It is always a delight to find a garden gate open for the National Garden Scheme on a Wednesday. So on my way to pick up some items for my own garden from Lime Avenue Antiques https://limeavenueantiques.co.uk/ I called into Furzelea at Danbury near Chelmsford in Essex.

As I entered the enforced one way system my eye is drawn to the beautifully trimmed bay leaf, and already in my mind I have re-shaped my dull specimen at home.

Weather-wise it was not really a day for garden visiting but the good thing about the ticketing system is that you have already purchased the ticket so you might as well go. And I was so pleased that I did.

It is a joy to come across a plant that I am unfamiliar with, and there it is at the beginning of my visit, Acacia baileyana Purpurea; sadly my camera skills did not do justice to the silvery purple feathery leaves.

We are directed to the east side of the house, where dainty diascia mingles amongst the rosemary and tulbaghia around the foot of the wall.

Opposite, through the arch, we are drawn to the gap in the hedge which has the effect of extending the path until you realise it is a mirror cleverly placed in the ivy.

It is such a good idea to have the productive part of the garden so close to the house and not far down at the bottom of the garden. Just imagine nipping out to pick a lemon for your g & t before munching your way through a little something with fresh cucumbers, followed by bowlfuls of raspberries.

The path meanders away from the greenhouse down through

such a pretty palette of pinks and purples.

You can take an alternative route down the steps from the terrace by the house through the arch to the lawn,

where curvaceous edges guide you onwards with such rhythm and movement, swirling you around well-planted beds and wonderful shapes.

You can trample the camomile steps down to the little pond or continue round on the lawn,

where you can admire the Angels’ fishing rods Dierama pulcherrimum, dangling daintily over the water.

An arch of golden hop with its shaggy boot of ornamental grass Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ makes an entrance to the narrow path made from nut shells collected from the two copper beech trees in the drive.

Roger and Avril have lived here for nearly forty years and it is so hard to believe that this spacious area was once an unkempt field where their daughters’ ponies grazed. Tucked away down in the left hand corner the clipped topiary twirls highlight

a fine thatched summer house which provides the perfect place to sit. I wonder if Roger and Avril ever find time to sit in this plant-packed garden; they employed no help doing all the work themselves.

This area is so cleverly divided; an island bed with a purpose and a magnificent array of planting.

The plant combinations in this garden are a noticeable feature and they are superb. Behind us in this long border there is a blend of yellows not just in flower but also in leaf.

The garden also opens earlier in June for the display of roses and as I walk back up towards the house I can imagine how lovely this arch must have looked.

On this dreary day there has been no shortage of colour, a haze of rich burgundy from the cornflower which have happily self-seeded in this part of the garden,

and the roses may be over but the clematis are clambering for attention; either softly adorning a pergola,

growing through the metal support at the back of the border,

Government guidelines have put the serving of refreshments on hold. So, never wishing to leave a garden empty handed I turn to Roger’s plant supports which he has been making in aid of the National Garden Scheme, this year he has raised an incredible £900. Well, you never have enough supports.

You can visit Furzelea this coming Sunday and it is so easy to purchase a ticket: https://ngs.org.uk/shop/garden-tickets/east/essex-furzelea-sunday-12th-july/

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