Have you ever seen a bean that looks like this? They are everywhere and I am a plant nut and I have never seen them! Well now I have. And it appears there are several types of them!!! So what the heck are they and how can I get some? Well they keep telling me …
Locked-Down at Stratford Upon Avon
At Shakespeare’s birthplace of Stratford Upon Avon we walked along the Avon River. As luck would have it we just happened to be there when two long boats were going through the locks. It appeared one fellow took his wife along so that SHE could jump out and open the locks. We had seen them …
A BIG Little Garden
Mill House Garden is a private garden in Warwick adjacent to Warwick Castle and sitting along the old moat which is cut in from the local river. It is amazing that one family has managed to build and maintain so much, so well in a relatively small space. There is a 6 pound entrance fee …
Totally Organic Brockworth Court-Henry VIII was here
Brockworth Court house was actually visited by Henry VIII. The Tudor Priory House was built in the 1400’s and then added onto. The owner Tim Wiltshire gave us the tour. I was most impressed by his philosophy on gardening and how important it can be in one’s life. He has gardened since he was 8 …
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Topiaries Abound
We went to the grounds of an old Tithe Barn at Bourton House which was built in the 1500’s. It was used by the landowner to hold the 10% tithe of farm goods each tenant farmer paid. The word tithe actually meant tenth. You can see the barn in the background. The most outstanding …
A Wold of Trilliums and Tree Peonies
In olde English the word wold means an endless chain of rolling hills. This perfectly describes the countryside here in the Cotswolds of England. My favorite garden today was Upton Wold. It is tucked away behind some fields with no sign letting you know it is there. This garden had a large wildflower area with …
A Bit Like Downton Abbey
This is the first day of our garden tour and I feel almost recovered from driving myself the 2 1/2 hours up here from London. I confess to hitting two curbs as I learned to stay closer to the center line when the tendency is to go the other way. My Red Fiat 500 (and …
Planning & Packing For Italy & England
Erin and I will be spending 5 nights high up in the Irpina mountains in Taurasi, the hometown of my grandparents. Thanks to the internet I have been able to book us lunch on Sunday at an agritourismo (they grow most of what they serve) called Il Rifugio del Barone. I ate there in the …
Getting Ready for England & Italy
Thanks for joining me! Planning for and anticipation of a trip are at least half the fun. Right now I am planning a trip to England and Italy. The picture above is just one of the stops on a 6 day small group garden tour of the Cotswolds area in England, England garden tour just north of Oxford. We will see a mix …
On the Road Again 