Skip to main content

Blog Giveaway and RHS Wisley ......


I had a brilliant day on Thursday, my first visit to the wonderful RHS Wisley the flagship garden to the RHS. I enjoyed the day so much I am planning to return in October for A Taste of Autumn event with my sister. The gardens are just beautiful and so much work goes into their upkeep.

The flower show was set out around the garden in small white tents which made a very relaxing shopping experience, the growers having time to talk to you and offer advice. I bought some allium bulbs ready for planting in Oct/Nov although I was told you can even wait until early next year to plant them. The small show gardens were very well presented and my favourite is shown in the photo above.

I enjoyed the tour given by curator Colin Crosbie and Jim Gardiner, I thought it was well planned and having the extra knowledge from Colin made it even more memorable. Funny how you watch him on Gardeners World then actually get to talk to him.

We were shown around the orchard by Jim Arbury + Gerry and sampled some of the 700 varieties of apples (only eight in case you were wondering including ceval, Katja, Bardsley, Joyce + Lord Lambourne) I popped back for a longer look later in the day and of course to sample another apple! I bought a huge bag in the shop before I left for my family to enjoy when I got home, I've even used some in a tomato chutney this weekend.

Matthew Wilson walked around with our group but I was too shy to ask for a photo etc, well its embarassing asking isn't it? So all in all a brilliant day and well worth a visit, don't know why I left it so long to go there!

To mark the event I have a very small Blog Giveaway, nothing grand just some useful RHS goodies I chose (including a bag for life, wellington keyring + pencils) plus two lovely mini Nutscene Tiddler garden twines, gardening greetings card and lavender bag with my Eight-by-Six logo. All you have to do is leave a comment and I'll take a name out of a hat in a weeks time.

Comments

Pomona said…
It sounds like you had a really wonderful day - I do so envy you! What a lovely giveaway, too - it's so kind of you to share a bit of your day.

Pomona x
VP said…
Hi Amanda - it was a great day wasn't it and lovely to see you and Danielle again.

Have been pondering where my purchases will go in the garden over the weekend :)

Please don't include me in your draw - I just wanted to stop by and say hi :)
Jo said…
What a wonderful day, glad you got there before these winds arrived. The apple tasting sounds interesting, there's so many varieties yet we tend to stick to the few we know.
Anonymous said…
What a great day you had. I would love to be entered into your giveaway.
Eight by Six said…
hello ladies and thanks for popping by to be entered into my blog giveaway. Please do tell your friends. Amanda x
foreveryoung said…
Your visit to Wisley sounds wonderful and your blog recipes have given me some ideas. Never thought to mix veg and fruit for a jam, but we have so much will give it a go. Please enter me in your giveaway if I am not too late. Ann x
mrsnesbitt said…
I would love to have an apple tasting experience - our discovery tree really does produce excellent apples. Mmmmm may just have one now! lol!
Captain Shagrat said…
I've never been to a proper gardening event, one day I might make it to Chelsea. I would like to enter your giveaway and you are welcome to come to mine, the rules have been posted today and the actual giveaway competition will be uploaded Tuesday.
sounds like you had a good time x please enter me in x x
sounds like you had a good time x please enter me in x x
Unknown said…
Wow - I have always wanted to have a day out at RHS Wisley - what a brilliant day you had.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to enter your draw. I am an avid follower

At the moment my blog is off line, but should I be a lucky winner you can reach me by email

lottie at smart-directions dot co dot uk

(no spaces)

I doubt I'll win though - I love your tomato recipe so might have a go at that.

Popular posts from this blog

Denim Daisy Granny Square construction

And here it is all finished last Friday, just in time for a heat wave! Seriously I do love this jumper and it fits so well with a white t shirt underneath, jeans and flip flops. Just waiting for the cold spell so that I can wear it out (rather than around the garden when its cooled down in the evenings!). I haven't written a pattern as such just some helpful notes from my pad. If people want to know how to construct one have added some notes below. As you know the Daisy Granny Square is the design of Sue Pinner from her book  Granny Squares published 2013. I do love Sue's book, its packed with so many projects and ideas and the photos are beautiful. The daisy granny square pattern is quite addictive and you soon have a small pile of them in no time! I have an idea to make another one for the autumn in the same Debbie Bliss Rialto DK yarn but all edged in shade 90 honey, I have enough in my stash. Construction  Notes:  You need to make 18 granny squa

cables without the cables (Birch Trees scarf)

Earlier this year I came across this lovely Birch Trees Scarf knitting pattern over at Hand Knitted Things . Its one of those patterns that you just have to try because its so pretty and very practical and looks far more intricate and complicated than the 4 row pattern suggests. I like to call it cables without the cables, such a clever pattern thank you Julia Marsh.  I'm knitting mine on vintage no. 7 needles (kindly given to me by my mother-in-law) and using Debbie Bliss Cashmerino charcoal out of my yarn stash that was meant to be for Ian's scarf! shh don't tell him! I use DB yarn all the time, picking up bargains in John Lewis and eBay but its the first time I've knitted with Cashmerino, and it isn't going to be the last. It gives you great stitch definition and the softest yarn ever, I love it. So here is my scarf in progress. It has been sitting in my car waiting to be loved again after I accidentally knitted the moss stitch border wrong. I know ho

My granny tee is finished

You might remember this post from about ten days ago, well I've now finished my 4th granny tee and I'm currently finishing off my fifth one this week that I stared last year (oops). Indigo Blue came about when I took delivery of my Scheepjes Skies mini skien box (heavy/aran) and I'm in love with this yarn! I was sitting watching a film when I had the sudden urge to crochet another Granny Tee by Sarah (aka annaboos house) The mini skeins are perfect and I ended up using two boxes plus a larger 100g skein for the sleeves and joining. It has amazing drape and the colours are a subtle shift of indigo that is going to look fabulous over a white t shirt with jeans and flip flops. Perfect partnership and so bang on trend for the tie dye look that's about for festivals for this summer.  The total cost was around GBP35 not including delivery and I think for a custom made jumper that's not a bad price. I measured it as I added rows then I added side slits to my g