Gardens

Over the past three years, owner Clare Oglesby and head gardener Ray Farrer have restored the gardens of Goldsborough Hall to their former glory. With a backdrop of fantastic specimen trees, the gardens had been laid out in the style of Capability Brown. These include ancient yew, beech and pseudo-acacia trees along with giant redwood, wellingtonii, white beam and one of the oldest horse chestnuts left standing in the country.

There is also a copse of five Japanese cherry trees, given to Princess Mary as a wedding gift by the Emperor of Japan. Heading south down the gardens is an avenue of lime trees (the Lime Tree Walk) which were planted by Royal visitors during the 1920s - ladies to the right; gentlemen to the left. Among the most famous are those planted by King George V and Queen Mary and The Duke and the Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother).

The long borders and rose borders have been replanted in the style of Gertrude Jekyll, a famous garden designer from the 1920s, and are a riot of colour and beauty in the summertime. These borders will flower continuously from June right through until October.

The following photographs and descriptions will give guests an idea of what the garden looks like throughout the year.

January
Though January can be cold and dark, a few snowdrops and winter aconites are starting to emerge from the snow and frost. In and around the garden some blue iris reticulata are also in flower. The trees and bushes give the garden plenty of winter structure, allowing for plenty of frosty photographs.

February
By mid-February the snowdrops are out in full and look magnificent. There are thousands under trees and in the woodland, many of very unusual varieties, while the woodlands are awash with yellow winter aconites. A few early tete a tete daffodils are out along with daffodil February Gold, and dusky pink and white hellebores. In the main urns and tubs the white crocus 'snow bunting' is starting to emerge.

March
In March spring arrives with a vengence. All the early tete a tete daffodils are out now along with the large white crocus 'Jeanne d'Arc' in the main urns. A few hundred daffodils of the 50,000 that have been planted, are out in the Lime Tree Walk. The dusky pink and white hellebores are in flower along with the sharp blue muscari. By the end of the month thousands of daffodils are flowering around the house, in the woodlands and in the Lime Tree Walk.

April
This month sees the emergence of the stunning blue scillas which come out under the Japanese cherry trees to the left of the house. These cherry trees themselves come into lower later this month. The muscari and hellebores also looking good this month and by early to mid-April the daffodils in the Lime Tree Walk are at their absolute best.

May
The beech hedge which encloses the long borders starts to come out in early this month and is fully out by the second week of May. There are still some late daffodils in flower in the Lime Tree Walk, around the house and in troughs and urns. Some roses also start to flower, especially the red and salmon roses by the Drawing Room window and along the walls. The fabulous pink and white peonies are out at the end of the month as well as some flowers in the long borders and the rose borders. At the end of the month the troughs and urns are replanted with summer bedding.

June
It's finally summer and the long borders are starting to come into their own with a soft and subtle grey, blue and white tone with flashes of red lynchis. In flower are the white crambe, white/cream foxgloves, spires of blue delphiniums and Johnson's blue geraniums. Early this month the pink and white peonies are also looking their best. More and more soft pink roses are appearing in the rose borders (very old varieties of Old China Blush, Little White Pet and Comte de Chambord).

July
By the start of this month the lavender surrounding the rose borders starts to flower (lavender Munstead and augustifolia 'Old English') and this continues to look fantastic well into the middle of the month while the roses in the centre go from strength to strength. The long borders are starting to hot up with yellow helianthus and rudbeckia, scarlet monardas and red lynchis. The lily regale is out at this time, its pink outer layer matching perfectly with the filipendula rubra. By mid-July the white everlasting sweet pea comes into flower along with more yellow single and double heliniums as well as the russet red of Moerheim beauty. And by the end of the month the long borders are at their best.

August
The riot of colour in the long borders continues all the way through this month with red hot pokers 'John Benary', scarlet salvias, yellow rudbeckia, orange tiger and day lilies, white gypsophila and white lily longiflorum adding to the existing mix. Fantastically fat dahlias start to flower by mid-August in white, yellow, scarlet and red along with lemon African marigolds and yellow and white snapdragons. The hot colours are tempered with the cool powder blue of clematis 'davidiana' at the top of the borders and the darker purple of clematis 'jackmanii' at the bottom.

September
The long borders still looking amazing throughout this month with spectacular dahlias, African marigolds, red hot pokers, yellow heliniums and rudbeckia and autumn helianthus. With good weather and a sunny September the roses in the rose border will also continue to look strong.

October
Though autumn is on our doorstep, the long borders still look good with dahlias, red hot pokers, gypsophila and helianthus. This month the summer bedding is replaced in the the urns and troughs with daffodils and crocus topped with pansies and violas, ready for next spring.

November
If November is kindly and mild, the dahlias in the long borders will last until the first frosts. Amazingly some of the roses will last until the end of the month.

December
Although the garden is quiet this month, many of the plants are not cut down and are kept for structure and height, perfect for frosty photographs. And who knows? There might even be some snow at Christmas!