“…the garden here was not a gentleman’s garden or a gardener’s garden, it was always an artist’s garden.”

Mothering Sunday saw me drag the Small One to Charleston Farmhouse to soak up some sunshine in a very cottage garden, with dashes of Mediterranean influence.

Nestled at the foot of the South Downs near to Lewes, Charleston Farmhouse was home to Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, his friend and lover David Garnett, and Vanessa Bell’s children Julian, Quentin and Angelica, and also Clive Bell, Vanessa’s estranged husband. The house was in their creativity from the early 1900’s until 1980. Now a well loved tourist destination, the eclectic Farmhouse is lovingly cared for and enthusiastically presented to the visitor.

A walled garden with a long history is a glorious retreat and a real little treasure. There is a trail for children to keep them entertained while the grown ups eyes are soaking up the myriad of plants, and noses are stuffed in the heady blooms. Even in spring there is much to see, and evidence of much to follow - just enough to make you want to come again later on in the season.

*The Cast of Venus, emerging from the undulating box hedge*

A simple layout guides you round the walled garden, but where it is stuffed full of cottage plants, fruit trees, vegetables, water features, objet, creations and sculpture, you are forced to walk slowly throughout. We were lucky to be there way before anyone else so the garden was our own - apart from the blackbirds who flitted about us as we walked. As it is quite small, I would recommend being the first in the property so you have an exclusive and immersive experience.

*The vegetable garden at Charleston Farmhouse*

In addition to this small garden, there is a new exhibition centre and a restaurant for much needed re-fuelling, and gender inclusive toilets - noticed and respected. The house is also well worth a visit. An extraordinary feast for the visitor. It seems that anything that didn’t move was painted, decorated, designed, created and re-purposed. And scattered throughout are the previous resident’s collections of art and furniture. A chaotic collection of colour and decoration that sit perfectly in harmony with each other.

Below are some photos from the garden taken at the end of March. I hope you enjoy them and they inspire you to come and visit Charleston Farmhouse.