Explore the garden at Lyme

May - June

May is the best time to see rhododendrons and azaleas at Lyme. There are many beautiful cultivars spread around the garden in all the colours of the rainbow, with several of them scented. Those around the Italian Garden and along the Rhododendron Walk look particularly good at this time of year. Up in the branches of the flowering Dogwoods you will find pale star-shaped blooms. The ‘petals’ of these flowers are actually bracts, a leaf that performs the same role as a petal attracting insects to the flower within. Vicary Gibbs is the best place to see them, where they grow among cow parsley and red campion in the meadow.

 

June - July

The roses are at their best now. Their full blooms are heavy with perfume and are best enjoyed in the Rose Garden where the fountain trickles and the hydrangea-covered loggia offers a sheltered spot. From there, take a walk along the Storm Border, a foliage garden where silvers, greys and blues gather together like thunder clouds. The double Herbaceous Borders are bright and in full bloom, where hardy perennials nod in the summer breeze and are adorned with butterflies and honey bees. The flowers will keep going until the autumn so there is always something new to see.

 

August - September

Outside the Orangery are the formal beds, planted with traditional Victorian bedding schemes. Every year the Garden Team put on a new display, and this year theme is red, white and blue to celebrate the 80^th anniversary of VE day. Traditional salvias, dahlias and begonias are grown, as well as the more unusual nemesia and osteospermum. In contrast, the Killtime is a peaceful and untamed area of the garden where the stream meanders past giant ornamental rhubarb. You may also see dragonflies hunting along the water’s surface!

 

September - October

As the temperature falls, the garden slowly begins to turn golden. Yellows, oranges, coppers, russet browns and scarlet reds appear as the leaves change. Look for the viburnums and euonymus (the 'spindle tree') which turn brightest red, as do the Japanese maple trees along Killtime. Around the lake Katsura trees, also known as candyfloss trees, release the smell of caramel as their leaves fall, reminiscent of bonfire night. And in the herbaceous border, late asters and aconites still provide colour amongst the long grasses and husks of flower heads, where little birds search for protein-rich seeds.

Family fun in the garden

Follow the winding paths to dicover what's growing in the garden this season. There are lots of buggy-friendly paths in the garden – ask at the Ticket Office for more information.

 

'50 things to do before you're 11 3/4' 

You can complete many of the '50 things' in the garden at Lyme. Here's some of our favourites -

• No. 1 - Get to know a tree - head to the Top Lawn to find your favourite tree. Which one has the best shape?
• No. 6 - Go welly wandering - pull on your wellington boots and explore. Splash around in puddles, squelch through some mud.
• No. 15 -  Eat a picnic in the wild - before you set off, it’s time to raid the fridge. It’s amazing what you can create with just a few ingredients. Sandwiches, salads, pasta and fruit all make for a tasty lunch – and they’re easy to carry too.