An English Spring: The Weir Garden, Swainshill Herefordshire, UK

A Quiet Bench, The Weir riverside garden, Herefordshire, UK

A Quiet Bench
There is something very “English” about a wood and iron bench sitting amid wet grasses and spring daisies.

“Spring” – that season of new life and fresh growth – is a concept originating in the temperate regions of Europe.

There is nowhere quite like an English country-garden to herald Spring in all its traditionally subtle beauty. The gentle rains – for which the countryside is so well known – coupled with slowly increasing sunlight, give rise to fresh budding leaves and an abundance of flowers. When the sun is shining, it is easier to believe in the ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, and regrowth.

In practical terms, the arrival of spring, after a long, cold, grey winter, signals that it is time for people to get outside – either into their own small patches, or into those wonderfully expansive gardens of the old stately manors, preserved under Great Britain’s National Trust.

And so it was, one day last month while I was in Hereford, that we all grabbed our cameras and donned our sensible shoes, and went for a walk along the Wye River in The Weir Garden, a National Trust property just 8.0 kilometres (5 mi) west of the city.

This 10 acre (4 hectare) garden was designed by the prior owner, Roger Parr, and his head gardener William Boulter. In addition to the riverside walk, which follows the river banks over the old retaining wall, there is a traditional walled garden, dating back to the early 19th Century, and a Victorian glass house, added in the 1920s.

It’s a lovely place to visit, but you might want a raincoat or an umbrella!

Trees and green grass at the Wye riverside garden, Herefordshire, UK

Green
Everything is spring-green, as we enter the Weir Garden property. There is a small entrance fee, unless you are a National Trust member.

Man and woman with a child on the path, The Weir riverside garden, Herefordshire, UK

Gumboots
The paths along the riverside are pebbled and dry, but most Brits always have their Wellies in the car, so they can put them on “just in case.”

A Quiet Bench
There are plenty of places along the riverside to sit and watch life – and the Wye River – go by.

Daisies
I love daisies! They may be rugged and simple, …

Daisy
… but they are so cheerful.

Purple Campion (Silene)

Valerian (Centranthus Ruber)
Clusters of flowers hang over the river as it winds past us.

Daddy and Daughter
Narrow steps lead down to the water’s edge, where a father and daughter check for passing fish.

Canoes on the Wye
Thanks to the local canoe rental, you can easily follow the waters down-stream.

Child in Nature
Youngsters are at their happiest in nature, climbing trees and getting grubby.

On the Tyre Swing
Near an open area with plenty of lawn chairs, there is a natural play ground built from ropes and wooden stumps; the tyre swing was a huge hit. I think it was only the promise of ice-cream at the near-by self-serve shop that got this little one to loosen her grip.

Green on Green
The grass and woods surrounding the upper path are impossibly green …

Colourful Daisies
… with pink daisies stretching out from the verges. (iPhone6)

Admiring the Wye River
The upper path looks over the old retaining wall and the river banks.

Sheep in the Meadow
Freshly-shorn sheep graze in the neighbouring meadow, as we move from the Riverside Walk to the Walled Garden.

Common Red Poppies (Papaver Rhoeas) at the Wall
The 19th Century Walled Garden protects lots of freshly-planted kitchen vegetables, but is also colourful with the spring flowers.