Garden visit: High Beeches

It's belting down with rain here in West Sussex so I'm glad I grabbed the chance to whizz around High Beeches while the sun was shining on Saturday.
Although it's late in the year, I found a magnolia and rhododendrons still in flower along with trees getting their autumn colour.
Here are some mobile phone snaps..

Garden visit: Sir Harold Hillier

Well it seems I'm on a mini mission to see some Hampshire gardens while I'm working in the area and before winter sets in.
Yesterday was the turn of Sir Harold Hillier gardens near Romsey. It is owned by the county council and includes a memorial garden to murdered landscape architect Jo Yates, who used to work there.
It's a large and varied collection which includes a pinetum, herbaceous borders and hydrangea garden.
Here are the snaps I took on my phone...

Garden visit: Exbury

Today's gardens visit was not in Sussex but in the New Forest.
These days my work means I spend a great deal more time in Hampshire and Dorset so, I thought, why not take advantage of being nearby some of the most beautiful gardens and countryside?
Exbury, which is packed with rhododendrons and azaleas, is clearly best viewed in the spring and early summer but today I was wowed by the amazing hydrangea gardens and the acers that are beginning to get their autumn colour.
This is what I saw...

Olympic park gardens

On Monday, I ventured as far as London to watch athletes do unimaginable and seemingly impossible things at the Olympic stadium.
I never imagined my trip would result in a garden blog post but the planting of wild-looking gardens around the Olympic park is stunning.
Here are a few snaps I took on my phone.

Cowfold Fair and Flower Show

On Saturday the rain stopped long enough for the good folks of West Sussex to step out and enjoy Cowfold's village fair.
As a closet classic car fan, I was overjoyed to see some cared-for examples of motoring history, including a German Borgward, a Jaguar XK 150 and a pristine Mk1 Ford Escort.
Also in the line-up were a modern Lambourghini and matching white Mazerati, desperately trying to steal the show.

'Rather tempting'

But I digress... The cars aren't the reason you are here so I will tell you instead about the Cowfold Horticultural Society flower and vegetable show.
While everything else at the fair was free, the society charged 50p entry to its marquee containing this year's entries of vegetables, fruit, flowers and flower arrangements.
It was rather tempting to see those strawberries and raspberries so beautifully presented but I managed to resist swiping one.

Rain damage

Given the horrendous weather, including a downpour on the morning of the show, competitors to the flower categories did marvellously to produce any entries at all.
Some of the roses were showing slight signs of rain damage but most were pristine. I did succumb to one temptation during my visit... the plant stall.
I came away with two modest ophiopogon 'black lilyturf' to fill a hole in my little border at home.
My only other purchase of the day was a generous chunk of coffee and walnut cake from the clubhouse canteen.