Tetrach's Garden Party...

First of all, What a Beautifull garden, I remember seeing pics of the Arbour, the black metal one with the statue inside and commented how gorgeous it was, Tet does'e have a good eye for design, Her garden is an English dream...
Second, I think its fantastic that people (gardeners or not) meet on an online forum and make friendships and visit each other, now thats magic :)
And thirdly, Poor BA, gonna find her blog and see how she's doing, and ill tell her to keep off the sauce hahaha..

lovely blog flori and great photos. Tet has indeed made a beautiful award-winning garden [im sure pip could do an award for such a well planned, colourful and scented garden ~ without one weed!!] that first photo catches it beautifully - i think that would make a fabulous photo if enlarged.

hi flori .............. looks like you all enjoyed yourselfs , agree with both above , fantasic garden , i allso loved the arbour wen she was doing it , and i love that seat as well ............ very inviteing ;0)))
poor ba , hope shes ok soon bless her ............. did you enjoy the cake !!! yummy ...........
will bob over and look at blog as well ............. fab photos toooo , enjoyed the walk with you ............ x\o/

p.s love raf ............... gv him a cuddle from me !!! x

Lovely photos Flori, so glad you enjoyed your visit. The garden is truly magical, and I hope Ba's ankle is ok now.

Great that fellow gardeners are meeting up because of this website.. And what a lovely garden..

It all looks amazing and you have posted some smashing photo`s, pleased you all enjoyed your visit, shame about Ba`s ankle, I did see her pic, looked very painful, hoping its better now...

Fabulous Foto's Flori', I should have been there and I knew I had missed a treat.
The garden looks heavenly.
Give raffles a hug for me, he looks really well.Hope Ba's ankle is better.
God bless !

sorry you couldnt come valadel.

Glad you all had a lovely day together..Tet's garden is wonderful..:o)

Smashing blog Flori...Tet's garden is gorgeous! Such a lot of beautiful areas and wonderful planting! How lovely that you met and had a great afternoon together, sorry Ba hurt her ankle.....you should have called Magic Carpets, we would have flown her home....:o))

Oh no,Janey...here we go again ! Lol.

How lovely that you all met up and had fun together, wonderful and that garden, Oh, its gorgeous.

Tet has a lovely garden. Tet ..you must spend a lot of time there getting your garden to look so good.
Thanks for sharing these pics with us Flori it is so good to have lovely friends like this and being able to spend such quality time with them. Hope you are all keeping well...

what a lovely garden Tet ! Thanks Flori for snapping such gorgeous flowers those hot oranges really zing thoughtful planting-- and lots of love!

Flori my dear, thank you for such a lovely blog, some really fabulous pictures, makes the garden look much better than I think it is! But the real joy was the afternoon itself. I couldnt have wished for anything more (except for poor Ba's accident, sob!) than the great time we had from your visit. It says a lot when you all left that OH said what a wonderful afternoon he had had..he doesnt normally make that sort of comment after visitors!
Raffles was adorable, Sticki's cake was smashing, as is Sticki, Ba has missed her vocation..she reminded me of Joan Rivers with her dry comments! and you and Andy were such good company and so enthusiastic. Just the kind of company I dreamed off to share the garden with! My only hope is that Ba's fall doesnt spoil her holiday.
Never mind Val, there will be other times Im sure when you will come to see us..but it would have been soo nice to have had you share with us.
It only leaves me to thank you all for being such perfect company.
Btw Flori, I love the pic of the alstroemeria..Ive been trying to take a decent close up but yours is perfect!

i think i would have your garden pictures up on the wall tet! its so lovely ~ how about a jigsaw of it?
i have worked out btw but what was that other abbreviation we couldnt work out?
all the thanks should go to you tet for inviting and organising such a lovely afternoon and for you and ken working so hard. it is a beautiful garden and deserves high praise ~ as well as admiring visitors!!! well done you
and thanks to flori [and Ba] for lovely blogs ~ its the opposite of a 'trouble shared' a blog on a beautiful garden is like a treasure doubled!

well at long last a blog about your visit, so glad you all had a wonderful time, Tet told me how much she had enjoyed all your company, her garden looks beautiful, my OH and me are supposed to be going to tets in june, hope we can make it, thanks for putting this blog on Flori.

How lovely for you all to meet up so pleased you all had a good time together, love tetrach's garden.

what a great day out, its lovely when you meet fellow enthusiasts [GoYers]

Thanks Tets...... next time I promise !

Well Yorkie, you'd bally well better make it..Ive ordered the band and the fireworks already lol!!!

is that the same weekend all the hot air balloons go up tet?

No, unfortunately this year its 11-14 August. They changed it last year I believe cos the weather had been so bad in June/July when I think it first started.

they will be going up for my sons wedding then
i think you could have your own balloon festival ~ tet and yorky's balloons! would be really fun

You will have to come and blow them up then Sticki..Im paranoid about balloons going bang with one puff too many!

I like that idea about balloons tet, yorkie and Tets balloons, the men can blow them all up, no problem, 2/300 maybe,

i wont mention anything about hot air then.
i dont mind them going bang, i can blow a few up!!!

Yes, we could put NGS stickers on them all..great idea as long as I can let them go...fast!

there are those chinese/japanese lantern things you can get now but the farmers dont like them

sorry just remembered i cant blow them up ~ you will have to get a helium cylinder ~ i will be at sons wedding!!

Thought that was in August? Yorkie will be here end of June.

ah yes ~ confused with the balloon festival dates. sorry. sons birthday end of june ~ easy to confuse!!??

I tell you what Sticki/Tet, you two don't take much to get me all confused, why are we letting all these balloons up, will we be having our names printed on them !!! how about one of those tickets, finder has to send it back, no prizes given though,

no point in sending it back if there is no prize! they could send it back with a photo of their garden then you would have a collection of pictures from .......?

now that is a good idea, photos of their garden, I like that, you bright spark.

Hey Sticki, a GOY er could find one, that would be good,

and wouldnt that be a surprise!!
if they sent the picture back they could have a free invite to next years garden party????

Brilliant idea, we will have to take it up with Tet first, by the way my dear, any chance of your coffee cake recipe I have heard so much about, raining here and I am bored,

Why dont I just give you two my diary and you can fill it in LOL! Just make sure you bring the cakes Sticki and you my dear Yorkie can bring the booze..Im busy trying to make the birds sing in concert...they are not taking a blind bit of notice..just stuffing their faces with seeds and aphids...

O.K send us your diary and we will fill in the date. I am trying to get that recipe from Sticki, what booze will you be wanting then, what are you going to be doing then, Sticki baking, me boozing, you thinking of sitting on your backside just enjoying yourself, I think not Dear.

i can do boozing too yorky.

its , 6 oz butter, 6 oz caster or brown sugar creamed together, then beat in 3 eggs, one at a time, stir in 6 oz self raising flour carefully then add 1 tsp of baking powder and about a tbs of strong coffee. bake that at about 170 for around 25 mins in 2 separate cake tins ~ around 8"

when they are cool put coffee flavoured butter cream in the middle but make the top icing with icing sugar and evaporated milk and a little more coffee~ gives it a shine

enjoy it! bet it would be even better if the middle was filled with cream and coffee liqueur ~ might try that next time

Just told you, training the birds to sing to you when you come..besides pulling up weeds, deadheading and feeding the roses..just ordered 2 new statues, just for your delectation, and Ken's gonna clean the patio when you come and instruct him in the power washer (thats greek to him too!). Now the wind has calmed down I might even spray the roses against black spot! Late evening of course. Then I will have to dust off the wineglasses, clean the greenhouse...and by then I might have to do some housework

I wont be in a fit state to do anything after Sticki's boozy cake, especially when I pour extra coffee liqueur over it (got some last christmas)

your having a lazy day today then Tet, thank you Sticki for the recipe, xxx

I have just sent Alex an email asking what that Bik has said to her in greek,

you're welcome

Hey Tet Sticki you both in, just heard from Alex regarding her Moms rose and Bif comment in greek, what it said is this "Just like a little bride, I am going to have a white aromatic one next year" say thank you Yorkshire,

hi yorkshire
that sounds a very nice idea ~ i feel as if i missed part of this conversation ~ have you got a picture of this rose ~ might be nice for my new daughter in law to be??

you will have to take a look at Alex pictures, don't think there was name to it, just a thought, I bought my son-in-law a peony for Christmas, its called bridal icing

whens the wedding Sticki?

your cake sounds good-- especially eith the liqueur ( to drink....?)

this soggy day I 've made some bread dough , 1/2 is a olive & onion focaccia and the other some fruit buns--- which if I say so myself are distinctly edible \0/ mmmm

( well I did iron a dozen white shirts so I needed a treat....)

Focaccia, what a memory, I spent 9 hours one Friday just making it for 140 people at our local pub, I must have been completely bonkers

gosh did you make it by hand--- I use a breadmaker for the dough

all by hand, thats why I said I must have been bonkers, and all different flavours,

sounds fantastic ~ pam and yorkshire ~ i think i shall come for some lessons! i have made foccacia and it was nice but i dont think it was easy.
wedding is august pam

Im keeping out of this conversation, I have a packet of Wrights Garlic and Rosemary breadmix (which I adore & my friend makes) staring at me every time I open the cupboard door..I keep meaning to have a go..but Im a coward...

Thanks for the translation Yorkie or rather, Alex. Dont tease poor Bik Yorkie, I speak a little French but not well, a little Italian but not well, and Greek not at all! English is so difficult even some english kids cant speak it! lol!

lots of the english children cant speak english tet!! [but a lot can thankfully!]

that bread sounds good ~ think i will have go ~ you should have said ~ i would have brought you some ~ i like my breadmaker!

You dont need a breadmaker with it Sticki!

ok, might have a go sometime ~ making bread is a lovely thing to do ~ trouble is it doesnt always go right for me

apparently it doesnt take much proving..my friend says I could do it...ha! ha!...still thinking about it.
Sticki do you have your yellow book handy? Im trying to find out Spritz's place. My memory terrible and NGS site is a pig, has problems. Also I wanted to visit DD at The Spindles Hampshire, cant even get that up to find out next date

sorry tet i dont have a yellow book ~ if i get to the library i can check for you ~ how do you find them ~ i know i cant look for spritz or DD!!!!

Sheilabub confirmed Spritz's place, but the NGS site is not working for me. Just trying to find out when Dottydaisy has her second open day. Missed the first one. I will contact DD no worries.

sounds like lots more garden visits to look forwards too :o))

I suppose its not real focaccia but it was sort of in the bread book

I put the breadmaker on to the dough setting having used olive oil for the fat
when the dough was ready I divided into two and made sticky buns with half and the other half I kneaded and flattened out with my hands onto a greased tray then spread with garlic puree, olive oil and sprinkled with sliced olives and a shake of rock salt granules ( naughty but nice) then used my finger to make holes all over the dough
covered it lightly with oiled cling film and allowed to prove for about 30 mins, if it rises over the holes just make them again remove cling film when proved then
cook for about 20 mins or until golden at 180/190 deg c
tastes nicer warm

oooh it sounds really lovely pam ~ and i really like sticky buns ~ they were a treat when i was little.
didnt the railway children have them when their mum sold a story??

thats true-- and the famous 5--- with lashings of cream.....

oh, the famous 5 ~ thats made me smile ~ cos i loved them. they always had ginger beer!!

who did you want to be ~ i always wanted to be george. my next choice would be timmy!!!

Lovely to hear about your good time together. The internet i fabilous to connect people.

My company to my first Chelsea Flowershow this year was four other friends, which I have meet on a similar site like this.

And I bet you had a whale of a time! Lucky you.

well yes always george she had much the better time!-- I was always a bit of a tomboy, somebodys making real ginger beer-- had it at some statley home or other-- no I had dandelion & burdock someone else had the beer!

i was a tom boy too - dont think i have ever really changed!
i have seen a company that makes them - victorian lemonade is really nice
i also like dandelion and burdock. i fancy making something with elderflowers?

I made elderflower cordial which is lovely and needs doing now whilst the flowers are out---- been looking for the recipe but its gone 'walkabour' but I suppose it'll be somewhere on the internet-- I do remember it had to be kept in the fridge and diluted to use

i shall have a little look ~ thank you

theres one i've found that looks the same called 'fiona's traditional elderflower cordial' at the Cottage Smallholder site
I enjoyed making it -- and drinking it, Iusually buy 'green bottle' or Belvoir ( they're local at Belvoir castle)

Smashing place that, Pamg, I love their Italian Garden. It was quite young when we went there few years ago, guess its more mature now.

thanks pam ~ i will look it up.
i think fentemanns make old fashioned drinks too.

its interesting Tet as its a family home and run by them,duke & duchess of rutland, if you visit they happily carry on with their lives as usual--(kids running up & down the stairs-- I suppose their used to it!)--

havn't heard of them Sticki-- i'll keep a look out --thanks :o))

Yes its got some lovely rooms and the one that faces their private garden is stunning. Saw their private garden on a tv programme a while back. Very down to earth people too.
I loved the old Renault they had in the entrance lol!

is this belvoir castle in leicestershire? i quite liked the garden but i was a bit disappointed with it somehow ~ tea rooms very dark.

Btw, tet: the chateau is not that great these days ~ i dont think they look after the gardens much.

I think its because its not like a NT place--- I think the cafe is the old kitchen ( or dungeon.....)

it is and it could have been good ~ with a little effort!!

That "old dungeon" used to be a restaurant with silly prices..the only reason I ate there was that the company was paying!

Flori, I think your pics are better than mine...but I don't have these funny women rambling away on my blog...poor souls....wonder where they came from? All ready for the home for the bewildered:-))))))
I preferred E. B's Five Findouters and Dog (little black scottie):-)

Nice pictures. Wish I was there too. It is so wonderfull that the internet brings people together.

I have wondered before, what is OH a shortening for. It could not be husbound.

Other Half, Hanne. Easier these days where there are different types of partnerships.

Lovely blog, Flori, and fabulous garden Tet. Such a shame about BA's ankle, I hope you are feeling better BA! I must go and check out her blog as well.

Sorry I couldn't make it - the magic carpet I had booked didn't show up, despite me making a series of frantic phone calls to 1300-DIAL-A-CARPET!!!

I know I haven't been on for such a long time - will you forgive me?? :o((

Im sure you will not get groused at Pip c, except that you were sore missed!
Btw, no good using DIAL-A-CARPET if you dont have the daylily Magic Carpet Ride..you need it for an outside line!

Thanks for the compliment, and dont worry about BA, she's living it up in the Caribbean on the dosh she sued me for..had to sell all me plants just to pay her lol!

Cheek! She has one of those disclaimers at the door Pip. You know the sort...Management will not be held responsible...enter at your own risk...that sort of thing. My lawyers have looked into it thoroughly..no loopholes found:-(

She's only saying that cos altho she was successful, all I owned were my plants, so she couldnt get the million she wanted!! ;-D

Have you sold the house yet Tet? I'm still waiting:-)

Hard luck BA, its not mine to sell...belongs to OH!