10th February 2024 – Painswick Rococo Garden – Martin's Bird Blog & Nature Photos

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Painswick Rococo Garden near Stroud on the edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire is currently resplendent with its display of snowdrops and hellebores.

The Rococo Garden website:

“Painswick Rococo Garden is quirky and pretty unique. Designed in the 1740s as a fanciful pleasure garden for the owner of Painswick House and his guests, today it’s a place to roam free, to get up close and personal with nature, or to feel the warmth of the sun on your face as you take in the spectacular views of the Cotswold countryside and magical follies”

I must admit it was great to see the light of the sun even though we couldn’t quite feel its warmth.

This wasn’t really a birding trip but we did enjoy hearing the drumming of a great spotted woodpecker. The great tits and robins were particularly vociferous too but the only visuals (apart from the carved tawny owl) were 8 moorhens on the pond.

Snowdrops and hellebores

Snowdrops and crocuses

Swathes of snowdrops in the woodland

,,, and following the stream

The formal gardens come to their own later in the year

“Magical follies”

Up close with nature

A badger’s set

Rococo – of or relating to an artistic style especially of the 18th century characterized by fanciful curved asymmetrical forms and elaborate ornamentation