Ightham Mote - February 2024

Tuesday 20th 2024.

The Garden of Edenbridge Flora & Fauna group took 13 to Ightham Mote for a stroll round the very pleasant gardens to see what was bobbing up through the soil.  After our usual morning coffee we made our way to the altered entrance to the gardens (there are big construction improvements underway) first stopping off at the South Lake.  This area boasts a wonderful view of the back of the house and are known as the ‘The Pleasure Grounds’ which are thought to be of 18th-century origin but were left to decline in the 20th-century. 

From here we entered the formal gardens where we were all taken aback by the aroma surrounding us.  On further investigation the origin was a beautiful specimen of a Daphne shrub – Jaqueline Postill – and it was hard to tear ourselves away from it.  Further along the border there was the delicate pink-purple flowers of Cyclamen and Cardamine or Hairy Bittercess.  Along the entrance to the house and protected by a small ragstone wall was a tremendous show of glorious white Helebores.

From here we made our way to the North Pleasure Grounds with Colin, our knowledgable member of the group, pointed out the names of many shrubs and trees including the spongy bark on the Wellingtonia, Sequoiadendron Giganteum or Red Wood.  Then the tree ferns, Dicksonia Antartica and Viburnum in variety.  When we came to a smashing Sweet Chestnut with a very twisted trunk some of the group couldn’t help but give it a great big hug!  Planted up on a bank was a Wollemi Pine which is a very rare tree found growing wild in New South Wales.  Further along this path we passed some Camellia’s in wonderful full bloom.   However, with the clock ticking our tummy’s were telling us it was lunch time so we wended our way back to the Mote cafe for a convivial bite to eat.

We all agreed that we were looking forward to our next month’s outing, hopefully in warmer weather!

Penny & Stephanie

Group leaders