Postcard from the parterre

I'm no fan of gardening, that popular bank holiday activity. The hard work the National Trust are putting in to restore the formal parterre at Hanbury Hall is impressive though and I admired their results. With the weather as it was this past weekend, the lawns were more popular with picnickers such as me. I'd rather laze in the sun than worry about gardeners' backaches as they trimmed the topiary.

My favourite aspect of the parterre was the frilly edged petals and raspberry stripes of the tulips. And with a picnic comprised of leftovers from a Royal Wedding party, the food was fun too.

Those of us who live in flats are always appreciative of a pleasant outdoor space. The parterre was pretty, but finding a sheltered corner to spread out a rug, with a vista of mature trees, warm sunshine and a cool box packed with treats makes a bank holiday in Britain great.