Winter sun and colour ~ you may need your sunglasses?!

Fantastic blog, Sticki, a little bit of everything for a gorgeous day out. The house looks lovely - can you go inside? Had to laugh at the splodgy hen but think she is my favourite of all the birds, even if she's not as chatty as Rodney! I have added this to my 'places I would like to visit' list. Thanks for sharing :)

Great feelgood blog sticki...Loving your pictures, just brilliant, the first one is wonderful. I want the pool and fountain and Rodney.

Absolutely brilliant Sticki . . . you've captured one of my favourite places so well! What about the nursery - didn't you succumb to temptation?
Gee - you can go into an annexe if you sign up for one of their lectures (they call it their Garden School: I've been to 3!), and the lunches are delicious. :))

Thank you Gee and Pimms; Sheila I remembered you telling me about this place ~ I knew it would be good if you recommended it!

Wow that is a gorgeous blue sky, thanks Sticki for sharing your day, it does look well worth a visit.
Lovely pics, especially like the colourful birds...

Beautiful uplifting pictures, I especially adore the pond, I could just about manage that in my back garden ;0))

Brilliant blog Sticki with wonderful pictures. I see the sun has also brought your poetic side out with those lovely descriptions :o))
A real colour fest all round but I especially like the first pic with that glorious deep blue sky, how amazing the weather is for February. Many thanks for the tour I really enjoyed it.

Hi Sticki what a wonderfull blog thank you for taking us there and meeting Rodney, and the colour of the fethers was quite perfect. Lovely :)

Just checked it out online, it looks fabulous so have added it to our day trips for later, the bluebell woods look amazing..

What a beautiful blog..lovely pics..I want to live there! :)

Thank you Lincslass, sorry I should have added the link:

http://www.cotonmanor.co.uk/

Val, I wouldnt mind that pond either but it would take up virtually all my garden!!

Thanks Lily, I cant help taking photos when the sky is that colour ~ I darent tell you how many I really took!!

Sue thank you ~ Rodney was very funny, one of the tea shop ladies gave him cake at the end but he dropped it and laughed!!!

Thanks Pixi ~ I wouldnt mind either!!

oh, wow, eleven out of ten for colour! gorgeous photos, lovely angles and aspects - this is definitely Technicolor® standard!

lol I thought it was your own garden at first!

i wish Fran!!! thank you!

Thanks, Sticki. A great blog and gorgeous photos. Afraid it's a bit far away for me, but it was lovely to have your company to look around.

Lovely blog Sticki, great pictures of the birds and their feathers.

smiles, that's the advantage of GoY and GoYers - we can get to see places that we're not likely to be able to see in person.

Now if we could pursaude these places to put live webcam footage up ...

What a superb set of cheerful pics you have shared with us Pixi. What a glorious day!!
Love the house..love the gardens...love the pond...especially love those birds :). Your close ups were rather good too :)

Fab blog Sticki, wonderful pics.

Thank you Scottish ~ I dont know what the yellow flower ~ which is a close up is, it was on a tree.

Thank you Grandmage and Cinderella, thats very kind Oji, thank you too!

Fantastic. I can't add to the very well worded comments that actually compliment perfectly your blog in both senses.

I particularly loved the stream through trees, that is so perfect.

And the last pic with Rodney giving it every bit the elder statesman frown ;)

Thanks Sticki!

You're welcome Severn, that stream was lovely, it was very pretty in the woodland setting too but it didnt come out so well in the photos.

Gorgeous photos Sticki - love the birds . Would love to hear Rodney :D

What a lovely outing, Sticki! Love the speckled hen! Winter sunshine does special things to just about everything - we went into town yesterday and everyone was smiling and waving to friends - it was almost like being at a party!

Wonderful blog, Sticki. I'm thinking about not booking a return flight in May - there's just too much to see back there.

wonderful blog Sticki, lovely photo's love the feather shots, such a lovely place..

hello Rodney!! : ) nice blog

Thanks Paul,
Sounds like a lovely day in Spain Nariz, thank you!
Thanks Gattina, you might have to get a diary and list everything you want to see!
Thanks Surreylad, its well worth a visit ~ Im hoping to go back again, looking at their web site there should be all sorts of interest still to come.
"Allo Stevie" thank you!

So glad you had such a sunny day for your visit Sticki. My last visit was with our gardening group to see the bluebells (huge bluebell wood - see website!). Also a great time is when the Wisteria is out as it is breathtaking covering the walls of the house. In June/July there's a massive wildflower meadow, and well-tended herbaceous borders. Btw, I was told the flamingoes are given a special feed to keep them pink!

Great that you're planning to go again . . . and then we'll all be able to enjoy another wonderful blog. :))

Thank you Sheila, I rather like the way they don't show you everything at once, for example the bluebell wood. I saw the wisteria on the house but obviously not out!!

I'm sure i have seen in some zoos the water is a pinky colour for the flamingoes and I thought it was their special food but the pool these were near was definitely not pink, whatever they are giving them is working!!!

Have you got any more recommendations?

Wow Sticki what a wonderful blog.Fantastic pictures.Well done it all looks so nice :))))

Thanks Mark, its a lovely place to visit, I could have spent a lot longer there, the stream is really pretty in the woodland area but those photos didn't come out so well.

Here ya go...

http://www.allaboutwildlife.com/are-flamingos-pink-because-they-eat-shrimp

Oh, thank you Severn thats really interesting. I do like to find out things like that.
Makes you wonder about that phrase 'you are what you eat'!!

A lovely day out,Sticki..and Rodney is a delight..as is the speckled hen..what a wonderful place..I will take a look at your link later..glad you didn't let the side down..and ate well ! :o) I had heard about the shrimp food..so I'm glad Sev checked it out for you...

I've seen a lot of photos of this place, and articles in magazines and on the t.v. too. I would love to visit. I think it is a really beautiful house and grounds. Looks like a lovely day out Sticki! :)

Sticki when did you go? It's not that far from me and I've never been but hope to this summer, maybe for my birthday. Fabulous photos, I love the flamingos.

You could stay with me Karen :o)) We were commenting at the same time there!

Thanks Bloomer, it is definitely a good day out.

Well worth it if you can make it Karen, thank you.

Annella, I went last weekend I think it says on the web site its open for the snowdrops till March 4th.

yes, here we are:
'We shall be open for Snowdrops and
Hellebores from Sat 18th Feb until Sun 4th March 2012
11.00am - 4.00pm'

The map on your link for Coton Shows Moulton Park in the bottom right hand corner, that's where I work ( useless piece of info Lol!!)

lovely to live so near to there, you have some beautiful countryside around you!

Have to get your skates on, Annella. :)) And as you live so near (lucky you), you can always go again in the summer!

I really enjoyed your blog Sticki. Fantastic pictures and prose. Weather is still very kind isn't it? I'll certainly devote some time to their website, thanks:-)

A lovely blog Sticki with such gloriously bright photos , what a beautiful place to visit , were you allowed to buy any of the newly developed Snowdrop bulbs ? I loved Rodney :o)

beautiful photo's and a lovely blog sticki

thank you BA and Amy and Yorkshire!!

its really quite mild here BA
I bought one snowdrop Amy but the really large ones had all been sold; i also wanted some trilliums but they didnt have those either ~ hopefully i can go back and get them???

Sticki - you asked if I had any more recommendations?! Well, you've now been to 2 of my faves (John's garden at Ashwood Nurseries, and Coton Manor). There is a third, which according to OH is the "most beautiful garden he's ever seen", and that is The Garden House near Buckland Monachorum in Devon. When we went, nearly ten years ago, the head gardener was Keith Wiley; since 2004 he has run his own nursery and we saw him building his new garden, Wildside, just a mile from the Garden House. He is an enthusiastic advocate for naturalistic gardening, and his book "On the Wildside" is an irresistible inspiration!

That's the trouble with being asked . . . I do tend to go on a bit. :))

Just wonderful Sticki , the others have said it all .

ooooh great ~ thank you Sheila, i will DEFINITELY give that a try!!! possibly take my mum who lives in budleigh salterton??? the two you have told me about so far have exceeded all my dreams!!! [no pressure!!!]

thank you Driad, thats very kind, glad you liked it.

beautifull photos sticki and great blog, cheered me up anyway, :o)))

Is that "Experiments in New Naturalism" Sheila? On my mums bookshelf.

That's the one Pimms . . . have you read it?? Your mum has great taste!

thanks sanbaz, sorry to hear you needed cheering up but glad that it did!!! you could paint that parrot/macaw i think!!!

is it a text book type sheila and pimpernel?

That was a nice place to visit, especially on an early spring day.

it was very nice, thanks hywel ~ lovely warm sun and blue sky always helps!!

Not a text book, no, Sticki. A beautifully written and illustrated ramble about natural landscapes around the world that have inspired Keith Wiley. Throughout, he mentions the different plant groups, noting how they occur in the wild and could be translated into a garden setting, and explains what inspired him to design the various areas at the Garden House. It's stunning!

It is a book to make paintings (and Gardens) from....

I found it on Amazon, its one of those you are able to 'open' and have a peep at, lovely pictures.

thank you both, i wasnt sure if i would read a text book but if it is more easily readable i might be tempted. the pictures looked lovely.

Lovely photos, especially liked the first one of the grasses.

thanks lulu, good to see you!

Lovely photos sticki. Looks like a lovely place to visit, will have to make a note of it for later in the year. Bit further than we normally go but looks like its worth it.

Shelia, Ashwood Nursery is a lovely spot isn't it. I've never been round the gardens. By the time we'd gone round the nursery my nan was too tired to carry on. Still had a lovely cake in the tea shop :)) If I remember rightly thats where we got her sheep from a couple years ago :) (just to avoid confusion the sheep were small garden ornaments, they look brilliant on her lawn).

thanks Sam, it didnt take too long from here, bit of a detour cos some of the M6 was closed!

Ashwood is definitely worth a visit and yes they do sell sheep ornaments!!

Blasted roadworks again I take it. They are driving me mental, keep hitting bits of motorway that are down to 40mph average speed.

Ashwood was a lovely day out, just round the nursery. They have it all laid out so beautifully and everything looks so well looked after. Will have to go back later this year take nan to visit the gardens :)

Lol the sheep were so funny. We all brought my nan a sheep for Christmas. On Christmas day we talked her into opening her presents first (she normally waits to see us open ours). By the second sheep we all started singing a rendition of "bringing in the sheep" and by the third my nans comment was "oh god another bloody sheep". She loved them really :)) Lol she completely disapeared behind the pile of presents that year :))

That's a great story Sam! Love it!

Not sure why M6 was closed? Who knows!

Do they need a reason? If it's not the M6 it's the M1 or the M25......... Once sat in a traffic jam near junction 13 on the M1 for over 4 hours - people who were trying to get to Luton to catch flights were going frantic, and one bloke was seen climbing over the barrier on the hard shoulder with his suitcase. There was never any sort of explanation for the delay, either.

Sam - yes, Ashwood Nursery is brilliant, but a word of caution . . the "gardens" are only open a few days a year. www.ashwoodnurseries.com is the link, and click on "John's garden". Next one is 17 March; then 21 April; 2 June. Sticki and I have both done blogs on it, but Sticki's is much better. :))

Don't listen to her sam, it's not true, Sheila enthused me enough to go and she knows huge amounts more about gardening than I do.

Lol, Sticki! Not sure what I've done to deserve it, but that's my second compliment today (and that's just on GoY)! :)))

just being yourself i expect sheila!!! well done, enjoy it!!

I am, I am Sticki! Thank you - I know it won't last!!

:-)

no reason why it shouldnt last

Thanks Sticki, glad you enjoyed the story :) still tickles me lol.

Lol Gattina, when do highways people ever need a reason for doing (or not doing something). I swear none of the people who plan the roads actually use them lol.

Ooh thanks for the warning Shelia, I'll have to see what were doing on those dates. I'll have to go take a look at your blogs :)) Enjoy the compliments Shelia, you deserve them :)))

Dan...dann..dannhn...in swoops evil pimpernel to bust a bubble. Oh no! it is the very wise and helpful Sheilabub that named his mystery tree... Foiled again Pimp exits gracefully.

well you cant exit now ~ you have made your entrance ~ it seems quite a brilliant yellow in the new avatar!!

Pimpernel just wants to be elusive, Sticki . . . some hope! Come back Pimms - you're always welcome. :))

a pimpernel must always be elusive?

Ooer fell for that..How easy would I be to capture ? The yellow was a disguise Sticki...Never been a Yellow Pimpernel...............

Until now Pimpernel lol :)

what bubble were you going to burst?

The two compliment bubble...It has to be deflated before the third gets made.

I haven't heard of that, I was hoping it was champagne bubbles?

STT got three compliments a long time ago...Now he demands (requests) you click "like" It is mind altering phenomina.

Ah yes it is obligatory to click 'like' on an STT blog! But I have never known one yet not to be worth it!

but I didn't know it started with 3 compliments.

Ahhh so thats what started STT with the like button. I had wondered lol.

AKhtsh!!! Sticki. STT's ego could be expanding still.

He isn't listening pimpernel!

Lol...It takes 20 mins to scroll down this far Sticki..He wont turn up here ...I like the chicken in your blog best.

Aren't they amazing! But I took masses of the red flamingoes, oh and the parrot colours!

Spent all day being teased by a Robin..Took over 100 pics got about 15- 20 that I would show.

Rodney colours are amazing..

a robin keeps coming here and is getting quite confident trouble is he is against the light and it doesnt work.

i had a go at a spiders web, that didnt work either.

got one of a bee that was nearly ok.

I posted a Q about a snowdrop...Still no wiser. It's an odd drop.

i dont often look at the questions [as i dont know any answers] i will go and look

Just catching up with the blog, what a lovely one my first viewing was, thank you for taking the time to cheer us all up, today is minging!!!! yesterday was poo day and very busy I was too. The roses that is.

ahh hmm , just logging in, ah I see you are flattering me ; ) was going to put a blog on but it wasnt up to my usual, automatic click like, standard, so you'll have to wait

Flattering you? Did you really spend 20 minutes scrolling down as pimpernel said?

He is ubiquitous...

Have you swallowed the dictionary pimpernel?

He scrolled all the way down here!! Has he clicked like Sticki ?

Just checking!

Hold on 20 minutes!

Yes he has!

40 minuites later...

Damn it..I can't even get off on a technicality. I have been on strong painkillers

I clicked like as soon as i saw Rodney, I think every manor/garden centre needs a rodney

Do you need more after all that scrolling?

Have to get better to click like on the new blog Pimms!

Oh sorry stevie I misread that somehow, thought you said every blog needs a Rodney??

Gawd...There has to be Oh ..F Fix the lift Sticki.

A Rodney..? Someone who just blunders in and says whatever, where ever?

Do you know the real Rodney laughed at me!?

Did you take cake?

had you called him a plonker??

No, someone else gave him the cake.

did you think he was laughing at my cake?

definitely not fran i spoke very politely to him

just loved this blog, great photos, looks like a great place to vist, thanks for sharing, feel like i've been there from the comfort of my sofa!

thats a lovely thing to say, thank you maezy, im glad you enjoyed it!!

How did I miss this blog? another set of beautiful photographs, well worth a visit.

Thanks DD, I'm hoping to go back there sometime, hope there is enough petrol left!

Yes what a problem this petrol business is going to be.....

Yes, I'm more than a little worried, booked as I am to come back to the UK with a programme of driving all over the country, visiting people. What do I do if there's no fuel?

hopefully it wont get to that!!??

I don't think I can walk as far as Bromsgove, Sticki............

if you did you would probably get given a gold medal ~ the first of London 2012 to be awarded!!!

I think my feet would fall off first.......

mine would too!