11 of our members visited the Prairie Gardens near Henfield on 9th September.   The owner, Pauline McBride, introduced us to her garden with a lively description about the garden’s beginning:  it took 2 weeks to plant 36,000 plants, most which Pauline and her husband had grown from seed, cuttings, and division in Holland.   They conscripted family and friends to help by inviting them to a party – which went on for days!

Although, it felt a bit like a party of our own, on a WI outing, the Prairie Gardens proved to be a very relaxing and tactile place – pure escapism for a couple of hours.  In a lush and well-formed garden, we immersed ourselves amongst the plants as we walked on paths in the borders, we took in its gentleness as we sat by a pond, and of course we had tea and cake!

Jan Marsden