Dahlias

E and I decided it was no good sitting at home vegetating this afternoon so we took a trip to Forde Abbey a now privately owned former Cistercian monastery dating from the 12th C and Grade I listed.  The gardens were just past their best but even so the borders were still full of colour.  We walked all around and even up to the Bog Garden where the monks had their pond for fishing carp.  We had a cup of tea in the cloisters and then looked at Eeles pottery on display and the strongly scented shop. I succumbed and bought a greatly reduced children's book on animals and plants and humans for granddaughter I (put away for Christmas!).
Lots of extra photos of the Abbey and plants.