A VISIT TO ASH COTTAGE (SPRITZHENRY)

Tet how could you forget your camera? luckily your blog was so well written I was there in spirit, Bs garden sounds heavenly and we would like to go later on if at all possible. Elke and Blueberry Ice are superb Geraniums....I can recommend them.

I do understand about the camera Tet, a friend got half way over to us when she realised that the reason for the visit sat on the table at homeand she had to go back.....and she's young.......

just been out to hang the washing ( cool & misty but set to change) and realised that we've Pauls Scarlet over the loggia and its truly the best its been ( been in for 20 years) arching branches covered in deep red roses--whats that song....its been a good year for the roses....

I think your blog should have been entitled 'Another gorgeous Goy garden' Spritz's sounds perfect with so many delightful and unusual plants to drool over and meeting friends too ( and Henry of course)
somtimes words are better thn pictures xxx

Great read & what vision you describe Tety, Spritzs garden sounds a treat for the 'plants person'
Now going to look-up all the 'must haves' for my gravel patch re-vamp.

Thank you DD. How could I?? You tell me!! It was in the forefront of my mind one moment..and gone the next!!! I even remembered to forget the batteries lol!
Thanks Pam/Bampy, I was gutted not to have the camera, but if the description created pictures for you Im pleased. I have a strong feeling that any pics I took would not do it justice anyway. And there was soo much to see I could have written a book.. The only downside is that had I taken pictures of the ones I didnt have names for, someone could have identified them for me.
Still Im sure they will pop up here at some time or another.
The erigeron karvanensis is a must if you have lots of nooks and crannies, stones etc. The place to see it in its glory is Hestercombe Gardens.

Lovely blog Tet. What a lovely garden it sounds to be. I wish I could have come across there, but other committments I'm afraid, but I really must try and get there one of these days. Thanks for sharing your day.

Your description brilliant, sounds delightful, nothing better than seeing the real thing. I am hoping to visit Ashwood Nurseries private garden (again) on Saturday and looking forward to it!

Thanks Cinders/Daylily. As a postcript, the plant that reminded me of ladys slipper is called Melittis Melissophylum! I knew I had seen it somewhere..in AndrewR's garden!!!

thats a truely lovely description of spritz's garden.
I am so glad the weather was good too.

Oh! That sounds so lovely! You must have been gutted to have left your camera behind! It truly sounds like the perfect garden...I could see it in my minds eye as I was reading your lovely blog, thank you Tetrarch!

it sounds a really lovely trip. thanks for your detailed and clever descriptions tet ~ i think you have 'painted' your blog!
sorry i missed it ~ but i can imagine it much better now.

No photos, no camera, your a waste of time Tet, whats wrong with you, a blog with no pictures, I am glad you enjoyed it, can't you go back with the camera,

Hi Tet! Yes, sorry we didn't meet "properly" - I also met Scotsgran at the garden, but didn't know Grandmage was going to be there too. SO GLAD you've written this lovely blog about so many plants, cos Barbara asked me to write a blog too, and I've got some pics to put on, but very few plant names! Hopefully they will complement each other . . .

Pictures Sheila, yes please,

OK Yorks - done. :))

thank you,

Daylily how lovely....you are visiting the best Nursery and garden in the world !! I wish I was coming with you, 90% of our plants came from John Masseys Nursery please put lots of pics on, I hope you have a lovely day.

is it open this saturday daylily?

Oooh, Daylily, lucky you to live so near Ashwood! I wrote a blog on it once, and last week went to a lecture (a bit nearer here) by John Massey on the Year-Round Garden, which was entertaining. Have a lovely day!

Hi ladies, you may have seen my comments on other pics, but yes Sticki it is open tomorrow 4th June, am very much looking forward to it thankyou, i think i last went about May last year, always lots to see, will take lots of photos and do a blog Dotty!!

i have been to the nursery but not to johns garden.

Its lovely sticki, i think it was Carol Klein who said it is one of her favourite gardens, if not her favourite!

with all of you recommending it and carol klein ~ how could i not go? also the cafe is nice!!!

Halloooo....when you've all finished on Ashwood Nurseries, I'll be able to get a word in edgeways. LOL.

Tetra, thank you for coming yesterday, and many thanks for the write-up. You did a great job! Good detective work, too - on the plant name. :-) The other one is Cerinthe major purpurascens, grown easily from seed. Then it seeds itself. :-)

That was the most asked question yesterday!

Anyone else able to pop in next Thursday? Henry will be here to welcome you, and so will I. :-)))

i soooooooooooo wish i cud be there to see your garden ............ its sounds lovely ,

Well done Tet, you have more than made up for the lack of photo`s with your descriptive blog, pleased you had a good day all of you, only wish I could have been there.....

You're both a bit far away, aren't you. :-((

Hi Tetra, Scotsgran here, we met at Ash Cottage, sorry I don't think Grandmage made it. I wish I had known earlier that you had left your camera at home Tetra. I would gladly have lent you mine as I was so busy looking after two angels as well as trying to see the plants that I took hardly any photos. However if you needed an excuse to return you have got two now.
For those who would like to visit, but stay too far away, a look at Sheilabubs blogs will provide a recommendation of nice accomodation near by, where she and her OH stayed over. I was visiting my daughter and family, who live just south of Bristol, for the half term holidays.
Thank you for the name of the blue plant. One often sees flowers which have been dyed blue in florists shops. That looked so unreal.

Sorry Scotsgran, I always get you and Grandmage mixed up (names I mean). I will go back and alter it! As you say, good excuse to go back, so next time I WILL have the camera.

I should think so too, Tetra! Tsk, tsk. lol.

Well, my description tried to be poetic Spritz lol! But it was indeed a perfect day (and more or less all on one level which was a boon to my knees). And I really do feel beautiful tho the pictures have been, there is so much to see you would need a dozen blogs to show it off. Much like Bjs' garden, but of course totally different!

You're lucky to have seen that. Maybe one day if I drop enough hints. LOL.

I did not see the Erigiron Karvinskianus on sale but I would not have known what it was if I had. I usually make for a sales table first but on reflection when I am in an area of the country where the plants grown in profusion are very different to those found nearer home I will in future make sure I look in the garden first and then go to the plant stall. It is amazing how plants in situ look very different from those found in the sales area.

You didnt see them Scotsgran cos we bought the last 6 lol! Sorry to be so greedy. I agree about the look of plants, missed that lovely Stipa grass (the one in the back border). Wouldve bought that had I noticed it!

There is always next year. I'll make a point of being early. LOL

Thats an idea! After you visit us this year, you can come to tea after Spritz's next year to see how it has all overgrown!!

Thank you Tetra i would love that. I will look forward to it.

I hope you're not saying my garden might be overgrown, Tetra? LOL

I'll try to grow more Erigerons next year. :-))

LOL! Spritz...I should rephrase that..mine all overgrown!
Sorreeee

By the bye, arent you glad it wasnt open day today?

Too true! I looked in the Yellow Book and there were lots that were open - such a shame for them. :-((

I forgive you, by the way - only teasing. lol.

No camera..what can you expect tut. Now I see others have done blogs too (with pics) I'll look at theirs lol:-)

Hmmph! Sniff! Huff! And I thought you appreciated good prose BA...ah well you cant please all of the people all of the time...

Tet, I love good prose...and yours was very good.....but with accompanying pics next time please:-)

Excellent painted imagery, Tet, and having been over to Spritz's place, I could all too easily picture it all there. She really does have the most amazing garden, that has to be seen to be believed! We missed you by a week, my friend, as we went the following Thursday, when the weather was so unsettled. Luckily for us, it did stay dry long enough to walk around this special garden, and was brilliant to see Spritz and her OH and of course, adorable Henry too..This is a really lovely written account of your visit...\0/x

Thanks Flori...I just knew that you would appreciate it..unlike a certain bornagain philistine! {;-D)!!!
Glad you got the chance to see Spritz' garden it really was superb! I also lost my heart to Henry lol!

I didn't do a new blog when we went as thought that others might instead..I played ball with Henry, and he is the most slobbiest dog I have ever met, but what an absolute joy he is. Spritz didn't know that we were going either, her face was a picture! As for that bornagain....what a stirrer she is...LOL!

Are you calling my dog 'slobby'? Hmmm...I shall tell him! :+Z

She called him lots of names Spritz ...and you too...don't be her friend any more:-))

You stirring a muddy pond again BA? lol!

Tetrarch did too:-)))

Now the water is really getting dirty! Careful BA, or I will call up reinforcements in the shape of Yorkie, Flori my dear, you must not be a wimp..jump forward and be counted!!

It's OK, Tetra - I'm quite used to that Ba. I can deal with her quite easily. Heeeeheeeeheeee.....little does she know! <;*&

Ahhh, the "Shhhh" factor, better watch out BA...

Ooooo err >:-0 Only joking Spritz ¦:-}

Tet you've got to go to Pamg's Sunny Sunday Morning blog to welcome back Flori...in verse...any one else with a poetic bent to do likewise...Sticki's done it:-)

Pam's got the right idea..charge your batteries in summer Flori!

Ah, but Spritz, Henry is adorably slobby, unlike that Ba, who's just slobby! tee hee hee.. My batteries are on charge as we speak, Tet, my dear...Hope the photo disc I sent you of your garden was ok, Spritz..It was as beautiful as ever, and a joy to visit too!

It was indeed, Flori - I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I think you might be famous soon as there's a photo on there that could well go on the NGS website!!

Henry doesn't like being called 'slobby'. :-((

Neither do I :-((
Naughty Floribunda, she hasn't been the same since being contaminated by Wikinuts:-)

It's the class of people she mixes with over there, Ba. Not 'our' sort, methinks. %:^/

Too true Spritz, I think she has learned her lesson. If you pop over to Pamg's blog Sunny Sunday Morning you can join us in persuading her to keep away from other unsuitable places. It works a bit like AA we could call it WA:-)

AAh..so we all have to join BA in WA!

No Tet, we ARE WA...only Flori needs it as far as I know. If we are successful, we could take it to Wikinut itself and get those poor lost souls to sign the Wiki Anonymous pledge..take them to a safe place (GOY) It will be a crusade!:-)

Or, we could all go over there and write poems for them to enjoy! :-D)

Ah ha! So this is where you are! Too true Spritz...We could spread the Goy word far and wide! lol..
That Ba is in sooooo much trouble when I catch up with her...hahahaha..

Ooops! You caught us, Flori. I have a red face now. :-/

Mind you...poor Ba...I feel for her! (NOT...lol)

Poor Ba, my foot! She is such a stirrer that I am buying her a large wooden spoon! lol She kept popping into my Wikinut page to ask me to ask me to come back, and look at the grief she gives me when I heed her plaintive plea...
(Glad to hear that there was something on the disc that you could use, Spritz..)\0/x

Use for what? No-one tells me anything:-(

I've got a four foot wooden spoon Flori if thats any good ( when I was at work I ordered a four Inch one....but thats another story)

this is why I love Goy.....:o))

Spritz we NEED a poem from you on Pam's blog!!!!:-)
Hello Pam, I thought you were on my side...what's the giant spoon for?:-)

Spritz we NEED a poem from you on Pam's blog!!!!:-)
Hello Pam, I thought you were on my side...what's the giant spoon for?:-)

You lucky lucky woman, Pam! LOL! Mine is usually the other way around!..Ah, but Pam PM's me, Ba..and I rarely hear from you..apart from cutting comments that is...I am so hurt...LOL! Where is Tet when we need her, and Sticki too???

Keeping well away if they've got any sense, Flori. ;-/

for giant saucepans of custard Ba what else?

My elegant prose for a garden of joy
Has degenerated thanks to the hoi polloi
No respecter of prose or the beauties of nature
All trampled to pieces before its creator
A flat chested Goyer doesnt care what she smashes
So its dust to dust and Ash Cottage to ashes!

Thank goodness our Spritz hasnt abandoned this site
For Wikinuts or we would have sleepless nights
To watch that great garden descend into chaos
Cos BA wanted to make her a poet to please us.

Do what you do best Spritz and raise your fine plants
And have the best garden tween here and Penzance
For doggerel's fleeting, it just doesnt last
But we will visit your garden future Goyers, and past

I'll have my cake and I shall eat it,
For gardening, you just can't beat it.
But poetry, it's in my soul
I make'em up as I dig each hole!

To Wikinuts I haven't been,
But not because it ain't my scene -
It's time I lack, I have no doubt,
And Flori wants to keep us out!

So poems here on GoY I'll write
(Usually in the night!)
And planting things I'll do by day
So GoY - OK, I'm here to stay.

very good Spritz-
and Henry too
his paw
I'm sure
was in there tooo

Spritz, you know that I would welcome you,
to Wikinut, and it's poetic crew..
Cos when I'm on there, and all alone..
I miss my Goys, my natural home..
But doggerel verse is so much joy,
with Pam, and Spritz and Tets polloi..
Though gardening we may slightly stray,
it gives us a chuckle to light our day..
And Flori Lauri takes some beating..
though my little brain now overheating!\0/x

I take it back! I stand corrected!
She is more of a poet that I ever expected!
I toast you dear Spritz as I sit here with my glass
For the rain it now cometh, so I'll sit on my bum!

Your verse it is fine, full of action and colour
You must watch it dear Flori, make space for another
To join the ranks of our greenfingered team
Wikinuts, who needs'em! not us it would seem!!

If I have to chat in rhyme,
It will take up all my time
I need to be out in the sun
So for now - byebye - I must run!

Henry wants his walk
And my, that dog can talk!
He's asking 'Can we go'?
And why am I so slow?

So off up to the track -
I promise I'll be back
With photos of my flowers
To while away the hours. x