Jack in the Green and the coastal scene....

There was a festival in Hastings called Jack in the Green (http://www.hastingsjack.co.uk/hist.html the other weekend that I was able to go to. Fergus went away for holiday and let me use his home for the weekend since he lives right in "Old Town", which you can see below. It is seperated by hills on either side and leads you right through the town to the ocean. You can go from the one hill through the town to the old hill, or go right to the ocean in all in a matter of 10 minutes, it is fun to have so many views in such a short time.

It was a great time to see this small fishing town wake up and celebrate the beginning of summer with a festive parade that led through the town and ended up at the castle ruins. The large green shrub you see is Jack in the Green and represents what the celebration is all about. There were garlands that were made by different groups throughout the years of this parade but it was the chimney sweepers that made one so big it covered a whole man. This manshrub is now the official character of the celebration.There were large and beautifully crafted mannequins that were paraded down the small streets. One of the many participants with the proverbial green stripe that people will do to you through out the day. The costumes were creative and alot of fun to see.



After a long day of festivities, and people, and people with beer, the coastal footpaths looked very inviting. There are footpaths that run for miles along the coast with some of the most amazing views.
This is a path lined with Ulex europaeus, or Gorse as it is commonly known. It is an evergreen shrub that is all over England since it self seeds in lots of areas. It has thorns and stiff thin foliage on it and was used by farmers as a living fence for their livestock, and also as fuel for baker's ovens, as cattle food, for people to dry their washings, as a chimney brush and as a color dye for Easter eggs. There is a saying here that goes, 'When gorse is in bloom, kissing's in season' but what is funny is that it blooms from January through February. It is said that from the English Channel, when the light is hitting the yellow blooms just right, it looks like the cliffs are on fire.
Further down the footpath on top of some cliffs, about 400 ft. up, was this plant growing right up against the edge. It is called Thrift, Armeria maritima, and is a cushion forming perennial. We weren't sure if it was an allium of some kind or a dianthus but were both wrong.
Here is Thrift growing with English Stonecrop, Sedum anglicum (?) or Sedum acre also known as Biting Stonecrop (due to it's peppery taste). It was exciting to see sedum growing in the wild, but I am not sure which one it is because it was not in bloom. It should be blooming in May if it is Sedum acre. Having found these plants, and many others, and being curious to find out which Sedum it is, we have decided to do a two day hike from Brighton to Hastings. Plants of interest would be keyed out along the way, and we could follow an old sheep herding trail as well. The route will be figured out.

Spring, Sissinghurst and Hastings.....

After a month(!) of being in England, buds on the trees are finally beginning to open. The bulbs will soon be taking a backseat to some of the Malus and the Magnolias that are getting ready to bloom. The temperature was getting a bit warmer but there was soon a drop and the weather went from sun to snow.... Even though some plants in the garden are just waking up from their long deep sleep, Fergus' magic is obvious and apparent by putting them straight to work.
Here is the emerging colored foliage of Spiraea japonica 'Gold Flame' underplanted with Hyacinthus orientalis 'Delft Blue' in the Barn garden. Regal jewel tones combine with only the use of two plants.




The unfurling of the fern fronds, otherwise known as crosiers, stretching upwards to get energy from the sun. Some ferns are edible in this stage of growth, though i have never had them. Has anyone? Are they good?

Here is Mark watering in some bedding plants that were tucked into the Tulips so the succession of color will continue on... Ladybird poppies will soon flower adding large splashes of red to continue on with garden succession. Anyone have any good suggestions for spring combinations that they like to use in their garden? We took a ride to Hastings which is a 20 minute drive south and is right on the coast. This was an important fishing port for centuries and you can still see the buildings where the fisherman would hang their large nets to dry. One of the many quaint side streets. We had to purchase 'wellies' which are rubber boots. These were necessary because with all of the rain comes mud and it just gets everywhere.

These little guys were seen in one of the windows of a bakery. This is the first view of the English Channel that I have had yet. I hear in summer it is still really cold to swim in though. I'll take their word for it.
Sissinghurst garden is right in Kent which is only a short drive away. It was created by Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson. She bought Sissinghurst as a ruin and took it on, while he was in the Diplomatic service and this was where they retired too. Vita was a writer (who was lovers with Virginia Woolf) and had her study in the tower which she allowed no one to visit. The more I walked through the gardens the more it was understood. There are many pockets and rooms throughout with many vistas to see. There were always details to enjoy like these tulips on display. This may seem strange for some to do, thinking why not just plant them into the garden, but once they start to decline you just move the pot out of view. Smart... One of the many flowering Quinces that were espaliered through out the walled gardens.
Another lovely and striking spring combination of Helleborus orientalis (purple/mauve flowered) and with Scilla bithinica underneath. One wonders what the next plants to come up are? The meadow with their beehives. And just another vista....... I am very interested in following this garden through the seasons.....
This is the silhouette of the European Robin, smaller and rounder than the ones at home. They are very curious birds and will fly within a foots distance to watch what you are doing in the garden . When worms come out while weeding, I usually toss them in the direction of the closest bird. They snatch it immediately and are always happy for a free meal.

My cousin Cathy came to visit this weekend, she had an interview at West Dean for their furniture restoration program. Congratulations on being accepted Cathy!!