P. Lacey

A little more than a week ago now, what appears to have been our first visit to Polesden Lacey for well over a year. So we visited in January last year - noticed at reference 1 - and then got caught up in the plague. For some reason, we visited Wisley in the autumn of 2020 but not Polesden.

Already hot and sunny by the time we set off at 10:30 for our online-booked slot starting at 11:00. Booking not particularly a bother as we seem to plan outings of this sort a few days in advance anyway: the spontaneity of youth being well in the past. At least not a bother while at home: we might be a bit stuck on holiday without access to a printer and without access to the technology to tell my telephone about bookings in a way which would satisfy the trusty at the door.

We did not venture inside, but the gardens and grounds were busy enough, with plenty of young families. Plus one way systems and roping off in confined areas. Plus a bit of civic disobedience on our part with the rope snapped above, but in our defense I can say that there was no-one about and that one was allowed on both sides of the rope - it was just the one way rules that meant that you should not cross the rope.

Gardens a little ragged at the edges, suggesting that they had not been getting enough attention. I think BH said something about the volunteers being stood down for a large chunk of last year. We wondered about how many gardeners a place of this sort would have needed when it was run as a private house, say in their heyday of the 1920's and 1930's, when the owner was one of the champion social climbers of her day, have started off as the natural daughter of someone in trade, someone who worked for his living. BH turned up the fact that there was a staff of around 70, mostly outdoors. Around 15 for the garden, then more for the large garage & stable, the golf course, the tennis courts, the shooting and the home farms - although I imagine that these last were tenanted.

The end of the line. Visitors not allowed in the deep, dark woods. But we did get into the orchard, where the grass around the fruit trees badly needed cutting, where we found a suitable picnic bench, not caring to used the cafeteria quite yet. Exotic chickens not visible, but we did hear one. Perhaps they were hiding from the sun.

Foxgloves, which I had been looking out for, done. Irises more or less done. Peonies past their best, although there were plenty of ornamental onions. The circular & colourful thyme bed was doing very well and was covered in bees, mainly small bumble bees rather than honey bees, although there were some of these last too. And there were plenty of roses, although we were not allowed near the beds proper. 

And the view from the central path through the rose garden was somewhat obscured by a young lady being energetically photographed by a small group of young men, possibly her brothers, possibly on the occasion of her upcoming wedding. But for a young lady with attendant brothers, her clothing was rather fresh & free, so who knows? Plus we had at least one of those reflective umbrellas to signal to us passers-by that serious photography was in progress.

Where there was a fine display of winter aconites at the time of our last visit.

A fine display of green and white on our way out.

Reference 1: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/01/winter-garden.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2021/06/wellingtonia-30.html. The Wellingtonia of this visit, noticed more or less at the time.