The Awakening

Snowdrops have been nodding their heads for weeks in our gardens - finally mother nature has caste off her winter mantle and rubbed the dust out of her eyes. She has opened wide her paint box and splashed yellows, pinks and blues around our land.

Blue skies, brilliant sunshine, an early morning nip in the air all succeeded in tempting us out for our first picnic of the year to The Weir Garden, Herefordshire. 

A garden sitting high on a loop of the River Wye as it meanders from Wales through the Herefordshire countryside before journeying on to the Bristol Channel and out in to the Atlantic 

A musical cacophany of bird song filled the air, chirping Robins protecting their territory, the mewing of six large Buzzards as angry nesting Rooks chased them away from their tree top eries, whilst across the river two Bean geese honked at us before taking flight to breed in Scandinavia. 

The garden is managed in a natural way to create a varied habitat for wildlife. There is very little formality apart from some large topiary domes, and structures which give interesting walks, and steep steps to explore up and down the river bank. 

A garden of many pathways to explore

Ancient woodlands - excavations have shown that there once was a multi roomed Roman residence complete with columns and mosaics thought to have belonged to a Roman official from nearby Kenchester

Glades filled with naturalised flowers

but always acccompanied by tantalising glimpses of the River Wye as it merrily travels on its way