Visit to Spritzhenry's stunning garden, June 2011

oh, its beautiful!! thank you sheila! the cottage garden is so pretty, so english. i love those steps ~ they fit in so wonderfully and the old wall as a backdrop.

Btw ~ you can move photos round in a blog by cutting and pasting them into the place you want ~ im forever getting them in the wrong place!!

Oh, thank you Sticki, for the comment, and the tip! :)

Oh my goodness, what a wonderul place Spritz has, beautiful photos Sheila, thank you so much for putting them on, its a wonderful Blog,

Perfect compliment to Tets blog Sheila what a wonderful day out for you all and Spritz..... its stunning.....

Thanks for that Sheila, it is a beautiful country garden, and those borders are to die for I am so pleased the sun shone, Barbara had worked so hard, even though she was not 100% well this Spring, wonderful garden, I have made a note of the B&B thanks.....

Lovely garden, and plants. Beautiful setting too. Thanks for sharing Sheila

A lot bigger than ours Cinders lol

Thank you for your lovely comments, Yorks, Pamg, Dottydaisy and Cinders. Yes, Dotty, it was good to see Barbara looking fit and well (and she said you were "to blame" for the lovely Geranium 'blueberry ice'!).

Sticki, thanks again, photo now in the right place. :))

Absolutely beautiful garden, and what a lovely sunny day to visit :)

you're welcome ~ hope you didnt mind me saying.

Fabulous isn't it - I've never seen it in the flesh, so to speak, but Spritz knows I'm quite keen to move in just from the photos, lol!

lovely blog and some lovely photos of a wonderful garden.

No, no, Sticki, I'm always grateful for help with computers, lol. Thank you for commenting Emma, Bamboo and Seaburn . . . I would happily go back again, as I feel there is so much to learn there.

another beautiful garden stunning, makes me tired just thinking about all the work gone into it!!!

absolutely beautiful garden, lovely blog sheilabub! i am getting garden envy!!

Thanks for this lovely blog Sheilabub, your photos of Spritz's garden are really good, she should be very proud of all of her achievements, her garden is magnificent!

Ooh I know what you mean Daylily - I see Spritz's garden and I positively ache for something that size...

Thank you Sewingk and Daylily. Thanks for the compliment, Libet, that's encouraging for this novice photographer! Just think, Bamboo, if you DID have a garden that size, you would certainly ache, lol!

Yes, Spritz works SO hard, so I guess it was lovely for her to have an "afternoon-ful" of appreciative visitors.

No more than I do now doing other people's, Sheilabub, lol!

So pleased you were able to view this fabulous garden, Sheila, it looks wonderful judging by your photos. The last one is beautiful, very 'chocolate-box' .. : o ))

Thank you, Shirley . . . couldn't really go wrong with the stunning planting and the sunshine! :))

Thank you Sheila - it's fascinating to see it through your eyes. That Geranium is 'Dragon Heart' by the way. :-) I was so lucky to have three GoYers with us yesterday. It was lovely to meet you all.

Anyone else coming on the 9th? ;-)

I love it when goyers go to visit Spritz! I feel like I get to go along too! Fantastic sunshine you had too! I love the attention to detail with the heucheras and petunias in pots. Can you imagine having to look after all of that garden....whoa, that would be a full time job! Can't say I would mind too much though!

Thanks for sharing Sheila, what a fabulous garden and Oh the work & love that has gone into it! Simply beautiful.

I'm just considering whether I can make it for Thursday, will PM you Spritz if I think I can, if that's okay...

Thanks Spritz - I must find Dragon Heart!
Yes, Karen, it's really a joy to be able to share our experiences like this. You're welcome, Grandma.
Go for it Bamboo, you'll have a fun day. :)

P.S. Have just put up blog version No.2!

Oh how I wish Barbara but sadly not to be after all and having seen all these lovely pics I feel even more sad about it! Many thanks for giving us a guided tour Sheila, I've enjoyed seeing your photos of what was clearly a wonderful visit.......and sunny too :o))

Thank you Lily, but what a shame you can't be there . . . maybe next year.

Sheilabub, really enjoyed taking in Spritz`s garden through your photos. To me its a truly quintessential english garden.

Thanks Sheila for sharing your visit with us, Spritz has a fabulous garden and you have taken some beautiful photo`s.....

I was very lucky to meet three GOYers. Maybe more friends will find their way here - who knows? You'd all be very welcome, anyway. :-))

Thank you very much Stroller and Lin . . . I really was lucky to be taken all that way and have such a lovely day.

Gorrrgeous!! I love those ripple steps and all the planting of course and that shelter looks like its from the french countryside :P Thankyou for sharing this blog!! :))

Thank you Jennyfer - you're welcome!

Thank you Spritz and OH for a truly memorable afternoon in your lovely garden. Having 2 apprentices with me, who had already been up to unmentionable mischief before we set off, made being sociable a bit difficult for me. I was so pleased to be greeted as a friend by so many who had been told to look out for us. Meeting you and Tet and your OH's was superb Sheila. I am so pleased you were able to capture some of the sights so beautifully. What struck me was the size of the garden. I knew it was 2 x the size of mine but it seemed to go on forever. In Spritz photos it looks quite small so I was amazed at the trees and the roses and the nice seating areas around the garden and the heights and the textures and all seemingly fitting perfectly. It was like a painting in 3D. Someone said "chocolate box" it is and so much more. I shall certainly return as it was pure unadulterated joy to walk around and enjoy the shade, the colours and the water and of course star turn Henry. He was a perfect host. The ladies providing refreshments deserve a pat on the back too for those lovely home bakes and a welcome cup of good tea. Thank you for the memory .

Good to meet you too, Scotsgran - yes, we were very lucky to have the opportunity to visit such a special place, and to be so well looked after. :)

We aim to please. ladies! ;-D)

What a lovely country garden Spritz and Sheila. It has real atmosphere of peace and tranquility. Truly English. Anyone see Hidcote on TV last night.....been there once, ages ago?

I watched it last night - never been, now want to go!

Best TV programme I've seen in months ... and I rarely watch anything these days! Fascinating insight into a fabulous garden.

I'll have to catch it on iplayer. It's one of my favourite gardens. :-)

I'll catch up on it too, thanks. I really enjoyed your tour Sheila, I'm so envious of anyone who can visit Barbaras garden. Still...once Spritz and I have swapped....:-))

I found the programme fascinating too.....as it tied in the garden with the personality of the person who designed the layout. Lots of little secret places. Now you see it, turn a corner and find another facet. The research to find out more about the man was absorbing. Just been reading a book about Dixter. Another gardener who had a dominant mum who lived forever! He was very sociable...the complete opposite to Hidcote's founder. Fond of house parties and lots of company.

Christopher Lloyd - I have several of his books. :-)

Ba - I do wish you could get here, I really do.

Yes, Christopher Lloyd is a very sympathetic writer (I have several of his books too!).

Thanks for the comment Ba - why not go, and stay in a B&B as we did? It will make you happy. :))

And me! :-))

Have you read 'Dear Friend and Gardener' Sheila?

Yes Barbara! . . . his correspondence with Beth Chatto . . . delightful. She must miss him.

I thought that. Lovely book, though. :-))

I have that somewhere, no idea where it is now:-( Wasn't he a little scathing sometimes about 'taste' in others gardens? Think it was him, but made me smile:-)

I think he Christo could be a little testy at times. He was a great character. I saw him at Dixter not long before he died. He nodded and said hello to a complete stranger. I love that garden. Things just seem to grow, but I know some of it was/is artful. What a good job there was someone to carry on his ideas and put their own stamp as well.

Absolutely Dorjac. When we visited a few years ago, we saw Fergus Garrett who was also very friendly.

Ba, Christopher Lloyd was certainly outspoken . . . he said what he thought, but he was so jovial that it never seemed unkind in any way.

I met him once, as well - we lived in Kent, so Great Dixter was one of the gardens we loved to visit.

I was so relieved to hear that the garden is safe, in good hands and can still be visited. :-)

I met him lots of times..he often asked my advice...taught him all he knew about colour..so there:-P

Heeheee....like it! ;- D))) I'll tell my friend Beth you said that, Ba!

Just got around to this lol:-))

Too late - I've already told her. ;-D)