August Bank holiday weekend. Dry, calm, but very grey. This summer has been marked by windy days, cool temperatures (both day and night) and in the north west… rain. By the time this weekend arrives, you know that summer is on its last gasp and that’s it – all bar an Indian summer if we’re lucky.

Peacock butterfly at Arley Hall

So we headed for Arley Hall in Cheshire to see how the garden was faring. The famous herbaceous border would be at its peak, ablaze in the rich shades of late summer – the russets and ruby reds, tangy oranges and sunflower yellows. And so we found it, looking full and lush and summery. But still, the grey day had taken hold of the surroundings. There were butterflies spread motionless on tightly packed sedum heads, just waiting for a sunbeam to warm them up and help them take flight. And the air was empty of the sound of bees.

White poppy at Arley Hall

So maybe it was because of the flat light that it was the whites that won the day. Usually it would be a red poppy that would catch my attention – they always shout out at you whether en masse in a field or as a stray lone seedling. But today it was the white poppies I noticed in a border mix of annuals in the kitchen garden. They seemed to shimmer and shine in their delicate paperiness.

Cleome at Arley Hall

Above them, a group of white Cleome stood out against a dark backdrop of yew, the structure of the petals picked out against the background. Arley is known for its yew, especially the topiary buttresses clipped to perfection against the brick wall backdrop of the herbaceous border. At the end of the border, next to the tennis courts and to the side of The Alcove, an archway of yew leads to an area known as The Rough. On the corner, a clump of pure white Agapanthus stood out against the dark foliage. Simple and perfect. This was also true of the Galtonia flower spike we found in the recesses of the Scented Garden. Unusually, for this time of year, it was simplicity and not sumptuousness that won out. All due to a dull day in Cheshire.

Agapanthus (left) and Galtonia (right) at Arley Hall.

As we were leaving, I caught sight of a branch of golden yew draped over its darker neighbour and I was reminded that in the middle of grey winter days, when there are few flowers in bloom, such foliage is worth its weight in gold. Bold contrasts are what’s needed when life might seem a little grey. I am just talking about the weather of course!

Golden Yew at Arley Hall.