Kent | The Travel Lady In Her Shoes

Art In the Potting Shed Garden, Benenden, UK, Post Four

A Garden Gate at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Well let’s go through this extraordinary garden at the Potting Shed once last time! First go through another garden gate. Charlotte has made gates into an art form, that’s for sure!

Another Outdoor Eating Area at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

In the Garden, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

And Through Another Gate, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Into the Vegetable Garden at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Art Throughout the Garden at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Look up, look down, we don’t want to miss a thing! And then into the Cutting Flower Garden!

Into the Cutting Flower Garden at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Through the arbor!

Through the Arbor, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

We must stop by and see the turtles!

The Turtles Pen, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

The Turtle Pen, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

And the turtles up close!

The Turtles

Through another gate!

Through Another Gate at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Onward to the bee keeps.

The Bee Keeps at The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

And then to the Artist’s Retreat!

An Artist’s Retreat, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Through another gate!

The Last Gate, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

To the last Retreat!

Another Artist’s Retreat,The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Don’t throw away anything! Charlotte has re-cycled everything in her garden from thrown away treasures! See what you can do with them? Old gates, old doors, old odd windows here and there! Save the fallen branches too!

The Artist’s Retreat,The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

You can see what an unusual gardening experience this is! It was an absolutely charming and very restful garden and lodging to come back to at the end of a touring day!

Don and Charlotte at the Potting Shed, can be reached Here.

PS…. I took photos of Don and Charlotte, and you can see why this garden is so magical, just by the look of them! But…….. they requested their photos not be published on the blog…….so I am honoring their request!

Tomorrow we’ll be touring a garden on the National Garden Scheme! See you there!

A Walk in the Garden at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK: Post Three

Through Another Garden Gate, the Potting Shed

The Gardens at the Potting Shed, Bebenden, UK

The Gardens at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Today we are exploring the property of the Potting Shed, a good five acres to get us up and about! Don and Charlotte are the proud owners of this beautiful property and lovingly take care of it. As I mentioned yesterday, Don was a farmer, and then the head gardener to Collingwood “Cherry” Ingram on his estate called ‘The Grange’ in Benenden. When Ingram died in 1981, ‘the Grange’ was divided and sold in parcels. This is where the story gets very interesting……… you just never know what you are going to stumble upon when looking into gardens! Don bought a parcel of five acres of ‘the Grange’ that also had the original gardener’s cottage on it and that is where he and Charlotte lived. What a keeper! And that original cottage, where they still live, is very much as it was when it was built in the 1930’s. Tiny, small rooms with huge fireplaces, slate floors and an old fashioned kitchen with a stove that was built before the AGA, I envied! I wanted to take pictures so badly, but how do you say, “Wow I might never see another cottage like this again and I know this is your private abode, but can I take about 500 pictures?” So I kept my mouth shut and just oggled and awed.

Now at the time I knew nothing about Cherry Ingram, so I had to find out more about him, so Don and Charlotte explained.

Collingwood “Cherry” Ingram (30 October 1880–19 May 1981) was an ornithologist, plant collector and gardener, who was an authority on Japanese flowering cherries.

In the early 1900s, Sir William Ingram employed Wilfred Stalker to collect bird skins in Australia for Collingwood to identify and catalogue at the London Natural History Museum, resulting in his first major publication. In 1907 he collected in Japan and for his work there he was made an Honorary Member of the Ornithological Society of Japan. However, his main interest was in the field study of birds; he made the first record of marsh warblers breeding in Kent. He was an accomplished bird artist. A planned book on the birds of France was interrupted by World War I and never completed, although part emerged as Birds of the Riviera in 1926. His 1916–18 journals record his war experiences and also his off-duty bird observations and sketches behind the lines in northern France. His published war diaries are packed with his pencil sketches of birds, people and landscapes. He interrogated pilots, on the height at which birds fly, resulting in a short paper after the War. He was member of the British Ornithologists’ Union for a record 81 years!

The Birdhouses, the Potting Shed

After World War I, horticulture took over from ornithology as Collingwood Ingram’s dominant interest. He created his famous garden at ‘The Grange’ in Benenden and collected plants across the world. His outstanding plant-collecting trips were to Japan in 1926 and South Africa in 1927.

By 1926, he was a world authority on Japanese cherries and was asked to address the Cherry Society in Japan on their national tree. It was on this visit that he was shown a painting of a beautiful white cherry, then thought to be extinct in Japan. He recognized it as one he had seen in a very bad state in a Sussex garden, the result of an early introduction from Japan. He had taken cuttings and so was able to re-introduce it to the gardening world as ‘Tai Haku’, the name meaning ‘Great White Cherry’. In March 2016 a book on his contribution to the survival of Japanese cherries was published in Japan: the title Cherry Ingram: the English Saviour of Japan’s Cherry Blossoms. He introduced many Japanese and species cherries to the country, as well as a number of his own hybrids. His 1948 book, Ornamental Cherries, became a standard work. Ingram introduced many other new garden plants, the best known of which are probably ‘Rubus Benenden’ a vigorous, medium sized deciduous shrub. Its white flowers have a yellow stamen at it’s center, and five saucer shaped petals. Its fruit are similar to those of the Bramble. The Rosemary, ‘Benenden Blue’ was also his work. Oh wow!

So now we will walk around the property and see what Don and Charlotte have added to it, besides the wonderful Potting Shed! Remember they are both artists, as well, and have added many cottages for their craft.

The Cactus Cottage

The Cactus and Succulents

The Weaving Room

Inside the Weaving Room

The Artist’s Studio at the Potting Shed Property

The Chickens at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

A Walk Through the Garden at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Don and Charlotte at the Potting Shed can be reached Here. I am writing many posts on the Potting Shed so be sure to check them all out! Tomorrow we’ll learn more about this fabulous garden! Until then ……..Enjoy!

The Potting Shed, Benenden, Kent, UK, Post Two

One of the Gardens at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

As some of you know this is my second year for my England Garden Tour, where I pick out spots in the UK to spend a few weeks and then visit lovely gardens, including local gardens sponsored on the National Garden Theme and homes and gardens on the National Trust. I had a little rough start to my visit to St Ives, but as most things do in the end, it turned out even better than I expected. Now, we have made our way to The Potting Shed in Benenden, which I have been anxiously waiting for. This time we would also be staying/living in a garden too. What would it be like?

I booked The Potting Shed over a year ago to make sure I could get accommadations to stay there at the time I wanted. My better half always asks me, “where do you find these places?” Well, I do a lot of homework looking for unusual spots for lodging and I like things off the beaten track and things not typical of what everybody is doing.

The Potting Shed fit the bill. It truly is a Potting Shed in the yard of two very prolific gardeners! I would say Charlotte, one of the gardeners, is a cross between Beatrice Potter and Tasha Tudor! Don was originally a farmer and has spent a lifetime gardening ( more on that in another post) But, between the two, they truly live off the land, thrive in it and a motto for them might be “waste not, want not.” Invited into their cottage for wine one evening, we got a look at how one lived in the early 1900’s, the period their cottage was made, and I can’t say many updates have been made to ruin it! I couldn’t take my eyes off the magical wonder of their lifestyle and how it would truly be living like that. No modern Ikea stuff here! Charlotte is also an artist and painter, everything she touches is made beautiful, so they enjoy scouting the countryside for finds and then bring them home to enhance their gardens! While we were there they were looking for more old doors!

The Potting Shed, on the other hand, was meant to be quite modern in comfort and cozy. The appliances are up to date and there is Wi-fi and a TV. The furniture has been re-designed in fabrics and style with Charlotte’s eye for the bohemian flair, nothing fancy, but very stylish. So without further ado, let’s look at the inside of the Potting Shed!

The Potting Shed, Benenden, Kent, UK

The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

These stairs are called Paddle Steps. I had never heard of them, but they are great for saving space in small spaces!

The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

The bedroom was in the loft! Loved it!

The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

One of the Many Bouquets in the Potting Shed, UK

The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

The kitchen had everything you need, even a dishwasher!

The Gift Basket at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Charlotte and Don also left a very generous welcome basket of local wine, cheeses, chutney and crackers. There was also fresh picked salad greens from the garden and eggs from their chickens!

The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

More Flowers from the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Out into the Garden, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Charlotte made all the topiaries and trims them herself on a very tall ladder! Oh MY! Well there are some that are quite near the ground too!

Out into the Garden, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

She has left their footprints in the garden, so to speak!

In the Garden at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

There are over five acres of gardens and other delights at the Potting Shed! Both Charlotte and Don are very savvy gardeners and have a list and knowledge of other gardens in the area. So many in fact, that I was not aware of, that I added them to my “must see” list. So tomorrow we will be taking a stroll through other parts of their garden and I am sure you will not want to miss it! Let’s go through this gate and see what is in this garden!

The Next Gate, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

We have stayed many places in the twenty years of our travels, but have never been received or taken care of so well as we were at our stay at the Potting Shed. If you love gardens and gardening and would like to experience a “once in a lifetime” find, this is the spot for you! Don and Charlotte at the Potting Shed can be reached Here. I am writing many posts on the Potting Shed so be sure to check them all out! Enjoy!

The Garden That Fairy-Tales are Made Of; Post One

St George Church, Benenden, UK

This is the story about a beautiful garden, where the birds sang so sweetly, and a fairy cottage filled with vases of fresh picked bouquets from the garden. But, first we have to find this garden…….. take a narrow road to the Weald of Kent….. turn into the horseshoe lane around the cricket pitch set on the village green…..……

The Cricket Pitch, Benenden, UK

Turn right at St George Church with the lichen-covered wall, onto a much smaller lane……..

St George Church, Benenden, UK

The Lane, Benenden, UK

Go past the public walking path, down the graveled lane and turn into the gate.

Public Foot Path, Benenden, UK

The Smaller Lane. Benenden, UK

Follow that lane unto you come to the gardeners’ house and then follow the path into the garden of the Potting Shed. Then follow the path through the arbor……….. are you still following me?

The Path to the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Turn to the right and follow the path through another garden gate……….

The Path to the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

You have discovered paradise! The Potting Shed!

The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Outside the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

One of the Many Gardens at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

The Front Garden at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Step outside the cottage and follow the gravel paths. There were the vegetable gardens, and the flower gardens, intermingled with sculptures of all sizes and textures, and finely scissored topiary gardens. So much to see!

The Sculpture in the Garden, Everything Has a Use

The Sculpture in the Garden, the Potting Shed

Walking Through the Garden, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

Walking Through to Another Garden, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

The First Vegetable Patch, The Potting Shed, Benenden, UK

There was a private spot in the garden with a table and chairs where one could remanence about the day over a bottle of wine, and watch the sun sink below the clouds. Or you could follow path, after path, going deeper into the gardens.

The Outdoor Dining, The Garden Shed, Benenden, UK

One of the Topiary Gardens, Benenden, UK

I LOVED the little round balls cut into the hedge of massive boxwood! And what about these giant topiary birds!

The Topiary Garden, Benenden, UK

Turn the key! I can’t wait to go inside!

Turn the Key, The Potting Shed

The flowers picked from the garden are waiting to greet us! Tomorrow there will be posts from inside the Potting Shed and details on how to make reservations to stay there! See you in the garden! Just the first of many gardens on my Second English Garden Tour!

One Bunch of Welcome Flowers

Don and Charlotte at the Potting Shed in Benenden, Kent, can be reached Here. I am writing many posts on the Potting Shed so be sure to check them all out! Enjoy!

Monday Window: Smallhythe

Smallhythe, Home of Ellen Terry, Near Tenterden, UK

I love it when indoor pictures turn out! Isn’t this a cosy cottage?

Smallhythe, Home of Ellen Terry, Near Tenterden, UK

The Garden at Smallhythe, Home of Ellen Terry

To learn more about Ellen Terry and her cottage look HERE!

For more photos of windows, by fellow bloggers, just look at Monday Window!

Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola; Violet Red

Violet Red or is It Red Violet?

Day 110 into the 120 Days of Crayola Challenge and we are really being challenged! But, I’ve been doing my homework! There is no color called Violet Red! There is a color called Red Violet and we had that color back in the R’s. Been There Done That! See I’m paying attention!

Anyway, the weather has been acting like Spring this week; warm, cold, rain, cold, warm, blustery. Back and forth, so maybe the Challenge is also suffering the challenges of Spring! So I am showing another garden photo from my English Garden Tour. I want it to be summer!

These photos are from Sissinghurst Castle Gardens, near Cranbrook, Kent, UK. Can one ever get tired of Sissinghurst? I don’t think so. Sissinghurst, is a small village in the county of Kent in England. It was originally called Milkhouse Street, but changed it’s name in the 1850s, to avoid association with the smuggling and cockfighting activities of the Hawkhurst Gang. I can see why, who would want to say, I live in Milking Street! Click Here to see what Sissinghurst, the castle gardens, is up to this Spring!

This post is just one of many in the Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola Challenge!

Check out some of the other 150+ challenge participants, it’s amazing what we have done with the Crayola colors!

Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola; Unmellow Yellow

Unmellow Yellow, Unmellow Orange, and Unmellow Green!

It is Day 106, I think, if I have done my math correctly, in the Crayola Challenge! Wow! Look at these guys! I’d say these plants have Unmellow Yellow, Unmellow Orange and Unmellow Green! And no leaves, just a stem! I think they are part of the Red Hot Poker family of plants. Correct me if I’m wrong! Wouldn’t this plant perk up any spot in the garden! I think so!

Unmellow Yellow

Here is another Unmellow Poke in the garden! These are surrounded by grassy spikes which sets them apart! I love the color combinations! Both these plants were found in the Hot Garden at Sissinghurst, home of Vita Sackville-West. For more information about Vita Sackville-West look Here! For a review of a great pub near the garden look Here!

Unmellow Yellow is a fluorescent color that was introduced into the Crayola Collection in 1990. It is also known as Yellowstone in the “State Crayon Collection.”

This post is just one of many in the Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola Challenge!

Check out some of the other 150+ challenge participants, it’s amazing what we have done with the Crayola colors! PS I checked my math, it is really Day 108!

Color Your World: 120 Days of Color; Sky Blue

A Garden Gate with Sky Blue at Sissinghurst Garden, Kent, UK

Taking pictures through a garden gate, a door, or a window is one of my favorite ways to take a photo! Today’s garden gate and very blue sky was taken at Sissinghurst, family home of Vita Sackville-West. If you ever want to visit a beautiful garden in Kent, this would be one to see! For a peek at Sissinghurst look HERE! So for today the Sky’s the Limit!

Did you know that Blue is the most popular crayola color? There are a lot of blues to like too! Sky Blue as been part of the Crayola Collection since 1958. It is also known as Peacock Blue in the “So Big” set, and both Caribbean Sea and Milky Way in the “Discovery” series. My favorite, for this color is, Sky’s the Limit Blue, found in the special “Colors of Binney & Smith” set. And, it is the color to represent Montana in the “State Crayola Collection.

This post is just one of many in the Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola Challenge! Day 96!

Check out some of the other 150+ challenge participants, it’s amazing what we have done with the Crayola colors!

Let the Feast Begin!

The Swan Restaurant at Chapel Down Winery, Kent, UK

Today we are celebrating Thanksgiving with our family, enjoying turkey and all the trimmings! In my last post I talked about the Chapel Down Winery and the beautiful Swan Restaurant. So here is the food you might be eating if you were in the UK today. It’s the traditional Sunday roast and more! Enjoy your day!

The Swan Restaurant, Chapel Down Winery, Kent, UK

There is an area for relaxing and drinking their fine sparkling wines and Curious Beers! A great place to meet up!

The Swan Restaurant, Chapel Down Winery, Kent, UK

There is also the dining room area for eating the tempting meals! So many choices!!!!!

The Swan Restaurant, Chapel Down Winery, Kent, UK

We chose from the gathering menu, which routinely changes during the season! Three courses with different wines served with each! First the appetizer, with wine………….

The Appetizers, The Swan Restaurant, Kent, UK

Then we ordered the Yorkshire Pudding plate because we have never eaten Yorkshire pudding! If you are expecting a crystal, fluted cup with a yummy, creamy, thick, sweet pudding, topped with real whipped cream, you will be quite surprised! We were!!!!!!!!!! Read about Yorkshire pudding, with recipe, here. The article is quite amusing!!!!! The mushroom looking bread in the picture is Yorkshire pudding! It is neither a traditional pudding as we know it, or from Yorkshire!!!!!! It was served with a cauliflower gratin!!!!! Yummmmmmy!

THE YORKSHIRE PUDDING!

The main course and of course more wine……………..

The Traditional Sunday Roast, The Swan Restaurant, Kent, UK

The Pork Loin, Swan Restaurant, Kent, UK

The Deserts, The Swan Restaurant, Kent, UK

The deserts served with………… you guessed it, another glass of sparkly!

The Deserts, The Swan Restaurant, Kent, UK

Were those bowler hats used as lighting or was I seeing things?

What are bowler hats exactly?……. I’ve had so much wine, now I am thinking about Bowler hats!!!! Definition: Known as a bob hat, billycock or bobkin, it is made of hard felt with a round crown created for the British soldier in 1849. Now all I can think about is The Thomas Crown Affair with Pierce Brosnan! Time to go home!!!! I’ve had a really good day! See you soon!

The Swan Restaurant, Chapel Down Winery, Kent, UK

Eat, Drink and Be Merry: Let’s Start with the Drink and Be Merry!

Chapel Down Winery, Tenterden Kent, UK

During my English Garden Tour we based in the countryside outside of Tenterden, Kent. It was a wise decision, because it was near the beautiful and busy market town of Tenterden, but we still could enjoy the peace of the countryside. Some of our best finds were found on the small lane that took us out of Tenterden to the Bullein B&B. One find was the Smallhythe Place, country home of Ellen Terry, (see previous posts about that) and right up the lane from the cottage was the Chapel Down Vineyard. What a great surprise that was! It is rated the top vineyard in the UK for sparkling wines, Curious Beers and ciders! So one Sunday afternoon we took it upon ourselves to partake of the vineyard. Poor pitiful Us! Ha Ha!

Chapel Down Winery is set in a charming and well kept garden surrounded by the vineyards. As the crow flies we could have walked there from the B&B. So, it really was a three fold visit, it had a lovely garden, and an inviting vineyard, wine and specialty food shop. Topping off the day we ate at the fantastic Swan Restaurant on the premises! I will talk about the The Swan Restaurant in my next post!

First I had to visit the garden!

Chapel Down Winery, Tenterden, Kent, UK

What a great place for a wedding! Everything you need right here!

Chapel Down Winery, Tenterden, Kent, UK

There is the wine tasting area in the large barn-like building, which features the award- winning wine along with local cheeses, chutney, hand-made chocolates, and artisan biscuits. The staff are very helpful and knowledgable. While we were there many people were stocking up with cases and cases of wine!

This is what I learned………..

The Curious Beer, made by the Kent winemaker, has been named one of the world’s best lager’s in the industry. The International Beer Challenge, which has judged the best beers in the world for the past sixteen years, awarded Chapel Down the Gold Medal for the Curious Brew! With over four hundred brew entries Chapel Down had the best of its class! Using East Anglian malt, saaz and cascade hops, they re-ferment the lager using champagne yeast to make a highly drinkable and refreshing lager beer. The sparkling wines and beers have been served at Buckingham Palace and were featured during the wedding celebrations of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Curious Brew is currently served on draught at Jamie Oliver’s Union Jack restaurants and Jamie’s Italians, The Swan at London’s Globe Theatre, the Royal Opera House, as well as independent pubs in the south east. We were so lucky to stumble across this place! If it’s good enough for the queen it’s good enough for me!

We chose to eat at the Swan Restaurant, (a reservation is highly recommended) and try the different beverages with our meal! What a lovely day out! Do not miss the Chapel Down Winery and Swan Restaurant in Tenterden! Now let’s go in The Swan and check out the menu!

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Posts tagged ‘Kent’

Art In the Potting Shed Garden, Benenden, UK, Post Four

A Walk in the Garden at the Potting Shed, Benenden, UK: Post Three

The Potting Shed, Benenden, Kent, UK, Post Two

The Garden That Fairy-Tales are Made Of; Post One

Monday Window: Smallhythe

Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola; Violet Red

Color Your World: 120 Days of Crayola; Unmellow Yellow

Color Your World: 120 Days of Color; Sky Blue

Let the Feast Begin!

Eat, Drink and Be Merry: Let’s Start with the Drink and Be Merry!

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