!4th May 2016

Janet Muter, our welcoming host, gave us a brief introduction to the earlier history of the site and garden, including the other Brundall Gardens and a description of her own work to resurrect her garden, noting how the borders of the ponds were not easily detectable at first.

The house is almost at the top of the site and looks down across the three ponds to the lake, with waterfalls and a huge fountain. The soil suits rhododendrons and has a beautiful framework of a variety of mature trees, including several coloured beeches and a cut-leaved beech. ( There was one tree not quite in leaf that wasn't identified, so it will be interesting to see if it's in the Newsletter write- up!) There were huge Zantedeschia aetheopica coming into flower, beautiful candelabra primulas, ferns unfurling and a number of shrubs and perennials in bloom, from tiny creeping toadflax, lovely blue Lithodora, many geraniums, through rhododendrons and azaleas just about to open. The path to the lake was intermittently bordered by bluebells. Janet aims to have plants worth seeing throughout the year. At the lake was a shingle beach with a picturesque, but probably essential, little boat. A small flock of Canada Geese left the scene when some of our members arrived.Janet had said she was keen to maintain a garden providing habitats for wildlife

On our return to the terrace we were provided with tea and biscuits, care of Janet's daughter, and the offer of discounted copies of Janet's book, called 'Rescue of a Garden' published in 2015.

Chris Davies