Sneak preview of the RSPB's new Flatford garden

Just over a week ago, I got the chance to drop in on the RSPB's brand new visitor garden at Flatford in Suffolk. In fact, it isn't even open to the public yet - it's due to fling open its garden gate in June (I'll let you know when it does).

It is just off the A12 London-Ipswich road, right in the heart of Constable country. Now I'm partial to a bit Constable - his landscapes of the lush British countryside seem to stir something hardwired into my soul, and I'm telling you the landscape around there was just stunning.

But it was the fledgeling garden I had gone to see, and I was met by Shirley Boyle who is overseeing the development and planting of the garden.

You can't miss the garden, which is next to the path from the car park to Flatford Mill (which Constable also painted). It is a south facing plot, much of it sloping quite steeply down to wet woodland at its foot. The fact that there are now flat paths is testimony to a lot of landscaping since construction started in February.

The planting is all very very new - apart from a few mature trees, the rest of the garden is very much a 'new born baby'. The photo above shows the view from just inside the gate, with a lovely old birch in the foreground. 

I couldn't contain my envy at the lorry loads of plants that Shirley and her volunteer team have had to play with - there were spent plant pots everywhere..

All that delicious new growth has also given something for the local Rabbit population to play with too! The team have had to rabbit-fence off much of the new planting while the garden establishes. But then, as we know, every garden has its challenges.

Nevertheless, a male Orange-tip butterfly was already nectaring away at some Dame's-violet flowers, and a Spotted Flycatcher was nipping around the trees.

I think the team have made a great start. And just because the garden clearly has a lot of growing-up to do, don't let that stop you visiting soon - it's always great to see something at the start so that you can go back later to share in its development. I certainly shall.