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Garden Exploring with a Friend

  • Writer: JRG
    JRG
  • Jun 6, 2025
  • 2 min read

To have a travel-friend who possesses a cheerful outlook, focused, enthusiastic energy, and intelligent curiosity is a dream for us all. A great traveling companion alternatively contrasts, mirrors and reflects our impressions. They instinctively know when quiet time is needed, but don’t hesitate to give a bit of goading (sorry for the stilted vernacular, but I’m just home from the English countryside where it feels natural to say things such as “a bit of goading.”)

From the English Countryside

  • Hidcote
  • Kiftsgate Garden
  • Rare sighting of a pollinator
  • Beautiful Alliums

My travel-friend and I share a sense of “what is funny,” and in my case, as I have no sense of direction, my travel-friend possesses a perfect internal compass (and expert command of Google apps) which assures we are always on the correct path. I completely trust her to find not only our way forward, but also to assure our “way back.” 


We just returned from ten days in England, where we enjoyed the Chelsea Flower Show, the English Garden Museum, and toured twelve gardens (including Kew, Sissinghurst and Great Dixter.)


Chelsea Flower Show and Fairlight End

  • Chelsea Flower Show
  • Chelsea Flower Show
  • Chelsea Flower Show
  • Chelsea Flower Show
  • Chelsea Flower Show
  • Corten Edging at Fairlight End

Gravetye Manor

  • Gravetye
  • Gravetye
  • Gravetye
  • Gravetye

Great Dixter and Hidcote

  • Great Dixter
  • Great Dixter
  • Hidcote
  • Hidcote
  • Hidcote
  • Hidcote

Pettifers and Rousham Gardens

  • Pettifers
  • Pettifers
  • Pettifers
  • Pettifers
  • Pettifers
  • Pettifers
  • Pettifers
  • Rousham

Sissinghurst and Wisely

  • Sissinghurst
  • Sissinghurst
  • Sissinghurst
  • Wisely Gardens

Because of her, we also had tea in the Georgian Room at Harrods (I booked the tea, but she got us from Heathrow to London on the Elizabeth line!) We walked the Sloane Square Flower Show, found (in the dark) the village where the Ted Lasso TV show is filmed, and visited the Hundred Acre Wood, which inspired the Winnie the Pooh stories. We also toured Windsor Castle, took a boat ride on the Thames and completed the Queen Elizabeth Walk. 


Harrods and Sloane Square Flower Festival


Windsor Castle and Queen Elizabeth Walk

  • Windsor Castle from The Thames
  • Windsor Castle
  • Queen Elizabeth Walk

So, this post is dedicated to MMD. Thank you, friend, for another adventure! 


  • Carex Garden Tour at Pettifers
  • Kitty Wiegert and TB

Always thinking ahead . . . This morning, I bought the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies handbooks and magazine . . . Thinking about their world competition in Australia in 2027! Thank you to Kitty Wiegert for that plan! 


JRG

 
 
 

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