Glorious weather and visit to West Dean Gardens..

Today was absolutely glorious - warm sun and cool air.  So where to?  Been meaning to visit West Dean Gardens again... hadn't been there since I went with Pete in March 2012.. and it was warm enough then to discard coats and have short sleeved t-shirts on!! The March of this year... was freezing!!

One of the first views as you enter the gardens..

I had a drink in the cafe before heading off....

 firstly - around the kitchen garden

I was really impressed and delighted to see so many areas that had been given over to wildflowers - a real treat :D

Lawn mower anybody ?

In the Glass house - peaches were growing!

and Strawberries - yum..

One of the areas of many buttercups - such a cheery sight

The Sunken Garden... new since my last visit and will look great when it matures ..

and the - Wisteria in the Pagoda... it looks amazing (especially compared to the bareness of March)

Right at the end of this, is a small building...

 the floor pattern is made from horses' teeth!

Interest window too...

Gateway to the Church - which was closed.

Through into the Spring Garden and The Wild Garden beyond that..

A Moorhen was nesting on an island in the middle of the stream..

And a proud Mallard mum with her teenaged offspring..

There was a family of, at least, 5 Goldcrests flitting about in the conifers.  Didn't have the right lens with me so these don't really even qualify as record shots!!

Out in the fields the lambs were growing up!

Now this puts a different emphasis on pruning and shaping a 'bush'..rather eclipses my pair of garden shears!!

The College..

Wonderful walk but still more to explore on the next visit... the Arboretum calls!!

On the way home a Red Kite (being mobbed by a crow) dipped towards me in the car... luckily there was somewhere I could pull over and take a pic...

Really lovely day out..