Month: February 2022

Spring is one of the prettiest times in the landscape and the season really gets going in March.

1. Enjoy the daffodils

Walk into the landscape right now and you will be greeted with a host of golden daffodils. They have to be the most triumphant spring flowers – nothing says ‘winter is over’ quite like their bright yellow blooms. The area around the visitor centre is covered in them. To see more, carry on to the bottom of the vineyard where they line the lake.  

2. Say hello to the goslings

New families have started arriving around the lake. We already have some gorgeous Egyptian goslings to look out for around Grotto Island.

Did you know that Egyptian Geese were indeed originally from Egypt, as the name suggests. They were brought over in the 17th century because English gentlemen were stuck by their beautiful colours and thought they would look very eye-catching by the lakes and ponds of their estates. Despite the colder climate the Egyptian Geese have maintained a small population since.

3. Look out for wild garlic

In March, wild garlic starts to bloom all the way along the banks of the river. You may spot white flowers or, if they haven’t bloomed yet, heaps of green leaves and buds. Step towards them and there is no mistaking the smell!

4. Celebrate Mother’s Day

This Mother’s Day treat your mum to a day around the landscape. Enjoy spotting the new mothers with their goslings around the lake or walk up to the Temple of Bacchus and take in the view.

We have Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea being served if you would like to indulge in scones, sandwiches and sweet treats. Toast to your mum with a glass of Painshill’s very own sparkling wine.

5. Stop and spot the flowers

Daffodils are not the only flower to herald the new season. There is still a scattering of snowdrops to enjoy around the lake and crocus are blooming in the woodlands around the Visitor Centre.

Fun and colourful characters are coming to Painshill this Easter holiday. Large statues of painted eggs will include a Cow, a Hen, a Pirate and a Unicorn.

We have one egg however that is blank and we need your ideas!

Draw your egg character design, or download our handy template below, and email it to marketing@painshill.co.uk to enter our competition. We will take the winning design and have it painted onto a huge egg to feature in our trail.

The winner will receive free tickets to Painshill to come and see their egg character in the landscape.

The competition is open to all ages and it closes on Friday 25 February.

Today we were delighted to welcome The Mayor of the Borough of Elmbridge, Councillor Tony Popham, and the Mayoress, Mrs Jo Wright, to plant a new Cedar of Lebanon at Painshill in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The Queen’s Green Canopy is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 which invites people and organisations from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”.

The Painshill team chose a Cedar of Lebanon because of the rich history that species has in the landscape. The gardens at Painshill already boast many long-standing specimens including “The Great Cedar” a tree planted by Charles Hamilton in the 18^th century that has become the largest multi-stemmed Cedar in Europe. Hamilton, the creator of Painshill, was described as “painting with plants” and he used them to create atmosphere and beauty. He planted a Cedar in particular places to draw the eye of the visitor and create a dramatic moment in a view.

We very much hope that this new Cedar will have a long future ahead of it and stand in celebration of Her Majesty’s 70 years of service for generations to come.