Spring at Packwood House Gardens

It was a beautiful hot, sunny day yesterday and I decided to visit the gardens of one of the local National Trust properties. But which one? Baddesley Clinton with the lure of a second hand book shop or Packwood House which has a great display of daffodils at this time of the year. In the end the daffodils won and I decided on Packwood.

Arriving at the car park to be greeted by blossom and forsythia.





The daffodils didn't disappoint - a beautiful display of waving yellow heads by the house entrance and along the road which passes the house.









There are a lot of sundials and clocks around the House and outbuildings











Packwood House



There were several varieties of hellebore in flower in a range of colours - purple, pink, cream.



I visited the Carolean or South Garden first - this is a photo of one of the four gazebos situated in each corner of the garden.



The Sunken Garden which will be full of flowers come the summer





More hellebores and a lungwort in flower. I bought another one of the latter before I left - a different variety to the one I purchased at Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens last year. Bumble bees are really attracted to their purpley flowers







When I visited these gardens last September the renowned Yew Garden and Terrace Walk were closed as Gardeners World were filming there but today both were open.

The Yew Garden represents the Sermon on the Mount with the yew trees in the lower part of the garden representing "the Multitude". Further up 12 large yew trees represent "the Apostles" with the four largest trees in the centre called "the Evangelists".

The first yews were planted in the 1650's and some reach over 15 metres in height.











At the top of the Yew Garden is a mound with a spiral pathway surrounded by box hedges leading to the top. Here is a photo of the Tree known as "The Master" or "The Pinnacle of the Temple" surrounded by a bench. My children used to love it here when they were small.





On the south side of the terrace walk there are 30 niches in pairs called bee boles which housed bee skeps.



Meadow and lake - there is also a lot of parkland around the House and Gardens with some lovely walks.



Terrace Walk





West Court



Magnolia close to the house will be in flower soon





Masses of forsythia flowers





Another hellebore



Euphorbia with ladybird








I was thrilled to find a stone carving of the Green Man particularly apt at this time of the year as it is a traditional pagan symbol representing rebirth and growth each spring. They were often used in the past as a decorative sculpture in churches and houses.





The Kitchen Garden









I want one of these for my garden!



I didn't see many birds just a few jackdaws and carrion crows and blue tits flitting in and out of trees. There were lots of bumble bees but no butterflies. The hedgerows in the Warwickshire countryside are full of lesser celandine flowers.

Apologies for the long post and I have got a bit carried away with amount of photos :D.