Now, I’m not a Londoner, so whenever I visit our capital city I let others lead the way so that we don’t all end up lost and bored. While recently staying with friends in the city during possibly the wettest week ever, I was quite surprised when someone suggested going to a National Trust garden at Morden Hall Park. In the rain, I thought? Really? But I’m so glad I did because otherwise I’d never have discovered it and I think this place is worth visiting in spring or summer, in rain or shine – not least for the spectacular roses.

It is an absolute gem of a garden. It’s one of those hidden spots just off a very busy South London main road that you could so easily drive past; one of those tucked away places, all greenness and silence, which make you forget you’re in the city and feel calm and serene.

Do what we did and go on a rainy day armed with wellies and raincoats; go for the puddle jumping, for the miles of buggy and toddler friendly pathways, free of traffic; go for baked potatoes, homemade cakes and a cup of tea in the cafe afterwards when you need to dry off; just go so that you can be in the fresh air rather than inside a shopping centre.

Or (and this is what I plan to do next time we’re in that neck of the woods) go on a sunny day; go armed with sun cream and sit on a bench and people watch; go with a blanket and a book and nowhere else to be for the next two hours; go with a picnic hamper and a  football and have a family day out. Just go, because if a place is this delightful on a wet Wednesday, then just imagine how delicious those roses will look and smell in the heat of high summer.

Images by Gillian Roe