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I Literally don't know where to begin writing up today - and It's nearly midnight so posting now and write tomorrow!!
Ok so now it's posted what to write! I visited the most gorgeous garden ever!! Not abroad but in Saltash, Cornwall!! I picked up a leaflet on it from the pet shop earlier in the week and thought it sounded nice - NICE? Oh what an understatement - it was a visual feast! I chose this as my blip not because it was the best but because it has all the features I spent so long photographing and the place itself, next to an Indian Pool, was just such an unexpected thing to come across in a garden with a Norman Keep!
I was photographing the stone whales at the feet of a metal Poseidon, as you do, when a woman came and spoke to me about it - it was made by a friend, fell out of favour with Prince Charles, and was placed here - it is a fountain but has yet to be cemented in and water provided! The penny didn't drop and on I went.
I spent ages photographing the glass cloches and rhubarb forcers by the Greenhouse and the swing in the Orchard and wild flower meadow, then made my way to the pool. GET OUT! A pool with a Thai building!!! I spoke to yet another lady who told me previous "tenants" had had it shipped in from Thailand, the wife being from there! She also told me the house was for sale! I asked who owned it - Prince Charles of course!!!! Well no wonder the gardens were out of this world! I found this article on returning home - shows you the interior of the house too! Also one on the people who do the garden design - just one in their repertoire of buildings owned by royalty!
After spending ages photographing the building and all its features, like some colonial club in the hills, I made my way up to the Norman Keep. For heavens sake... the views were stunning! Bridge built by Brunel, the River Tamar, Plymouth in the distance!! The Keep was vast inside - I felt physically overwhelmed by its sheer size once within its walls. On walking down I went into the gatehouse and just stopped taking photographs as it was all simply overwhelming! Plus I could see daylight through the floorboards and thought any minute they were going to give way and send me tumbling to a certain death!! Cup of coffee and cake were called for!
I had a good chat with a couple and their father about gardens we had been to - I was relieved to hear the place only opened to the public last year - I had been thinking how I couldn't forgive myself for not knowing about it and bringing my dad here - he would so have loved it. I then spent ages choosing 3 peonies to buy - only to be to be told they were not for sale despite the fact they were next to the Tearoom and had prices on them!!
After this I looked at the unrestored walled garden and the Apple store, passing the cave and a Gothic window!!! Finally yellow pagoda bulbs in the shade of an immense tree with tyre swing and the view from the lawn in front of the house over the river and spring blossoms! I took 180 photographs and have processed and put 44 on flickr! The rest can wait till tomorrow / later today!!!
Finally home via Garden centre to buy new a new lighting controller for the fishtank! I even resorted to a Stanley Knife yesterday to get the light tube in - unsuccessfully as you guessed! I also bought one of the peonies I couldn't at the Keep!
On chatting to vegan Jo this eve I used a well used English expletive to describe the garden - I have used rather more words here but essentially the gist is the same - "F***ing Hell" what a garden!!!!!!!!
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