Meet Graham

We stayed with a friend last night and as we were half way to Mottisfont we decided to take a trip to look at the rose garden. Mottisfont was originally a monastery, founded at the beginning of the 13th century. Like so many religious communities, it was confiscated during the Dissolution of the Monasteries ordered by Henry VIII. The walled rose garden is one of the best in the country.
We walked along the River Test and through the meadows and into the garden. This is Graham Thomas, I love the vivid colour and the way the buds start off red and the blooms are yellow, it smells lovely too.
There is a Litchfield exhibition on. I found it disappointing because it is a lot of Polaroid photos by year and very few large prints.
A lovely way to start the day.
Back to earth later as I cleaned out the filter on the pond, very grim.
Rosie seems to be following in her mother's tradition of enjoying long birthday's. Yesterday she had an evening with friends, today at her request roast rib of beef she has plans for Monday and Tuesday she is 21.