The Lemon Fool

Can anybody suggest places to visit next wednesday themed around visiting a g"garden" ? In the East Somerset (think Frome area, Wiltshire and west Berks - think Newbury).

So eg stourhead - but it doesn't have to be a totally formalised NT etc sort of place. Even if its a tiny half an hour visit sort of pl;ace please suggest it.

Its a day out for my wife's birthday (so no pressure!)

didds

My wife took her mum to Highgrove last year which they both enjoyed although I think it's advisable to pre-book.

https://www.highgrovegardens.com/

https://www.ngs.org.uk/find-a-garden/
This any use?

(didn't set date so you need to fiddle, may be nothing on a weekday)

Gardeners World

2 for 1 pass and booklet

Iford Manor's small but perfectly formed - Italianate terracing and all that. (So a bit steep in places.) We were there in summer, but spring should also be nice. The Courts at Holt, or even Bowood, which is more of a lakeside walk than a proper gardening experience.

Stourhead is in a class of its own! And they tell me that Montacute is pretty good. Our go-to favourite, though, is still Forde Abbey near Chard, which would be about an hour's drive for you. Nice sized gardens (about 30 acres, including grounds) which are really good in spring. A "gardener's garden", where you're quite likely to bump into off-duty presenters like Titchmarsh or Monty Don or (especially) Toby Buckland, who is probably the most knowledgeable of them all. Hell of a fountain, too, reputedly the highest in Britain.

Can I second the suggestion of the Gardener's World 2 for 1 offer in this month's magazine? It covers from now to April 2019. The mags with this offer tend to sell out quickly in the newsagents, but you can order them online.

BJ

PS: We were out at Stourhead today (Saturday afternoon) - rhododendrons and magnolias doing their stuff, and the bluebells just starting. There were four swallows over the lakes, which was exactly twice the number we've had in our garden. What a weird year this is turning out to be!

BJ