Snowdrop Day at Goodnestone Park Gardens

 

After a few wrong turns and wondering yet again why there are so few sign posts for certain places, Ruth and I found Goodnestone Park Gardens.   website here.   It was their Snowdrop Day with the gardens open and plant stalls from Kent Hardy Plant Society.  website here

It was very muddy, but the day was fine a mixture of sun and cloud and the snowdrops were glowing white around the gardens.  It was interesting seeing the winter bones of the garden and it would be good to see them in the following seasons.

Some magnificent old pine trees,  walled gardens and woodland walks.  As well as the snowdrops there were Camellias in flower, Iris, Daphne, Hellebores, Aconites, and Primulas and some beautiful large Hamamelis or witch hazels, one with a very heady perfume.

 The stall holders had specimen snowdrops, I hadn't realised how expensive they were, as well as ordinary, snowdrops, iris, and other hardy plants. We bought a few flowers which I will be drawing and painting before they go out in the garden. I started with the double flowered snowdrops.

E17 Art Trail and Art on Trees

On Saturday I went armed with prints and badges to the Lime trees outside the bus station in Walthamstow to put up some free art work.
I always really enjoy putting it up and having passers by surprised by the gifts offered. The work didn't stay there long, I enjoyed seeing one young woman hugging a print to her chest looking really happy. I had a bit of time on Sunday to go exploring some of the art trail in Walthamstow. I went to Dolores Rocket in Shaftsbury road, Dolore's site here where she had laid out a really vaired exhibition including artists responses to designing a dog kennel. Examples here and her lovely dog who came out to the garden with me. In the tiny garden gallery Amy Blum had some photo and text work that I liked listing shops in given areas in London.
Along Grosvenor Park road was Mantle Piece and Street view. Artist Paul Lindt was outside to talk about his work photographing all the houses in his road. Paul's site here There are some really lovely buildings, I hadn't been up that road before. One thing about the Art Trail is that you end up in places you didn't know before.
Walking round to Orford road I called in Curnucopia where Fiona McGregor's bright abstract paintings hung from the washing line and on the garden chair and mugs stood on the garden table.

I enjoyed Kitty Brown's photographs, Merry England in the Queens Arms Pub and Matt Taylors new photographs Secret in the Village Bakery.
As usual Penny Fieldings was full of great works including Max Bainbridge's furniture light box which I would love in my flat if I had the room and Clive Mahoney's bath converted to a sofa with mosaic and cushions. Paul Tucker was also showing some atmospheric local photgraphs and Johanna Melvin had some striking abstract paintings on the walls.

I hope to be able to see more this week.