We had a few hours today wandering round the gardens and house at Knebworth belonging to Lord Lytton and it was really lovely.

My husband had never gone into Knebworth house – I took our oldest when she was about six – and though the guide was very knowledgable, she failed to mention the famous rock stars’ underpants which had been a long-standing legend we referred to over the years…

There was so much rain over the last few days that the grounds were really fresh and we spent some time appreciating some amazing plants (and several minutes at home poring over books to establish what they were. Photos taken on two different camera phones and by two different temperaments. I’m not sure whether we are starting to like similar plants now we’ve been together for over eighteen years…

But we liked what we saw today. And we are looking at ways to incorporate the best things within our garden. I have birthday money so perhaps I can get some plants… some pink peonies perhaps, and a cornus (those lovely cream blooms are a form of mountain dogwood we think).

Stunning red poppies make great wildflower meadows but I am still looking for my blue meconopsis, or a purple one? And around this fountain were herbs you can walk over? Those can be started off in our greenhouse and we can have a herb lawn…