Pensthorpe Prairie Gardens



Echinacae

Last week, whilst on holiday in North Norfolk, we visited Pensthorpe Nature Reserve - a beautiful place with lakes full of ducks, woodland walks and gardens that bloom at different times.

The Millenium Garden, designed by Piet Outdolf, is a glorious example of prairie gardening.  At this time of year most of the flowers have gone to seed, but there are still great swathes of different grasses, swishing in the breeze.  The garden is built on a slope and gives various views through the plants till you reach the bottom, then you are eye to eye with the low-growers.

This is a view of Geraniums that you wouldn't normally get unless you lay on your stomach.

We have been to Pensthorpe at different times of the year, in March the plants were being split by the gardeners and it was very bare.

In June it starts to come into its own , but by the middle of summer it is in full swing and takes your breath away.

These are the tall grasses - I don't know the variety - that sway and whisper .



Double Japanese Anemones

There was still plenty of autumn colour in the form of Anemones and Asters - planted the way plants should be in large drifts.

If you are a nature lover, plant lover or any other sort of lover then Pensthorpe is well worth a visit - if only to see the sculpture in the Bug Garden.

There is a breeding programme for red squirrels who scamper around in wire tunnels in the tree tops

And beautiful Stilts and Cranes in enclosures with pools and reeds and  running water in an environment as close to their natural surroundings as possible - this particular enclosure would be my ideal garden.

Even though there are lots of visitors - the place is so vast that you hardly encounter anyone else whilst walking round.  You can understand why the 'Springwatch' programmes took place here - there is so much to see, we have visited when the television crews were there, and everywhere you went there were cables and the car park reserved for the BBC was full of outdoor units - and it makes you realise that a helluva lot of people are needed to produce a programme like this.

If you get the chance - it is well worth a visit at any time of year.