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Highfield Farm Garden (Monmouthshire, Wales)

I am lagging behind with my England tour posts, not that there is an urgency, but I know if I don't get them recorded and organized, my feeble memory will begin to muddle them. The three previous gardens ( Hidcote , Kiftsgate , and Bourton House ) were visited on the first day of the tour.   Day 2 took us across the border into Wales, where we saw two gardens.  Our group (about 25 people) rode in a comfortable bus, and everyone kept saying that it was much smaller than the buses they normally used. I thought it was fine, and most of the time, I had my aisle to myself. Unlike the Japan trip, where our mode of transportation changed daily, we kept the same bus during the entire trip. I soon learned that it was best for my mental health to sit on the right side of the bus. The country lanes of England are indeed as narrow as they appear on television, and the ever-present hedgerows grow right next to the roadside. Watching these hedgerows fly by within an inch of your window...
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Home Again - Hello Roses

'Crown Princess Margarita'

I'm back home after a three week garden tour of the Cornwall region of England. It was phenomenal and I'll be sharing photos from the trip later. I got back home to an explosion of growth and bloom in our garden. I was grateful that we received some rain and so was Michael, who didn't have to do a great deal of watering.

This is my favorite time of year when the garden bursts into bloom and everything is fresh and unblemished.

The roses are especially a treat right now. 

'Cornelia'


'Lady Emma Hamitlon'

'Lamarque'

'Marchesa Boccella'

'Mutabilis'

'Playboy'

'Purple Pavement'

'Radway Sunrise'

'Darcey Bussell'

'Golden Celebration'

'The Impressionist'



'Lady of Shallot'

'Buff Beauty'


'Julia Child' & 'The Impressionist'

'Sunny Eleganza'

'Tess of the D'Urbervilles'


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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Comments

  1. Barbara H.May 26, 2025 at 6:07 AM

    That was truly the trip of a lifetime! Thanks for all the sharing. Your roses are splendid, but of course that doesn't surprise me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. tz_gardenMay 26, 2025 at 8:09 AM

    3 weeks! I didn't realize you were there that long, how fantastic! How lucky you were to get rain and come home to all that gorgeousness. I can't pick a favorite rose, they are all lovely -hmm, but I am drawn to 'Lady of Shallot'. Welcome home. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Phillip OliverMay 29, 2025 at 10:08 AM

      'Lady of Shallot' is one of my all-time favorites.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousMay 26, 2025 at 8:51 AM

    I love the care you take in selecting some really great roses, and then you grow them so wonderfully. Really superb!

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  4. Linda's Relaxing LairMay 26, 2025 at 12:01 PM

    Gorgeous captures.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kris PetersonMay 26, 2025 at 12:05 PM

    I love the roses - and the IG posts you shared of your trip! I look forward to seeing more on your Cornwall tour in future blog posts.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMay 28, 2025 at 10:54 AM

    A feast for the eyes!

    ReplyDelete
  7. hbMay 29, 2025 at 10:05 AM

    3 weeks in Cornwall--wow must have been awesome. Skipped Chelsea?

    I expected a rosy treat by the title, and was not disappointed. The roses welcomed you home--how great is that?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Phillip OliverMay 29, 2025 at 10:09 AM

      I didn't skip Chelsea. It was the grand finale to the trip.

      Delete

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