The Green Thumb Thread

[Whateverist]

Elsewhere I just mentioned our 2008 English garden self tour. Now that I've relocated and subscribed to this thread - thank you Kichi - I thought I'd share that here. You won't want to see it all at once. We visited 17 gardens in all. But I thought I'd give you a teaser photo for each one along with the url to the flickr set for that garden which you can see as a slideshow if want. They're posted in the order we visited them which gives you an idea of our route for those who know some of the gardens and England.




In London Kew was the first gardens we took in. http://flic.kr/s/aHsiXHkQY9



South to Sissinghurst in East Sussex. (Not a lucky day for good light.) http://flic.kr/s/aHsiXWoVwf



A big favorite to be included on any short list I could make, nearby Great Dixter.
http://flic.kr/s/aHsiXTUEZi



Heading West now we stop at Nyman Castle. http://flic.kr/s/aHsiXMqfA6



Still further West, same day, West Green House. http://flic.kr/s/aHsiXPiGGG



While in Salisbury we saw quite a large and wonderful private garden. http://flic.kr/s/aHsiXVcAQp



Heale garden just North of Salisbury. http://flic.kr/s/aHsiY1z5GY



Coleton Fishacre, still further South and West. http://flic.kr/s/aHsiY521hH



Now North up to the Winsford Walled garden in Devon where we stayed for three nights at their B&B. http://flic.kr/s/aHsiXmQ1An



Very nearby is Rosemoor. http://flic.kr/s/aHsiYbEoyN

To be continued ...

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Part 2: Cornwall then north again.



On a very ambitious day trip we 'did' as much of Cornwall in the Southwest tip of England as we could. First stop, the Barbara Hepworth sculpture garden in St. Ives. http://flic.kr/s/aHsiY3hTiG



Next stop, same outing, Glendurgan garden. http://flic.kr/s/aHsiY33hNG



Last garden of the day, Trebah .. in a downpour. http://flic.kr/s/aHsiY32FmN



Now North to Bath to see the Roman baths but more importantly, Iford Manor. http://flic.kr/s/aHsiY9R7qp



Further north for our final batch of gardens. Probably my favorite photo from the trip was this one from Hidcote Manor's red border. http://flic.kr/s/aHsiXsDmWq



Nearby we also visited Kiftsgate Court. http://flic.kr/s/aHsiXw9mJy



Our final and most memorable visit was to the garden and home of our new friends Tony and Marie. They have made the most amazing garden together over the last 30 years. Completely designed and built by themselves it is an absolute master piece. They'd recently won the national prize for the top garden awarded by a London newspaper yearly. They asked if they could provide us with some refreshment when we arrived and I said the thought of having some tea in their garden would be special. You would not guess what counts for "having tea". It was like our Thanksgiving rolled up with Christmas dinner .. which we ate alfresco because .. well, where else would gardeners want to take a meal? Here is a parting shot of me learing at Marie's dessert tray.



Still not drooling? You need a close up.



One ecstatic American hack gardener with his wife in the presence of two gardening gods.


Taken at the Four Seasons Garden by our hosts.

[KichigaiNeko]

GREAT SHOTS whateverist!! I look at pics of English gardens and weep, no such luck here in Western Australia for such luxuriant growth!!

[Whateverist]

We don't do lush the way they do either. Pretty special place for gardens that U.K. The next place I want to go for gardens is Spain and Germany. There are a number of very good gardens here in the states too. Chanticleer near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is probably my very favorite of the estate sized gardens. I actually prefer to see gardens created by a single person or family like the last one I saw, especially if I get to meet the makers.