Welcome to our BRAND NEW BLOG! We wanted to find a way to share the latest news, events and updates from our B&B and the wider Chichester/West Sussex area.
Here at the Bosham Boathouse our garden is springing back to life by stages, the Cherry trees’ blossom has gone but the Judas tree is still in full bloom and our two Indian Bean trees are just starting to unfurl their leaves. The buds have burst on the Trumpet Vine and in a few weeks’ time it will explode with masses of foliage and the gorgeous red flowers that give it its name.
The daffodils have faded and been replanted across the brook under the Willow, but we have been busy refilling the pots with Cosmos, Sunflowers and Lavender to add to the Hostas and Agapanthus which just get better every year. Our Sweet Peas (from local specialist Roger Parsons) are climbing their wigwams and will soon be ready to brighten our rooms.
In the vegetable garden, we’ve taken our last harvest of asparagus, but the rhubarb is still going strong. The garlic plants are having their best season ever and the strawberries that went in last month are forming their first fruit and will soon be replacing the local greenhouse supplies on our breakfast trays. It will take a little longer before we get our first tomatoes, but they are always worth the wait.
Our four chickens are extremely happy to be in their large summer enclosure and are keeping up a steady supply of the freshest eggs possible for our guests’ breakfasts. Over the winter we had to keep our Black Sussex separate from the other three as she was pecking them viciously and nothing we tried could stop her but some time on her own seems to have calmed her down and now, aside from the odd nip, all four are getting on famously.
Whilst our garden is varied and beautiful, it pales in comparison to some of the amazing local gardens. First, just inside Chichester’s old city walls is the Bishop’s Palace Garden which dates back to the middle of the 12th century and provides a peaceful haven near the heart of the city. Its arboretum has a collection of over 100 trees, some of them rare specimens. As well as formal flower beds and herbaceous borders, it has a fabulous rose pergola which will be showing at its best in the next few months and a recently planted wildlife garden to support birds and insects.
Slightly further afield, but still only a fifteen-minute drive from The Bosham Boathouse, is West Dean Garden. This is one of England’s great restored gardens with its incredible Victorian walled vegetable garden and orchard; a 100-metre-long Edwardian pergola dripping with magnolia, clematis, rose and honeysuckle. There is also a wonderful spring water garden; a newly restored award-winning sunken garden; and an arboretum with a 2.5 mile walk. There is also a lovely restaurant serving anything from a cheese sandwich to a Venison pie.
Just around the corner from West Dean is the fabulous Weald and Downland Museum which has an amazing collection of historic buildings which have been moved from around Sussex to be restored and rebuilt in the woods and parkland of the South Downs. Although gardening isn’t the focus of the museum, it is still a fascinating place for those interested in horticulture. There are seven gardens, . each matching the period and status of the house to which it is attached, which chart the development of purely utilitarian planting from the early 16th century to the start of the more decorative gardening of late Victorian era. It is also the home and filming location of the popular BBC TV series ‘The Repair Shop’ with regular filming taking place in one of the barns on site.
If you are a serious horticulturist or just love beautiful and inspiring places, then there are few places better to visit than our corner of Sussex. And after a day spent touring some of the South East’s finest attractions, it is always nice to come back and relax on the terrace in the garden of the Bosham Boathouse.
So much to do and explore in the area, other local attractions include:
The Chichester Festival Theatre - https://www.cft.org.uk/whats-on
Goodwood - https://www.goodwood.com/
Chichester Cathedral - https://www.chichestercathedral.org.uk/
West Wittering Beach - https://www.westwitteringestate.co.uk/activities
South Downs National Park - https://www.southdownstrust.org.uk/
Thanks for reading and we hope to welcome you soon at The Bosham Boathouse B&B.
Jane and Hamish
Tel: 01243 575122
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