Visit to Ashwood Nursery and Garden

For once I went on the Kenilworth Gardening Club outing, also without Mr S.  As I kissed him goodbye, I asked:  Would you like me to bring you something back?  I expected the answer to be something like a bar of chocolate, but no the answer was a plant.  Oh heck...this was difficult, I kept thinking about it, and eventually as I walked around the garden led by John Massey himself, and then the nursery, the answer came...will write about this in my next new plant post!

The coach trip led us down roads, high up above the hedgerows, the countryside was just about as pretty as it gets, with lambs, and blossom, and cattle grazing.  The outing was on the 16th. of May, still quite cool but lovely and sunny.

John Massey's garden is full of almost all the features a good garden can have, and it makes the most of its long boundary along the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal.  In most corners there are fun sculptures too.

The large pond was a delight

there were plantings of frost tender plants to envy

cleverly trimmed cloud bushes

and the borders were starting to come into their own, but I loved the ferns just emerging in a shady corner by the house

Elegant containers were planted up with the new Lewisia Carousel Hybrids.

The garden centre had a large range of very well grown plants, but sadly the plants from the garden which I would have loved, were not available.  The glass houses were packed with interesting plants and their Auricula stand was alluring but I did resist, as I am letting my collection wind down.

I loved the shop and particularly this display of Haws Watering Cans, made in England.  If I needed another watering can, one of these would be the one for me!

I joined other members of the club for a snack from their delightful restaurant, sitting outside, and musing over what I would buy.  Of course I had cycled up to the Clock, and I knew I would have to restrain myself to what I could carry back!