Does this site give you the Travel Bug?

lovely blog sheila ~ now you have me dreaming! i would want to be on the west coast of Harris watching those pure and powerful waves but its a long way for a few days [could always miss the plane back and stay though!]

but like you i would probably end up staying here and going to my favourite coffee shop that has a wonderful view.

there is a lovely article in country file about places to go ~ the new forest sounded very attractive.

I think, like you Sheila, that I rather like my own backyard these days! I love looking at other peoples photos and blogs etc in the comfort of my home. When we travel I am always happy to get home and if we have to go out in the evenings I always am glad to return. Now we have the opportunity to go where ever we fancy, it seems that home is the place to be!! Its a funny old life.

Thank you both for your comments. What you said (Sticki) in another blog made me like the idea of Harris, and yes, the New Forest is lovely but too far for a drive on my own.

Grandma - it's the travelling that puts us off, isn't it? I love to get home after being away, too: whether we've been flying or driving, it's tiring. If I could QUICKLY get there, I'd like to go to the Scilly Isles, particularly the Tresco Gardens . . . just need a magic carpet!

Hi Sheila my OH is away at the moment and I'm taking myself (with his plastic in hand) around the CG's to see what I can find, enjoying the peace and quiet and admiring the beauty of my garden blooms.

i love to have time to myself ~ i dont really mind where!!!

a magic carpet would be just the right thing ~ would your OH's plastic manage to buy one of those for us all Kfun??

harris is definitely worth a visit sheila ~ one day!!!!

you can google places to visit ~ its quite good. mind you im sure you will find your way to a good bookshop!!

Well Sheila, having been to Amsterdam and London recently, I would say, at this time of year, the back garden tops the lot! Mind you, I would love to revisit that Physic garden in Chelsea AND the tulip gardens at Keukenhof! And if you want to get on a train or a plane, my guest room is always available! My favourite place....home...definitely! xx

oooh, tell you what though....if I could go the the Isles of Scilly...I would love to go there and my OH will never go...so I'd have to go 'by selfs' as my little girl used to say!

Thanks for putting into words Sheila what so many of us must have thought. The terrific diversity of people & places we have all connected with.
As I used to be a boat builder on the river Yare I'll charter & skipper you around the Broads. That's if I'm not kayaking in Canada with our overseas Goyers !!
Gotta love G.O.Y eh ?? right, where's my lifejacket ???

lol Bampy! Nice one!

Yeah, nice one Bampy - you tempter you! What sort of boat would that be then . . . I loved the "motor barge" thing that Monty rode in when visiting Italian gardens - steady and comfortable, he said it was a cross between a gondola and a barge(?).

OK Karen - that's off to the Scillies for us then!

well sheila i think you have got more than one offer you cannot refuse!!!! you will have to tell OH to stay longer!!!

OMG - sorry Karen!! I didn't thank you for your incredibly kind offer . . . that's so sweet of you (I nearly offered you OUR spare room when you came down for Chelsea - maybe next time??). Anyway, THANK YOU!

So . . . did you get some good things, Kfunsters? I'll remember your idea - sounds like a good plan!

Somewhere between the Eden Project and Heligan, I went when both were first opened and would love to revisit, mind you I`d worry if I actually went in case the people at home were neglecting my greenhouses and pots and baskets, if it was possible for somewhere different I`d quite like to go in the other direction sometime and see if I could find Corside Nursery and sit on Sandra`s bench, also see her beautiful coastline, mind you I worry when I do go away incase my greenhouses, pots and baskets are not being looked after properly....

If you decide to go to Norfolk, make sure you visit East Ruston Old Vicarage gardens - a plant lover's paradise

Yup! Just like you - where I live is my favourite spot in the whole world! We've travelled a bit in the past - Canaries, Rome, Brittany, Paris, Alberta - Canada, India (3 times), Wales, Scotland, Lake District and also travelled over parts of our newly-adopted country, but right here is where I want to be!

Have you been to Hatfield House Sheilabub? I havent, tho I have passed the signpost a couple of times. Ive seen it on telly, and promised myself, this year for definite!
There is a lot to see with the old and new palaces, they have great gardens according to Alan T and its steeped in history. Got to be worth a visit!

Another thought are daily coach trips. We have one locally for Agatha Christie's place together with a trip up the river Dart! Very tempting!

Like most of you I prefer my own back garden, but just sometimes its nice to go away. It makes you appreciate your own more anyway, but I would also like to go to the Scilly Isles I think, and I am not so keen on driving these days,

I must admit I was a little jittery about my first trip of the season when we went to AndrewR's garden, cos I hate all the roads as you get close to the London area, everyone drives so fast at junctions and roundabouts when you are trying to look at signposts. However, it was easy peasy!

I know that feeling Tet. I absolutely detest going to London. I went last week to visit friends and thank god I wasnt driving. I tense up so much I end up with a bad head. Dreadful. I am a country girl through and through. Cant stand traffic.

It's lovely to read all your comments - thank you Lin, Andrew, Nariz, Tet, Cinders - I've obviously come to the right place for ideas!

Andrew, a lady in my gardening club organised a trip to East Ruston last year, and they invited us to a private visit(!) so to have the place to ourselves was amazing - I agree, it's wonderful.

Nariz, we've been lucky enough to travel widely too: OH worked in South Africa, so we went there, son moved to Oz so we went snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef (and then I drove round New Zealand's south island on my own - very friendly people) . . . I could write a book. Now I'm wanting to explore closer to home.

Tet, yes Hatfield House is nearby: I've been to craft fairs there, but not the garden.

I must go and pack my toothbrush for our trip to Spritz's garden in Somerset . . . talk again soon!

i would like to read your book sheila ~ especially if you manage to write it while OH is away!!??

Ohhh - having Bridgmere Garden world on my door step and no whinging OH (he's very good really), I went for a little wonder, the trouble is the place gets so busy and its huge and would take all day to look round.
I had £7.50 worth of their gardening club vouchers and headed straight behind the greenhouse display where they sell off the out of season stock they haven't cleared in the main dispay areas. As this area is a little off the beaten track, I was the only one there (how sad) so I filled my trolley with a whole host of plants that had been greatly reduced, traded in my vouchers (added some extra cash) and headed for home before I could be tempted by their vast displays - how good of me was that!, but I knew if I looked I wouldn't be able to resist. Then a lovely peaceful sunny afternoon postioning and re-positioning my purchases :-)).