February 25 and 26 saw the first opening of the nursery and gardens this season at Great Dixter. The dead of winter is always very busy in the garden, and it is an ideal opportunity to see the structure and the first flowerings of bulbs, hellebores and winter flowering shrubs. In spite of the freezing weather, about 100 people came through the gate on Saturday, to walk round in the pale sunshine and admire the scene before them.
Newly planted beds were in evidence as well as borders in progress, and the sweet scent of the flowering shrubs certainly brought the promise of spring. The nursery was open for early purchases and the mail order catalogue has now been posted out. The shop, with a different layout and new products, was open. Mail order is also available online for this.
The garden is open again this coming weekend, March 3 and 4, from 10am until 4pm. Entry is £5 for adults, children free. Sensible shoes are a must and looking at the weather forecast, so is a lot of warm clothing. Pictures in this article were all taken at the beginning of the week, so come and see for yourselves.
Photos: Gillian Roder