The windows are in!

The new dining area - lots of glass!

The windows are in ahead of schedule, and what a difference it makes! Standing at the fabulous big glass window at the far end of the new dining area you get a wonderful view across the gardens. Can't wait to get on with the landscaping so that visitors sitting in the cafe will feel surrounded by flowers.

The promise of spring...

The new Visitor Centre is really taking shape, and there is SPACE! And still a lot of mess. With all the rain the last few days we have been paddling around, inside as well as outside.

Meanwhile the daffodils are blooming between the machinery and the piles of timber. I like daffodils, they are tough as well as beautiful. Their strong green shoots push up through frosty ground and mad February weather to bloom regardless. Wordsworth said it all:

'And then my heart with pleasure fills

And dances with the daffodils'

Crocuses in the spring garden

The hazel catkins are out too, and the crocuses. Spring is here and summer beckons, and it's great to see the gardens coming to life again.