Garden visits

Monday 28th June 2010

It is high summer and we have groups visiting gardens all over the country - from the far north of Scotland to Cornwall; Galloway and the Borders to Norfolk. Generally the weather is perfect, sunny days and little or no rain. So it seemed like a good idea at the time a couple of weeks ago to invite a group of horticulturalists to visit my garden in Somerset as an added extra on their visit around the county. The garden had been looking great in early June however as soon as I had made the offer black spot appears on the roses and the grass turns brown due to the high temperatures and the lack of rain. It made me really appreciate how much dedication it takes to open your garden to the public - so for all private garden owners who are featured in the 'Yellow Book' I salute you. Anyway Doreen's group from Northern Ireland duly arrived after some last minute watering and intensive dead-heading. In fact they arrived right in the middle of one of England's World Cup games (now that they're out it seems remarkable that everyone was so bothered about the score!) - they were a lovely small group of very knowledgeable gardeners who had already seen some stunning Somerset gardens including Hestercombe and East Lambrook Manor. Well they were very polite and didn't ask too many tricky questions about what flower was what. The sun shone and my little toddler Linsey stole the show!

I had the good fortune to visit a new garden myself last Friday when I ventured into rolling Essex for a meeting with the RHS at their garden Hyde Hall, located between Chelmsford and Basildon. I have to say that I think it quite unfair that this county is often the butt of many a joke, because this area is quite lovely - rolling green pastures dotted with big oaks and pretty little villages. We had a slick presentation from the commercial division of the RHS then a guided tour around the garden from its Curator Ian LeGos. What a wonderful garden it is. We were taken round its Dry garden which was a mass of colour, then a heaving rose garden, the tour then went antipodean with its gardens from New Zealand and Australia, before finishing with the news that the RHS are going to introduce wild turkeys to the woods of Hyde Hall to fatten up before selling them at Christmas.

I should make it clear that the picutres above are from Hyde Hall and not my garden!

It would have been a perfect day had it not been for gridlock on the M25/M4 - Rush hour, Friday night nightmare - I think it was worth it.

Bring back the elasticated net bag!

Monday 14th June 2010

Another week, and another pile of Questionnaires on my desk.

Scenic Scottish Railways - Wonderful holiday, well organised which I would recommend highly; the knowledge of our Tour Manager John Dawson was impressive and so interesting (John Cowan, surely? - we don't have a John Dawson!)

Hidden Gardens of Herefordshire - Excellent in every way, a very enjoyable holiday - with one reservation - I really missed the elasticated net bag and hanger on the back of the seat in front.
(You can't win 'em all!)

An Archaeologist's view of Orkney and Shetland - Particular mention must be made of our guide, Clive Warsop, whose expertise in the subject is formidable. This coupled with his superb presentational skills really made the tour memorable.

Grand Tour of the Hebrides - Well Done! Not just a holiday but a great experience.

And received after a recent derailment that closed the Glasgow to Oban road meaning leaving Mull early and a long diversion for the coach - 'Actually my sister and I agreed that we enjoyed the drive through Glencoe more than we would have enjoyed the visit to Duart Castle'.

John Denver lives on!

Tuesday 8th June 2010



Much excitement today after our Quarterly Staff meeting when Andrew organised the World Cup sweep-stake - Julie had a disappointing look when she drew North Korea and South Korea out of the hat (now wouldn't that be a final to remember!) Alison got USA , Andrew drew Holland the only country to play in Dundee United's tangerine strips (some suspected a fix) - Sam punched the air when he drew Argentina, and Lisa joked 'How come I've drawn Scotland?'

The highlight of the staff meeting was the decree from above saying that it was OK to have the radio on during working hours for the important matches or to check the scores online. So now on the wall of our Operations room is a poster of the World Cup draw stretching forward to the final on 11th July at which time we have a lovely garden tour travelling around the Far North of Scotland - I wonder if the passengers will be watching the final in Inverness?



We had hysterics yesterday as we often do at our 'Blue Sky Thinking' new product meeting when Andrew, Alison and myself sit around a circular table in my office and throw about ideas for new tour destinations. One such idea was a tour to Private gardens in Santa Fe in New Mexico - to which I asked if anyone knew who the most famous singer to come from New Mexico was? The answer of course being John Denver.

Alison - 'Oh yes, now he's the fellow who looks different now, he's had some plastic surgery done recently hasn't he'

Andrew - 'He looks different 'cos he's dead! He crashed a plane into the Pacific Ocean 13 years ago!'

Alison - 'Oh I meant Glen Campbell'

And so the meeting dissolved into fits of giggles.



Later our IT chappie (Martin) appeared and he installed some new anti-spam software which will hopefully filter out the hundreds of junk emails we've been getting. In addition Martin was upgrading other terminals and screens in various departments. As Martin is a dear friend he usually tries to time his meetings to our office to late in the afternoon so as we can go out for a walk in the evening, and last night was no exception.

Joined by Jimmy (Ann in Accounts's husband) we were like an episode from 'Last of the summer wine' - three lost souls wandering over the hills and moors above Glenalmond in Perthshire, chewing the fat and solving the problems of the world. We were rewarded for our efforts with lovely views of a male Hen Harrier and an Osprey. Marvellous!

From Birnam Wood to Dunsinane

Tuesday ist June 2010

'I will not be afraid of death and bane

till Birnam forest come to Dunsinane'

Macbeth, Act V, Scene III

Last week I met up with Mary Kroening from the US and her merry band of garden-lovers in Birnam and they all enjoyed a good hug of a 1000+ year old oak tree - one of the last from the great medieval Birnam Forest - who knows, it could have been one from which Malcolm's soldiers cut branches to disguise their attack on Macbeth at his hill fort at Dunsinane - but it was bugging me as to where Dunsinane Hill was - it couldn't be that far away if Macbeth's sentry could see the trees 'marching' from Birnam. One thing that I am pretty sure Shakespeare would have loved would have been 'Google' - for within seconds - 'ping' up comes Dunsinane - a hill fort in the Sidlaw Hills some 15 miles to the south of Dunkeld/Brinam. So last night after working the Bank Holiday (Along with Alison and Ann) I skived off around five-thirty and headed for Dunsinane.

It was a beautiful fresh evening in Perthshire with amazing bright blocks of colour with yellow rape fields quite dazzling. I eventually managed to park my car (with some difficulty as I don't think the local landowner can be that keen on walkers as large boulders block the most obvious places and a large sign 'Beware of the Bull' was not the most encouraging start!). I scrambled up through a pretty dramatic gully with some high cliffs, then up to the crest of the grassy hilltop with just a few Black-face sheep for company. Macbeth certainly picked a commanding spot for his fort. At 1012 feet you get a stunning 360 degree view - The Cairngorm mountains to the north, Dundee and St Andrews to the east, Perth and beyond to the south and over to the west the great mountain of Schiehallion below which the River Tay winds its way past Birnam Wood. I did not see a soul all evening, just sharing the view with a solitary Kestrel hanging motionless in the strong hill top wind (how does it do that?)

Sure beats working!