Flower Power

Today we took a short trip out Great Comp Garden situated between Maidstone and Sevenoaks. It's a wonderfully idyllic 7 acre garden with an Italianate garden, romantic ruins, sweeping lawns and enchanting woodland walks surrounding a 17th Century manor house just off a narrow country lane. It has been the source of some previous blips but we hadn't been there in ages so it definitely deserved another visit.
In the Spring the garden erupts into bloom with over 80 magnolias in over 50 varieties, under-planted with large drifts of hellebores and bulbs which will later be followed by azaleas and rhododendrons in a great variety of colours - just a snapshot of which I've tried to capture in my main and first extra images. Despite the weather being grey and overcast it still felt captivating and uplifting to be in such wonderful surroundings and see the multitude of blooms - definitely flower power at work!
After taking in all that plant based abundance and strolling along the woodland paths we felt in need of some sustenance and somehow just managed to locate the onsite tea room for coffee and a delicious peanut butter, chocolate and oat slice. My second extra was taken when we were joined by a little robin flitting between the outside tables and a nearby trellis searching for any stray crumbs. This is where I took my second extra - when I noticed these myriad of eccentric and characterful wall mounted faces staring back at me through the trellis.
We still hadn't covered all of the garden so before we left we sought out the therapeutic bamboo garden (who's fabulous official name is a bambooserie!) built by Royal British Legion veterans who had been struggling with life after retiring from the services. What a glorious space - it really felt like being in a different part of the world altogether. When then sat on a stone carved bench at the top of the garden looking back down towards the manor house for one last moment of quiet contemplation before heading home.