Due to the unprecedented events caused by the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) our Spring Open Day, which was scheduled for Saturday 18th April, has had to be cancelled. At present, the garden remains closed to all but a minimal number of staff, who continue to maintain the vegetable beds, keep the grass mown, and care for all the plants that are being propagated, grown on and planted out. For now, besides the birds, bees and butterflies, we can only welcome virtual human visitors. In these very altered and most tragic times, when so many are dealing with extremely sad, stressful and difficult events from day to day, we have all perhaps become more aware than ever of just how important outdoor space and social interaction are in our lives. In so many ways, the impact of the virus has emphasised what we all love so much about The Garden Gate Project, where caring for nature and each other underpins all that we do. During the lockdown, whilst all sorts of aspects of our lives have stopped, it has become very noticeable that nature itself does not cease. Indeed, as our lives have slowed, it has become easier to notice the fruit blossom opening and the leaves unfurling on the trees. Here in the garden, as elsewhere, April is all about the tulips, and this year we seem to have an array of even more lustrous colours than ever before, in amongst our trusty wallflowers. In the back corner of our woodland, the bluebells are complementing our silver birch trunk sculpture. Whilst in the vegetable beds we have autumn sown broad beans up to over a foot in height and preparing to flower, our artichokes re-establishing themselves amidst their heavy winter mulch and row upon row of carefully planted garlic happily thriving. Beside the weather station, our beloved echiums are rising once more above everything else, as they prepare to flower more impressively than ever before. We all greatly look forward to happier times, hopefully not too far in the future, when we are able once more to throw open our Gate, and welcome you all back to enjoy the Garden.
