Nymans, Home of the Messel Family

Amidst lots of publicity around Raspberry Vinegar, I was looking forward to a weekend at our old family home in Sussex and witnessing our visitors getting the "wow factor" when they tasted ours. A good variety of exhibitors at the Nymans annual Green Gardening Festival enjoyed a warm sunny weekend and my neighbours, Yummy Lollies sold out of their delicious fruit ice lollies on both days.

The Summer Borders in October!

Strangely, it always seemed to rain when I visited my grandparents at Nymans and this persisted into my visit to the Green Garden Fair last year. So I was really delighted to feel the warmth of the sun in October this time and to have the opportunity to get a few photos of Nymans looking its best.

Fuschia Detail

 

In the late 19th century, the Messel family bought the Nymans estate, in the picturesque High Weald landscape of Sussex, to make a home in the country. It became a happy family home and refuge from their town house at 18 Stafford Terrace in Kensington. Inspired by the setting and the soil, the Messels created one of the great gardens, with experimental designs and new plants from around the world. Here they entertained family and friends, enjoying relaxing times, strolling in the garden, playing, picnicking and walking in the woods. 

The Entrance Wild Flowers

My father, Martin Parsons, was the only member of the family to be born at Nymans and it was this start in his life which made him the "Botanically Enthused" person he became. As a child, he suffered terribly from croup and it was inhaling the fragrance of the hyssop grown under his bedroom window which gave him some relief from the incessant coughing. Years later, having moved to Womersley, my father used the kitchen garden to grow the masses of fruit and herbs which were eventually used in his concoctions which we make to this day.

The Summer Borders

Nymans is now a very popular National Trust property and rejoices in being an excellent location for family visits. The team has done a superb job over the past few years of maintaining the colourful and abundant gardens whilst making the whole property feel like it is still a family home. I believe it is precisely this connection with the family which persists in ensuring that Nymans attracts many new AND repeat visitors. 

The Ruins of the House

I was delighted to greet Urvashi Roe and her family on our stand. Urvashi was fresh from her appearance on the popular BBC programme "The Great British Bake Off" and we both enjoyed sharing our views on being "Botanically Enthused."

Urvashi Roe getting all Botanical