Dazzling Dahlias at Sarah Raven’s Perch Hill Garden

I realised I loved Dahlias about 4 years ago, although I had always imagined they were hard to grow.  I had memories of my mum’s gardening friends who talked about lifting and storing their dahlia tubers each year.  This sounded far too complicated for the kind of gardening I was interested in – minimum input maximum output!

However after seeing huge frilly bunches of them, so often on instagram but also in the many National Trust Gardens I visited, I was determined to have a go myself.  My first attempt was with a discounted packet from a local garden centre which I planted far later in the season than recommended.  To my delight, and surprise they grew and blossomed into huge blooms made up of rich burgundy and sunshine yellow petals.  

It was about then I discovered Sarah Raven and her love of amongst other things, Dahlias.    I had stared longingly at pictures of her garden at Perch Hill on instagram, and devoured her gardening catalogue stuffed with dahlias of every colour and kind whilst dreaming of filling our own garden with armfuls of them too.

When I realised she offered open days at her Perch HIll Garden in Sussex, I was desperate to visit and see it all for myself.  To my delight, and on our 27th wedding anniversary, we were finally able to visit. It was a beautiful day, warm and mostly sunny, perfect for garden viewing.

From the moment I arrived I knew it was going to be wonderful.  The entry from the car park (or cycle park) in our case is through the cutting garden which is brimming with colour and bees and butterflies.  From then on it was just deciding where to go first.

The garden is fully open and visitors can wander through every single part of it.  There are carefully placed chairs and tables and benches throughout so plenty of places to stop and contemplate and breathe in the scents of the roses

In the trial garden, the cutting garden and just about everywhere else are Dahlias of all shapes, sizes and colours.  From the huge mop headed flamingo pink ‘Emory Paul’ to the smaller delicate perfectly formed apricot and red petals of  the aptly named Sarah Raven and everything in between.

Swathes of rich velvet reds and regal purples, deep hues of mango and tangerine and a pick and mix of sherbet pink and lemon.  Every single plant looks loved and cared for.  No signs of slug or snail damage here, or as is the case in my garden, terrorising squirrels.

Of course the garden is more than just Dahlia’s, but it was these which were the stars of the show for me.  I don’t think I have ever seen such a dazzling display of flowers anywhere and I say that as someone who visited Monet’s Garden in Giverny earlier this year.

There are rows and ribbons of cosmos, chrysanthemums, delicately scented roses and zinnias.  Galvanised containers are stuffed with hot red geraniums and scented pink pelargonium. The tomato plants in the greenhouse are heavy under the weight of so much fruit, and the sloped vegetable garden is filled with an abundance of healthy produce.

We opted for a ticket which included lunch.  There were 3 options on the lunch menu, all of which sounded delicious and were made from produce from the gardens where possible.  The recipes were all from Sarah’s recipe books.  I can vouch for the Greek Courgette Pie with new potatoes and a marinated cucumber, dill and poppy seed salad, and my husband was thrilled with his choice of lemon chicken, pine nut and herb salad with new potatoes and olive oil. Cake and coffee was extra but really good value and again, delicious.

There is a shop which sells plants and seeds along side books, and lots of the single stem vases, candles and other pretty paraphernalia you will be familiar with, if like me, you find yourself pouring over the catalogue when it drops through  your door.

There are so many other lovely details. In each section of the garden shelves are filled with labelled flower stems which are helpful if you want to try your hand at growing any of them.  Throughout the garden are chalk boards with information and it seems that almost every plant is carefully labelled.  Tomatoes have been picked and displayed alongside corresponding seed packets.  Gardeners were busy watering whilst we were there and were very happy to chat.

 

My photos do not do the garden at Perch Hill justice at all, it is simply too beautiful to be captured at least my amaeture photography skills.  This is generous garden, one that is designed to be savoured, wandered through and dazzled by.  I was so pleased to be able to do all of this.

I did arrive home slightly disheartened at the sight of our own arid garden where only a couple of our dahlias have shone during this long hot summer, but I am also filled with ideas of possibilities for next year….