Painswick Rococco

On Friday, I traveled to Painswick to see the Painswick Rococco garden with a Hidcote gardener John Bainbridge. John is the three year careership scholar living, working, and studying at Hidcote. We are equally enthusiastic about plants and gardens!

Above: another wonderful Hellebore

The word Rococco, originally meaning 'of stone and shell,' is part of the Late Baroque style. THe Painswick Rococco garden was originally designed in this style, with ornamentation and a flamboyant display of wealth as a prevalent feature of the garden. Above is one of the many 'ornaments' found throughout the garden and is called, THE RED HOUSE!

This is the view from The Red House, looking down to the garden.

This garden is also very well known for its wonderful snow drop display in the early spring. Unfortunately we were a little late to see them at their peak, but here you can see a woodland bank absolutely covered in snowdrops.

One of my favorite parts of this garden was the woodland walk where under the massive trees, the understory was well cleared and covered in snow drops and other woodland plants. The views looking out from the woodland to the country were stunning.

Here is a moment when the sun poked through the clouds and cast the most beautiful, soft light through the trees.

Another great view from the woodland.

This is a picture of a bathing pool and the water was deep and very clear with constant flow. I thought the sky looked nice reflecting.

These are some lady bugs (the English call them Lady Birds!) over wintering in a Teasel seed head (Dipsacus fallonum). Their little heads were burrowed into the vacant seed cavities.