths which snake through the huge borders. Come and visit, please do walk on the grass and in the borders! Sussex Prairies-an extraordinary garden created by ordinary people!
On entry, the winding path leads you past “Audrey II” the banana tree, standing guard.
Past a glass encampment. All that was missing was some lighting.
And on to a pair of very friendly pigs. We soon discovered they like their backs scratched
But we were conscious of the many signs informing us that “Pigs Bite”
Moving on we entered the gardens proper where we were presented with this view.
The tea shop was ignored at this time as we set off to explore. Here are a “few” snaps that I took to give you a taste for what this garden offers.
Although there are formal paths and open lawn areas, you are encouraged to go “off-piste” and wander amongst the plants to better enjoy the scents and textures.
Marching Across The Prairie
Throughout the garden, there are many sculptures. Many featuring stained or painted glass.
The changeable weather, sunny then cloudy, meant that they were constantly changing with the light
The beauty of these gardens is the huge variety of colours and scents. Also, the textures of the grasses. Chris, my sister, spent a great deal of time fondling the grasses, commenting on the softness or coarseness.
The gardens are laid out in such a way that, typically, you can’t see everything from a single vantage point.
Rather, you catch glimpses from one area to the next. The paths gently curving, leading from one area to the next.
I don’t know if the kids being at school has any real bearing on things, but it was really peaceful here.
There were times when I was truly on my own. No others in view or earshot.
Just the occasional face peering out between the plants
To be honest, before starting out from home, I was fully prepared to be disappointed. Any doubts I had were soon dispelled. This place is lovely. We actually spent around two and a half hours here, but the time flew by.
So, at almost five o’clock, we slipped into the tea shop to grab cups of tea, ice creams and flapjacks.
Then, sadly, it was time to wend our way home. A lovely day, good food, good company, and an agreement to return to the Sussex Prairie Garden later in the season.
WrAnTz 