United Kingdom | The Travel Lady In Her Shoes

Thursday Doors at Great Dixter, UK

Great Dixter Garden, Sussex, UK

Great Dixter is the private home and garden of the late gardener and gardening writer, Christopher Lloyd. First let’s look at the doors I found there!

Great Dixter Garden, Sussex, UK

We had a great deal of action with doors here……. keep the door open……..

Great Dixter Garden, Sussex, UK

Ring the bell loudly………

Great Dixter Garden, Sussex, UK

Don’t go in……..

Great Dixter Garden, Sussex, UK

Go in……..

Great Dixter Garden, Sussex, UK

Duck or grouse (grumble or complain because you have hit your head)…….mind your head……….

Great Dixter Garden, Sussex, UK

We rang, we opened, we closed, we ducked, we minded, but did not grouse, and we enjoyed all the doors!

Soon we will explore the history and walk the grounds of Great Dixter! See you in the garden!

This is just one of many photos in the Thursday Door Collection featured by Norm2.0! Won’t you join in or take a peak at all the doors?

November: I’d Rather be Home

The Cottage

As much as I would love to be a person that goes to parties and has a couple of drinks and has a nice time, that doesn’t work for me. I’d just rather sit at home and read, or go out to dinner with someone, or talk to someone I love, or talk to somebody that makes me laugh.
Daniel Radcliffe

To me, November is everything about the home. We are preparing our homes for the shorter days and longer dark nights; settling in so to speak with a good book and a cup of cocoa in front of the fire. November is also all about the family and food and sharing. So through November I will share tidbits about the home and some fascinating photos of homes around the world. Enjoy!

Pashley Manor, A Walk Around the Ponds

Pashley Gardens, Ticehurst, UK

There are just so many many beautiful details to this garden I couldn’t resist showing more sculptures, the manicured garden and the walk along the ponds! Which way should we walk first?

Pashley Gardens, Ticehurst, UK

A cottage is nested in the woods!

Pashley Gardens, Ticehurst, UK

These little guys have a grand place to play!

Pashley Gardens, Ticehurst, UK

Maidens take a dip!

Pashley Gardens, Ticehurst, UK

We’re about to tuck into an arbor here!

Pashley Gardens, Ticehurst, UK

Here is one of my favorites, Goose Girl by Marion Smith!

Pashley Gardens, Ticehurst, UK

I am so glad we were told about this garden. I must remember to always ask the locals about gardens in the area where we are staying! What a treasure Pashley Manor is!

For Information about openings and special events at Pashley Manor Gardens look Here! See you tomorrow in the garden!

November: Stay at Home

Plas Mawr, Wales

If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.

James A. Michener

A must see, Plas Mawr, an Elizabethan house built in 1576, in Conwy, Wales by the Wynn family, has been extensively refurbished to it’s original 16th-century appearance. The tall lime walls reflect the status of the builder, Robert Wynn, a well traveled courtier and trader who rose to grandeur in the Welsh gentry.

Plas Mawr stands as a symbol to a prosperous age and of a man of great style and taste. The house is noted for the quality and quantity of ornamental plasterwork, revealing the initial “R.W.” in the crests and coat of arms. The furnishings, many original to the house, are based on an inventory of contents in 1665. The tour describes the restoration and the life of Tutor gentry and the work of the servants who helped maintain such a lavish lifestyle. There is also a garden on the rooftops!

Plas Mawr is also noted to be haunted. Robert Wynn was married twice. Both his wives were named Dorothy and both had pre-mature deaths. His first wife died from an illness at a very early age and his second wife died when she fell down a flight of stairs in the house while she was pregnant and carrying one of the other seven children. The doctor was summoned, but he failed to save her or the child. When Robert Wynn returned home he found both his wife and child dead in the bed and the doctor’s whereabouts unknown. The doctor is rumored to have suffocated in the chimney while trying to escape from Robert because he could not save Dorothy. Sometimes the ghosts of the two women are seen in the house and the house has been studied for supernatural activity.

Architecturally, Plas Mawr is almost unchanged from the 16th century, and is considered to be “the finest surviving town house of the Elizabethan era.”

To me, November is everything about the home. We are preparing our homes for the shorter days and longer dark nights; settling in so to speak with a good book and a cup of cocoa in front of the fire. November is also all about the family and food and sharing. So through November I will share tidbits about the home and some fascinating photos of homes around the world. Enjoy!

Pashley Manor, Ticehurst, UK

Pashley Manor, Ticehurst, UK

While I was touring homes and gardens of the National Trust and National Garden Scheme this year, there were also two independent gardens that were recommended to me by my hostess at the Potting Shed. One was Pashley Manor near Ticehurst in Sussex. One afternoon we made our way there………

The land was owned by the family of Passelewe or Passele, a prominent family in medieval times. Simon Passelewe held many judicial posts including that of Justice of the Jews in the reign of Henry III, but his prominent role was extorting money from religious houses on behalf of the king. Sir Edmund de Passele, in 1317, built a hunting lodge on an island that fills the greater part of the largest of three ponds. On his death it took twenty years to solve the dispute over his property because two wives claimed his inheritance and one was willing to murder in order to keep the inheritance for herself and the children. During the War of the Roses, around 1454, Sir Geoffrey Bulleyn, great-grandfather of Ann Bulleyn, a prosperous merchant and Lord Mayor of London, bought the property. The property consisted of 600 acres of land, a garden, watermill and an iron furnace.

Then over the next several hundred years the property changed hands many times and in 1922 Dr Hollist sold the estate and it sat vacant up to 1945, when it was occupied by troops and families escaping the bombings of London, for brief periods of time during the war.

The present owner bought Pashley Manor in 1945, as it was, then described as a haunted house. In 1950 going from the Grimm’s sketches of the manor from 1780, that were found in the Burrell Collection at the British Museum, the family was encouraged to restore the manor to it’s original closely timbered look from the early seventeenth century. The ivy on the house, was held in place by thick wire, and was a foot thick, but seemed to be a protective layer against the weather, and the boarding underneath was well preserved. The original color of the house was a hot shade of ochre yellow with dark brown trim! Even the brickwork was washed over in a dingy yellow, but now over the years most of the bricks have faded to a warm red. The wash that was placed over the hot yellow ochre turned the house into a soft shade of pink and I found it quite striking! It is the first thing that gets your attention as you enter the long driveway to the house and gardens!

The Landscape of Pashley Manor

The Driveway of Pashley Manor

Pashley Manor, Ticehurst, UK

The first sculpture as you enter the garden is His Eminence from Pisa!

His Eminence from Pisa, Pashley Garden

We were soon to discover this is no ordinary garden! This garden shows off beautiful sculptures as well, from April through September. Twenty-three artists offer one hundred and thirty pieces of their artwork for viewing throughout the garden, and they are for sale also! Each piece is marked with a sign from the designer. Oh my, we are in for a treat! Let’s go in!

The Rose, Pashley Garden, Ticehurst, UK

The garden was meticulous! The flowers breathtaking, so let’s just wonder!

Pashley Garden, Ticehurst, UK

There are the formal gardens, the rolling countryside and three ponds to wonder about!

Pashley Garden, Ticehurst, UK

Each piece of artwork was in a perfect spot in the garden to show it off!

Pashley Garden, Ticehurst, UK

I liked the use of twigs to make a fencing and to support the plants.

Pashley Garden, Ticehurst, UK

There is also a fine restaurant on the premises as well as a gift shop!

Pashley Garden, Ticehurst, UK

Without a doubt my favorite flower was this one!

Pashley Garden, Ticehurst, UK

There were sculptures everywhere!

Pashley Garden, Ticehurst, UK

This was my favorite groundcover, saxifragis x urbium. It is called “London Pride,” and has been grown along garden paths since the 1700’s. It has a fragile, spiky, soft pink flower in spring. Many of the elderly folks are drawn to this plant because they are reminded of their time in the war and Noël Coward’s song, by the same name, recorded during the Blitz. Cuttings from this plant quickly re-colonized at bomb sites and reminded Londeners that they too could re-build and move forward! Listen to it Here! Do any of you remember it? The video and music is a tear jerker!

London Pride, Pashley Garden, Ticehurst, UK

There is so much to see and admire in this garden. We’ll be back tomorrow! See you in the garden!

November: When I Go Home, It’s an Easy Way to be Grounded

A Cottage In Chipping Campden, UK

When I go home, it’s an easy way to be grounded. You learn to realize what truly matters.

Tony Stewart, Nascar Driver

Some of the lovliest homes are the thatched cottages in the UK! Don’t you agree?

Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge, rushes, or heather, layering the vegetation so the water flows away from the inner roof. It is a very old roofing method and has been used in both tropical and temperate climates. Thatch is still employed by builders in developing countries, usually with low-cost, local vegetation.

In developed countries it is now the choice of some affluent people, who desire a rustic look for their home or would like a more ecologically friendly roof, or who have purchased an originally thatched cottage.

To me, November is everything about the home. We are preparing our homes for the shorter days and longer dark nights; settling in so to speak with a good book and a cup of cocoa in front of the fire. November is also all about the family and food and sharing. So through November I will share tidbits about the home and some fascinating photos of homes around the world. Enjoy!

I Had to Come Back to Sissinghurst!

A Cottage at Sissinghurst Garden, Cranbrook, UK

To me, no garden tour in the UK would be complete without a visit to Sissinghurst, the home and gardens of Vita Sackville-West. I made my way back again this year to make sure they had not changed anything on me!. It is still one of the most beautiful gardens! So without further ado I present another National Trust property that you will never forget! If you are not familiar with Vita Sackville-West, you might want to start with this story, Here.

There are several smaller cottages on the Sissinghurst property, well not so small exactly! I think I could handle living in one of them! There are multiple gardens in addition to the main property.

This is the entrance to the featured gardens. We try to be one of the first there, because it gets crowded very quickly. The entrance is still closed.

Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, UK

When the entrance is opened, that leads to another entry through the Prospect Tower. This photo is looking back at the Main Entry from the garden.

Sissinghurst Garden, Cranbrook, UK

The Back of the Main House, Sissinghurst, UK

The Back of the Main House, Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, UK

A little secret…….the head gardener leaves free packets of seeds from the Sissinghurst Garden on the narrow ledge in the alcove below the stairs to Vita’s writing retreat. They are gone in the first 15 minutes! Hurry!

The Priests are still guarding and giving their blessing!

Sissinghurst Garden, UK

Remember the Sissinghurst Garden is made up of several outdoor garden rooms all featuring a different color that fades into the next gardening room. My favorite is the White Garden so I always go there first.

The White Garden at Sissinghurst Gardens, Cranbrook, UK

My absolute favorite are the silvery-grey flowers and leaved plants!

The White Garden at Sissinghurst Gardens, Cranbrook, UK

The White Garden at Sissinghurst Garden, UK

The White Garden at Sissinghurst Garden, Cranbrook, UK

Next we go into the garden of lavenders and purple flowers.

The Purple Garden at Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, UK

From there we go into the Pink Gardens………..

The Pink Garden at Sissingurst Garden, UK

The Pink Garden at Sissingurst Garden, Cranbrook, UK

Sweetpeas in the Pink Garden, Sissinghurst, UK

Sweetpeas in the Pink Garden, Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, UK

The Pink Garden, Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, UK

The Pink Garden, Sissinghurst Garden, UK

The Pink Garden, Sissinghurst Garden, Cranbrook, UK

For another look at the Garden from last year look HERE!

On the way out I looked over the out buildings again………

Sissinghurst Garden, Cranbrook, UK

And the Old Barn where the gift shop and restaurant is now.

Sissinghurst Garden, Cranbrook, UK

The oasts are still there………so I am happy to say they are taking really good care of the grounds…… To learn about Oasts Look HERE!

Sissinghurst Garden, Cranbrook, UK

To keep up our energy we stopped at the Three Chimney’s Pub nearby….. AGAIN!!!

Yummy!

Another year complete with my Sissinghurst fix…..

PS For a really good read about Vita look HERE! See you tomorrow in the Garden!

1 Elm Cottage at Windmill Hill

1 Elm Cottage

Doesn’t 1 Elm Cottage at Windmill Hill just seem like the perfect place to live? It does to me! It just rolls off the tongue,”I live at 1 Elm Cottage at Windmill Hill!” This is our last garden for the day and compared to our previous stops Windmill Hill is a metropolis! What a delight the gardens have been on the Herstmonceux Trail! They have all been very different and 1 Elm Cottage is no exception!

The garden was chosen because this gardener has physical handicaps and she wanted to show what can be done with a little space and ingenuity! She says her long-handled fork is her best friend! What a delight she was, as she welcomed everyone to her lovely garden!

The garden is set at the front of a long row of connected cottages on a very, very busy street. Her cottage sets back from the others, but is still a connected cottage and I wondered if at one time this might have been a business with a parking lot. It was unusual too, because I don’t remember seeing a garden in the front of the cottage. Most of the gardens are in the back. She said the front space was a wasteland when she took it over. It now is a stunning garden packed full of edible and flowering plants and a critter or two that I really liked! So let’s get a move on and tour this garden!

The Windmill in Windmill Hill

There really is a windmill at Windmill Hill!

1 Elm Cottage

She collects rainwater to recycle……

1 Elm Cottage

And has water for these little guys….. even though they don’t ever move!

1 Elm Cottage

1 Elm Cottage

This garden seems larger than it is because it’s layered with plantings and seating areas in different heights.

1 Elm Cottage

1 Elm Cottage

I LOVED these fellas, they don’t move either, but you had to look close to see that!

1 Elm Cottage

This tiny garden had three sitting areas!

1 Elms Cottage

And a greenhouse!

1 Elm Cottage

A lovely garden girl……..

1 Elm Cottage

And lots of watering cans!

1 Elm Cottage

The Gardener at 1 Elm Cottage!

I hope you enjoyed this garden as much as we did! Tomorrow, it’s Sissinghurst, AGAIN this year!!!! It is one of my favorite gardens! See You There!

More of the Montana Garden

The Montana Garden

We are still absorbing the Montana Garden; the garden chock full of hidden and secret places, all with a different theme.

The Montana Garden

Towards the back of the property is a small setting of unusual trees and an arbor that draws you to that area to have a look see. There were quite a few guests photographing the palm on the right!

The Montana Garden

Notice all the twirling and enchanting features in the trees? Look up, look down, look everywhere! However, my eye was focused on this tree! I loved it! I could just sit on that bench and talk to that tree!

The Montana Garden

This secret garden is covered in shade and filled with many types of ferns. A garden oasis of lush!

The Montana Garden

I felt I was on Survivor, looking for the Immunity Idol! Ah! There it is! Now, if I can hide it before anyone sees me!

The Montana Garden

This arbor provides a very peaceful and restful area in the Serenity Garden.

The Montana Garden

And here is another!

The Montana Garden

Every garden could use a Pooh Shed too!

The Pooh Shed at Montana House

The Montana Garden

And a reading area that can be moved around!

The Montana Garden

This piece was an attention getter too!

The Montana Garden

Another tree to talk too! My daughter always called them the crying trees. You know the weeping willow?

The Montana Garden

With one last look at the garden we’ll say our goodbyes to the gardeners, since we have one more stop in another garden before the day is over. We’re headed for Windmill Hill next! See you there!

The Montana Garden on the National Garden Scheme

The Montana Garden

The Montana Garden

The Montana Garden

People often ask me how I find the open gardens that I visit on the National Garden Scheme in the UK. There is a yearly book, Gardens To Visit on the National Garden Scheme, that I send for, that lists the gardens, the date they will be open and a small description of the garden with directions to get there. Then I look to see what gardens are in the vicinity to my lodgings on the dates that I will be there. Most gardens are open on Saturday and Sundays. There has always been more than one garden to see on the Saturdays and Sundays I was available. I LOVE the Group Openings! These are several gardens, in very close proximity that are featured together. Sometimes you may see seven or more gardens in a day depending on how much time you spend in each garden.

In the previous post I wrote about Cowbeech House, which was part of the Herstmonceux Parish Trail that featured four gardens. All gardens are well marked with several bright yellow balloons and a bright yellow sign as well. Most of the time you can tell you are close to a garden because of the number of cars parked in the lane. On this particular tour there were also balloons and signs posted at different turns on the narrow roads, because some of them looked more like farm lanes and could easily be missed, or as I often say, “are you sure we are on the right road, we are in the middle of nowhere!” But, the middle of nowhere has some very beautiful gardens!

After we left Cowbeech House we were yellow-balloon directed to a cottage called “Montana.” “Montana” wasn’t in my guide book as a garden on the Herstmonceux Parish Trail list of gardens. So here is the explanation why.

The gardeners at “Montana” travel a lot. For the National Garden Scheme, one must commit at least a year in advance to open their garden on a certain date. “Montana” had never opened their garden because they couldn’t commit so far in advance. This seemed like a real shame to one of their neighbors, because she felt their garden was a must-see. So when it came time for the garden tour and she realized the “Montana” gardeners would be home and available, she moved the sign from her garden to theirs!

So we are visiting “Montana” today and it is a first timer! Aren’t we lucky! Enjoy the garden!

The Montana Garden

The Montana Garden

The Montana Garden

The Montana Garden

The Montana Garden

The Montana Garden

These gardeners drew your eye up with many features hidden in trees and hanging on forlorn branches!

The Montana Garden

The Montana Garden

The Montana Garden

No garden is complete without a retreat! This garden was very deep and wide with many different gardens within the garden! There was so much to see at “Montana” I’ll show you more tomorrow!

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Travel, Gardens, Food, Photography, Books, Shoes

Posts from the ‘United Kingdom’ category

Thursday Doors at Great Dixter, UK

November: I’d Rather be Home

Pashley Manor, A Walk Around the Ponds

November: Stay at Home

Pashley Manor, Ticehurst, UK

November: When I Go Home, It’s an Easy Way to be Grounded

I Had to Come Back to Sissinghurst!

1 Elm Cottage at Windmill Hill

More of the Montana Garden

The Montana Garden on the National Garden Scheme

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