Why the WI??

Wow, Spritz, how lucky can U get. A fantastic trip & such beauty. Must be wonderful to create all this beauty.

Hi Spritz.Love the tiger too.Thanks for this lovely blog!

What a treat Spritz,it looks a wonderful place and obviously well maintained,my idea of a good day out,enjoyed the blog and lovely photo,s,thanks for sharing.....

Wow! Lucky you what a lovely place, thankyou for taking the time to show us it's a real treat when we live so far away, and if we are ever in the area it gives us ideas on where to go too.

It is nice when some people appreciate you for your kindness and contribution what a delightful thought of offering you a tour of such picturess sights thank you for the tour around what must been a thoroughly enjoyable day for you good of you to share it with us

I would love to visit that garden, but your photos were the next best thing, thanks Spritz. Glad you had a good time

Good photos that show lovely gardens !!!
I've not been either so these were indeed the next best thing :)

Great blog Spritz.... very much enjoyed the tour thank you... sounds like you had a great day out... and i love the colour of your new toad lily.....

looks like a fantastic day out. the photos are brilliant.
thanks for sharing xx

A lovely day out for your, Spritz, the gardens look wonterful
The Erodium chrysanthum has gone onto my 'wants' list - it's getting far too long - and what a beautiful Tricytis.

I enjoyed the walk B. but I'm ready for a cuppa now. The Roman garden was quite intriguing but I agree the rock garden looks stunning. Shame they didn't have that new Geronimo, will you be able to get it anywhere else?
Thanks for taking us with you. :~))

They offered the trip to someone they knew would appreciate it :) Lovely blog and photo's ,many thanks.

enjoyed the tour spritz so lovely and lucky you getting to go,i especially liked the water gardens, its something about water and plants together that is so relaxing, great pics thanx :o)))

Thanks for the tour....I live 30 miles from Compton Acres, but I've never been......pencilled it in for next weekend.

Very nice blog. I'm sure you picked up lots of new ideas and more plants for your wishlist.

What a wonderful day Barbara , so much to see ,so little time , how kind of the WI to ask you ... they will be asking you to give a talk on gardening in exchange or have you already done that ? ........

Thanks for taking us to beautiful Compton Acres Barbara. It must be well over 30 years since I visited but it has always remained in my mind as a lovely garden. I have not heard of it for a long time and assumed it was no longer in existence. Wonderful blue hydrangea. Definitely on my 'to visit' list now!

Thanks for taking us round those lovely gardenswhat a lovely day out for you.

Thanks Spritz for sharing this lovely blog and pics with us....

love the garden thanks for the photos...the tiger is lovely

Thanks for all the lovely comments! I'm glad you enjoyed the tour...

Oh - Amy! I'd be terrified facing them all to do a talk! What on earth could I say?

Guess what! I think I HAVE that geranium I liked so much - a recent purchase. It's called 'Salome'. Mine now has one flower - and I'm sure it's the same! Yippee!! (Jumping up and down with excitement!!) :-))))

Great day out spritz. Lost your convolvulus? Tut, tut. Have some of mine. As for giving a talk to the W.I. - just tell them what is involved in getting into, and the lead-up to opening for, the Yellow Book!

It would be just like writing a blog or giving a lesson in a classroom, I'm sure a woman of your fine calibre could manage it with your eyes closed. Perhaps it would be the best way to do it (with your eyes closed) Lol :~))

Oh Andrew! How cruel! Louise has it safe, as well!

I have NOT been asked to do a talk - so the question of doing it doesn't arise, fortunately, eyes open OR shut!

I shall attempt to make YOU jealous now, Andrew! - take a look at the July RHS magazine, the article by Roy Lancaster on the Nursery - well, guess where I went today! They have such 'different' plants there, too. I know you collect unusual ones....have a browse on their website!

Not yet......... Lol
Anyone got the phone no. of Spritz's local WI?

Hmmm....:-((

Lol :~))

Great blog Spritz. What a lovely place. Like Bonkers, I liked the tiger as well as the flowers. Thanks for sharing with us.

What a lovely place to go for a trip. I remember going there some years ago. It's fascinating. Glad you enjoyed your day and how kind of the WI to invite you.

Pity they didn't have a spare place when they went to Highgrove to see Prince Charles' gardens in July, wasn't it! :-((

Bet you could have told him a thing or two Barbara!

Maybe next year :o)

They had to book up - there's a waiting list of almost TWO YEARS apparently!! Then when they went, I was told that the group was taken round raaaaaather fast, no stragglers allowed, no time to 'stand and stare'...so I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it, much...

spritz - I nearly went there too. I was planning to go as they were opening for the Yellow Book yesterday but I was doing some work on my 'Bit on the Side' and by the time I'd finished, it was too late. And to think I'd have been to a good Nursery AND met you!!

Oh - what a shame, Andrew! Next time they have an Open Day...we'll have to plan a meeting-up! I got that Uvularia grandiflora there, and some more lovely shade plants. :-)

Ther were lots and lots of people there - they must have made a lot of money for the NGS.

Another must see garden to add to my list! great pics Spritz.

Thanks. I enjoyed it! :-)

Thankyou for the lovely inspirational tour!Now where's my graph paper...got to put some of those features in my plan.

LOL. Have you got a crane to lift the HUGE rocks into position, Rhodea?

Makybe I can get the foam ones.Lol

That'll be interesting - make sure you post some photos - we could guess whether they're real or not! lol.

Glad you had such a lovely day out, Spritz!

The WI ladies did you proud with their cream teas on your open days!!!!!

I've seen pics of this garden before, courtesy of "Greenfingers", and love the oriental garden!

As usual, stunning plant pics, for me to drool over. :-)

It was difficult to choose which photos to post, David!

They really did do the teas well, didn't they - and they've promised to do it all again next year. :-))

That's all I need to hear, for a return trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:-)

Oooh! Really? You'll see my new bed, David! I'll have to post the dates for next year as soon as we've decided. I think it will be about the same time of year, though.

Gr8!

Will book my summer hols for sunny Somerset now! I want to see all the fab places around there, too! :-)

Pleased to hear you had such a good visit to the garden. You've taken some lovely pics.

There's a programme on BBC2 at present regarding Open Gardens and the process involved in getting into the Yellow Book - has anyone seen it?

Yes! Seeing a couple of those programmes when they were first broadcast put me off applying - it was two GOY-ers who came to visit my garden who 'shoved' me into going for it! (they are already in the NGS).

The assessment wasn't nearly so scary as it looks on the BBC, though.

The assessment does look scary, I agree. The County Organisers, initially, look quite fierce!

The trouble is that the programmes are made to be interesting to the viewers - 'will they, won't they get in'...so there obviously has to be some acting going on!

There's a lot of drama the BBC have introduced into those progams. For a start, the County organisers aren't fierce old battleaxes - they actually WANT new gardens but the gardens have to be up to a certain standard, there has to be serious consideration given to Health and Safety issues, and there must be enough parking nearby. Also, the assessments are done the previous year because of the deadlines for getting the Yellow Book published so it is not a case of an assessment and then open a couple of months later.

Have been watching Open Gardens avidly, think we will give it a try later this year, loved your visit Spritz, we are not too far as the crow flies!!! the garden certainly has a lot of interest.
Andrew we were surprised a very small garden went into the book (you had to enter through the ladies house, so private bookings were the only ones allowed)

I was surprised, too - normally, as you know, a garden has to have 45 minutes of interest to be accepted. I think they do make exceptions for very special gardens, though.

I have to admit that I wouldn't want people traipsing through my house, though! That lady was very brave!

Go for it, Dd!! :-))

As you say spritz, the NGS do make exceptions on the 45 minutes of interest rule. I think they tend to do that for city gardens to show what can be achieved in a small plot

Andrew I would imagine your right there.