You know those places that you would love to go, but just don’t seem to get around to it? The David Austin Nursery in Albrighton is one of those places. I’ve had my eye on many of the David Austin roses and have seen some of them, in the flesh, at local garden centres. However, I wanted to see all of them, together, in their prime before deciding which roses I wanted to have in my own garden. With my own roses currently showing off their pretty petals, it seemed like the perfect time to visit.
Luckily, the plant centre is not too far and Hannah, my lovely friend came along for the trip. The venue is not difficult to find and is well signposted and there is plenty of parking available, even on a busy day.
I was so surprised at how much there was to see. The gift shop was stocked with beautiful home and lifestyle brands including Garden Trading and Emma Bridgwater. I spent the best part of half an hour cooing over all the pretties on offer.
The Roses are divided up into colour, which was really useful for me as I have a clear idea of the kinds of colours I want to include and could compare the shapes and scents of each colourway directly. Suprisingly, there are also a huge range of high quality perennials and herbs available too. Obviously, every outing needs a pit stop and we headed for the Tea Room for much needed refreshment.
A small selection of light summer bites were available and I simply couldn’t resist a Cheese Scone, served with cheese and pickle, followed by a very large slice of lemon cake. The food was fresh, tasty and beautifully presented on David Austin ceramics.
Fully refreshed, we headed for the Rose Gardens. There are six ornamental gardens, each landscaped and filled with Roses and perennials from the entire range.
- The Renaissance Garden
- The Victorian Garden
- The Patio Garden
- The Lion Garden
- The Long Garden
- The Species Garden
It’s so useful to see the plants in different settings, with different companions, it really helped me to pinpoint the varieties that would work for me and my garden. Even if you have no plans to include Roses in your garden, the setting was so relaxing and peaceful, it was a perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon. I can’t recommend a visit to David Austin more highly enough, I am making a pact to go at least once a year. It does my soul good being around all that beauty.
You can find a wealth of information about the gardens on the David Austin website.
Love,
Leave a Reply