Gardens and friends

Another gorgeous day today. My friend Tim drove down from Skye for the day and we decided to visit Ardmaddy Castle Garden down the coast a bit,  opposite the Isle of Seil. It's a garden I've known for a long time and it's always a pleasure to go back. Although the owners have built a new house a short distance away and their son and family now live in the big house, Minette still visits the Castle Garden most days to deal with the plant sales and other things. 

Lots of rhododendrons in flower - tho' many of the earlier ones frosted - and many bulbs and perennials too. We occasionally swap plants and I was allowed to dig up a clump of Sanguinaria canadensis 'Plena' and a bit of a beautiful pink erythronium which she didn't have a name for. 

Later we met up again at her new garden which is spreading out on to the hillside; wonderful views, but very exposed. She's planted many very unusual and rare plants - like me, she just enjoys growing special plants! A good day all round.

Tim decided to leave for home after take-away pizzas out on the deck in the sun. Hope it won't be too long before he can come to stay properly!

Quote of the Day:

David Hobson - "I grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow."