We are off to Colchester to see Beth Chatto’s garden. This is one that I’ve known about for a while and seen lots of references to in garden literature. I saw our local garden society were running a bus and I signed up quickly to make sure I got a place, so much so I had to get my work day changed but as I am working with a garden company they were sympathetic to my pre-booked visit. And as I was gonna take a little one or a friend, my daughter sits next to me playing a Teen Titans game on her kindle as I type. She is the only child but wanted to come – she regularly helps me after all. An hour and a half on the bus!

A lot of things are on the Beth Chatto website so I don’t need to give all the history but I will tell you what plants I return with and how they will be fitted onto the garden with our garden lilies which were saved from a garden elsewhere yesterday. Seeds will be purchased I am sure.

A lot of gardeners on this bus with a lot of plant knowledge too! We were waiting beside the bus going to Paradise wildlife park, maybe my next trip is chosen by the smallest. I was asked what our soil is like and I have to be honest and say that knowledge I don’t really have, but it will make a difference to what grows but I have built beds with new compost so the plants in those beds are doing well as they are not struggling with lime or acid.

We spent a small fortune on plants and sundries in the shop. Unfortunately their seed stocks were low and not obvious as that would have been what I bought but instead I have a lot of digging to do…