Spring
March to May is a gorgeous time of year. In March there are daffodils and other early flowers poking up through the earth all over the place. It’s a beautiful sight. In April even more colourful flowers bloom and from mid-month the woods are carpeted by extraordinarily beautiful bluebells and the new leaves on the trees are iridescent green amongst many white and pink blossoms. It’s spectacularly lovely. In May there are flowers blooming everywhere, the countryside is full of intoxicating smells and the leaves glow the brightest green on the trees. It’s a particularly great time to do a garden tour – there are many stunning and famous gardens in the area. There are also lots of fairs, markets and exhibitions throughout the area at this time of year.
Summer
June, July and August are beautiful, everything is green and abundant, everyday life moves outdoors and there are many fairs, markets and exhibitions. It’s a time of intense beauty and the whole area feels relaxed and easy. There’s nothing in the whole world quite like a perfect English summer’s day – maybe accompanied by a nice glass or two of Pimms in a gorgeous pub garden.
Autumn
From the middle of September through October and November the green leaves turn into gorgeous yellows, oranges, reds and purples. There are incredible trees that are red and orange like fire. It’s a lovely time to go walking. From mid October onwards the leaves start to fall off the trees in the wind, it’s a wonderful sight…and noise as they scrunch underfoot. Many of the famous gardens we can visit boast particularly beautiful colours at this time of year.
Winter
December, January and February are a time of naked trees, warm coats, hot chocolate and blazing fires. In December there is a very special Christmas atmosphere in Sussex and Kent, the towns and villages are full of decorations and lights and excitement, and the forests and the bare trees seem to be waiting in deep stillness for the festivities. The lakes and ponds are often covered with a thin layer of ice, but deep snow is rare. It’s a wonderful time to sit by a burning fire in a beautiful country pub after a good walk and have a pint of winter-warmer bitter, a glass of wine or a mug of scolding hot chocolate.
