A pre booked private tour by Rose McMonigall, garden designer and owner of the beautiful Dipley Mill. Cream teas included! We had to cycle 10 miles to get there, and after a cream tea it seemed like more than 10 miles back!
We had cycled passed the view from the bridge over the Whitewater river near Hartley Whitney a few times, and seen this lovely garden, but inside there are 35 acres!
Rose took us on a hour long tour around all the areas of the garden, all very individual. Thankfully we did not cover all 35 acres, but a surprise before we left after tea, to meet a 5 day old Alpaca.
We had cycled passed the view from the bridge over the Whitewater river near Hartley Whitney a few times, and seen this lovely garden, but inside there are 35 acres!
Rose took us on a hour long tour around all the areas of the garden, all very individual. Thankfully we did not cover all 35 acres, but a surprise before we left after tea, to meet a 5 day old Alpaca.
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| The view from the roadside |
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| 17 bikes parking up under the pleached hedge which screens a tennis court |
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| Iced water before we start the tour |
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| Waiting to start the intro talk by Rose who tells us about the history of the Mill, which features in the doomsday book. Pretty old then. |
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| Rose, using a microphone throughout the tour. This is the carpet garden and full of Persicaria this time of year. |
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| In the carpet garden |
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| an onward to the next area |
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| This area cleverly called The Drover Road Garden........ |
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| The end of the Drove Road garden with old gate, and cattle grid built in too. The cattle grid filled with Thyme so that visitors can easily cross |
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| Grass pathway onto the next area |
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| Vestas garden. A place to contemplate, with many white flowers showing at different times across the seasons. Today, Cosmos are the main colour. |
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| Several varieties of Stumach will be firey red in Autumn |
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| The Dell garden, looking down from a spiral staircase |
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| Clever use of upright sleepers , with horizontal logs between them, separate another hidden pathway |
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| Another clever wall |
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| The Dovecot |
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| Rosie, the Alpaca owner took a coupe of photos that we could ALL be in the photo...... |
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| I almost made it into this one! |
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| And Rosie still had my camera as I crossed the bridge. |
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| Kay, Jackie and Liliana take cover of shade in the poolhouse |
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| The Cream and Green Garden, and Hydrangea Annabelle looking lovely, but falling down a little after thunderstorms a couple of days ago. |
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| The old millstones, now set into the patio area |
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| The other side of the herbaceous borders we see from the roadside. Also a very important sluce gate to control the water levels to avoid flooding |
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| And finally the Gunnera Collection. |
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| Tea up! It was delicious. |
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| A little bonus as we meet the Alpaca, Baby just born on Sunday this week. |
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| This one was very curious but did NOT like to be touched. |
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| Baby skipping around |
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| Presumably "mum". |
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| Susie took this one of me, looking very afraid, with Linda keeping tucked into behind me! |
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| That was a bit close! |
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| All 17 of us ready to leave in two groups, back to Crowthorne. Very nice way to spend an afternoon. |