Grindelia integrifolia (Puget Sound Gumweed): A Pacific Northwest NativeFor about a month now, I've had blooms on this interesting plant that I stumbled upon at Yard N' Garden Land last year. I planted it in July, mainly out of curiosity, b…
Sandringham House is one of the royal residences of King Charles III. It is the traditional royal residence at Christmas, and Queen Elizabeth usually lived there from December - February. Sandringham and Balmoral are the only residences own…
It is that time of year when the garden seems to take a frantic leap with new growth and an unrestrained protest. This year doesn't seem to be as bad as others, as I have more time now to devote to the garden. The weather has been tolerable…
A collection of 38 small gardens, each one unique and covering a specific theme, Barnsdale Gardens was the creation of Geoff Hamilton, the host of "Gardener's World" from 1979 until his death in 1996. I am a big fan of "Gardener's World" an…
This past Saturday, some friends and I made a day of one of my favorite activities - looking at other people's gardens. The tour featured five gardens in the southwest Portland area and was sponsored by the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon.Our…
Norwich Cathedral, just across the street from our hotel, is an impressive feat of architecture. It dates back to 1096, when it was founded by the first Bishop of Norwich, Herbert de Losinga.The Spire measures 315 feet and is the second tal…
We stayed three nights in Norwich and I loved this quaint, charming town. It is reputed to be the most authentic medieval town in the UK. Our hotel was the Maid's Head. It is the oldest hotel in England and dates back 800 years. Right acros…
Cottesbrook HallWe saw a lot of sheep on this trip, especially at our first stop of the day, Cottesbrook Farm. After passing through the gate, a gravel road wound through a pasture and across a creek. A large flock of sheep was relaxing in
Blenheim Place is one of the largest houses in England. It was built between 1705 and 1722. Queen Anne donated the property and partially funded the house to the 1st Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill, as a reward for his military achievem…
Waterperry GardensAs you probably guessed, my plan to "blog as I go" failed. The fault lies with Blogger or Google, as I could not upload my photos to Blogger on my phone without getting an error message. I tried but eventually gave up. I d…
This was a repeat for me. The Savill Garden was on the tour last year. Of course, it is later in the year, so different things to see. Uncomfortably warm. The best thing were the hydrangeas and the stunning alstroemeria that you can see in
After breakfast, the group walked up to Windsor Castle. Very crowded with people and souvenir shops. Unfortunately reminded me of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. This was the line of people at the castle. The line moved fast though.Most of my photos…