Following the difficult decision to cancel Northiam’s Garden Safari on May 31 as rain clouds set in for the day, nearly all our garden hosts offered to try again a week later. Sunday June 7 dawned warm and sunny, and allowed us and our visitors to enjoy all the gardens at their best. Although competing with many other open gardens and farms on the day, well over 100 people navigated the course to enjoy gardens packed with features and wildlife (and loads of inspirational ideas to copy). They included one created to be a year-round haven of tranquility relying on leaf colour rather than flowers, another with a superb chicken run designed as part of the overall planting scheme, and an 8 acre plot to make everyone jealous, with views, ponds and luscious planting.
Intrepid safari enthusiasts who took the scenic route were rewarded with a view of the Workhouse pond topped up by recent rains, looking lush and inviting in the heat. And no visit to Northiam is complete without a tea, so some visitors were tempted to settle in the tea garden before even venturing forth! This was altogether another successful event for Northiam’s Bonfire Society – a relative newcomer to Sussex bonfires, being only in its third year. The next event will be the Midsummer Festival on June 20, with live music, a dog show, small local beer festival and various other attractions on Northiam playing fields from 11am – and a boot fair the following day, June 21, with food and refreshments.
Image Credits: Rye News Library .