ARE WE READY TO BEGIN THE GARDEN TOUR……………..?

LET’s DO IT!

I’m LEAVING The STATION HERE ready to GO back to MY PUB …………

I MUST PACK UP THIS NIGHT and HEAD OUT in THE MORNING TO MEET UP WITH THE GROUP!

AS YOU KNOW WE MET UP AT PETERSHAM NURSERY from the FIRST BLOG.

GO BACK HERE IF YOU MISSED THAT!CLICK HERE!

WE camped for a week in SHERBORNE.

I in an APARTMENT close to THE ABBEY………….recall The BELLS TOLLED EVERY 15 MINUTES!

Dinner at DAME SYLVIA’s HOUSE the FIRST NIGHT!

Look how my HAIR TINSEL matches HER ART WORK!

NEXT DAY WE START TOURING!

GARDEN NUMBER ONE!

HOLD ON LADIES & GENTS!!!!!!!!

I’m NOT SUPPOSE TO HAVE MY TRUSTY PHONE OUT!!

THE THINGS I DO FOR YOU

DEAR READERS!

BUT I’m WITH THE HEAD GARDENER who is 24 years old!!

HE SAID IT’s OKAY!

JUST DON’T POST ON THE INTERNET!

SO, NO NAMES HERE and MY BLOG is NOT THE GRAND INTERNET!

IS IT?

DON’T TELL………I GOTTA SHARE WITH YOU DEAR READERS…………..THIS MUST BE ADMIRED.

 

AS WE DESCENDED the CIRCULAR STAIRS DOWN AND ENTERED INTO THIS.

 MY MOUTH WAS HANGING OPEN………….MY EYES WERE ABLAZE!

I DESCENDED A CIRCULAR STAIRCASE AND MY MOUTH WAS HANGING OPEN.

JUST ME AND THE HEAD GARDENER.

I wanted to know if HIS MOTHER was HAPPY HE WAS A GARDENER?

The answer was YES!

SHE GARDENS TOO!

I wanted to Know if his parents had been there?

Again the answer was a BIG YES!

 

ANOTHER PHOTO almost the same as you can see the arch going into the next room………

DO YOU NOTICE ANYTHING FUN ON THE STATUE?

I MISSED THEM THE FIRST GO AROUND!

I WAS TAKING IN ALL THE STONE AND BEAUTY!

RELICS REALLY!!!!!!

SO, HERE I did a PIVOT to SHOW YOU DEAR READER how I came down into this room!

Which has a NAME but for Privacy reasons I will OMIT THAT!

MARY DECIDED TO FOLLOW THE CONTESSA!

(Looking at me with MY PHONE!)

SMART WOMAN!

AGAIN I AM PIVOTING………….

TURNING 180 degrees looking back from where I just was……

NOTE THE DRAINAGE GRATE!!!!!!

OKAY, here I may let a little bit OUT of the BAG!

I adore the half arch on top……..found at a DUMP/RECYCLE PLACE.

WHAT VISION!

What is inside don’t ask me; I forgot to ASK!

I was getting the TALE on the MOSAIC’s on the FLOOR……….

YOU see they came from one of HIS PRODUCTIONS!

The MAN that resides here is in THEATER.

Those MOSAIC’s were PROPS for the stage production of a MUSICAL were there was a lot of MEOWING.

 

THIS OLD GUY was a PROP in A MOVIE.

(There were Children Involved!)

YOU could climb to the TOP of him and take in the VIEW!

SEE VIEW BELOW!

BEAUTIFUL VERDANT PASTURES!

I choice to stay HERE and LOOK for COWS and TURRETS!

 

THE HOUSE.

WHICH WAS AN OLD MONASTERY.

IN FACT A MONK was found on the GROUNDS when they DUG up something.

(THEY RE-BURIED HIM.)

I WOULD LOVE TO LIVE HERE!

THE BEAUTY AND THE HISTORY JUST SPEAK TO ME!

I WOULD NOT EVEN HAVE TO SEE THE INSIDE!

SOLD TO THE WOMAN STANDING IN THE GARDEN with HER MOUTH A GAW GAW!

SOMEHOW, I DO NOT THINK THEY WILL EVER WANT TO LEAVE!

They had TEA and CAKE for US in an extra kitchen off the GARDEN…….

NO, I didNOT GET INTO THE HOUSE!

The Ladies who served; I told them to tell the OWNER that an ANCESTOR of

GENERAL NATHANAEL GREENE was THERE and was so enthralled with the entire GARDEN and HOME.I had yet to see the PRODUCTION of HAMILTON………..as the cost was outrageous and to get seats well that too was NO EASY FEAT!However, MY GREAT TIMES 4 GRANDDADDY ON MY FATHER’s SIDE is MENTION IN A SONG IN THE PLAY CALLED HAMILTON and that was enough to give me GREAT JOY!

(MY GRAND DADDY WAS BEST FRIENDS WITH GEORGE WASHINGTON & NAMED His kids GEORGE and MARTHA!)

The Ladies assured me they would tell Him as he was due home the following DAY!

 

 

I ADORED THIS GATE as I have BALUSTRADES VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE that came from the owners of

THE MARK HOPKINS HOTEL IN San Francisco ESTATE IN HILLSBOROUGH!

MY first idea for my BIG kitchen was a CENTER island table made with these Balustrades!

I still have the tear sheet that came out of a MAGAZINE over 30 years ago and YOU know THAT magazine was EUROPEAN!

WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT IDEA?

Well, the BALUSTRADES need to be striped of white paint that was full of LEAD.

The ITALIAN started which took A LOT of time and than HE LOST HIS MO-JO.

Can you believe THAT?He NEVER loses his MO-JO on anything!!!MY TAVOLA NEVER Became a VISION!

Maybe because there is NO room for it NOW with a LOVE SEAT,A CHAIR a coffee TABLE and an old round woman’s retail clothing RACK holding the pots and pans in LA CUCINA!

I WOULD NEED A BIGGER KITCHEN FOR IT TO LOOK GOOD AND THAT ISNOT GOING TO HAPPEN SO I GUESS I SHOULD SELL THE BALUSTRADES?

OR HAVE HIM MAKE A GATE?

LIKE THIS!!!!!!!!

OR BETTER YET  CALL THAT SON of MINE WHO IS A TABLE MAKER!!!!!!!

 

GARDEN TWO!

 

First STOP to PICK up DEBRA’s FRIEND at THE PUB!

I liked her LINEN she liked MINE!

THE HONORABLE MR.JAMES & MRS.LUCILLE NELSON’S GARDEN

FOREST LODGE

AS I stepped off the BUS I had stables and Horses to the RIGHT and the House to the LEFT!

My EYES landed HERE!

I quickly snapped this………as the group entered into the GARDEN area……..shall we GO TOO?

AGAIN the CLOUDS SPEAK TO ME HERE………..

Take a MOMENT and TAKE THIS ALL IN……………….DEEP BREATH before I CONTINUE.

YOU will NEED IT!

LADY LUCY in RED CASHMERE!

MARY & DEBRA making FRIENDS with THE FOUR-LEGGED TYPE!!!!!!

THATS ALWAYS A GOOD SIGN!

GOOD PEOPLE!

 

CARTWHEEL HEAVEN!

As a child I loved to do CARTWHEELS…DID YOU?I was better at them than HANDSTANDS.

This ROUND patch calls out for ARABESQUE pose……….One leg high over ones head basically the other holding the body still with NO BEND in THY KNEE!I was pretty good at that too at one time!

A SPLIT IN THE AIR!

OR

Perhaps an ATTITUDE would be the BETTER POSE HERE?

Another BALLET POSE!

I moved a little to the RIGHT for YOUR Viewing pleasure………..

Now to the Left………..are you watching The CLOUDS?

I REALLY MOVED LEFT…………….can you FOLLOW?

Do YOU LOVE TERRA-COTTA as much as I DO?I use to STALK the POT places in ITALY

Once the SHIP sailed with our belongings I was STILL BUYING POTS!!!!!!!

SMALL ONES……..well KIND OF!

Now, I know some of YOU with TASTE are having WINDOW LUST as I DO!!!!!!!

Not only the ARCHED windows but the BIG paned window that almost goes to the GROUND!

Makes ALL the DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD!

Here in AMERICA we would be AFRAID to DO THAT!

WHY?

FOR FEAR THE ROBBERS WOULD STEP RIGHT INSIDE!

That’s when THE FEROCIOUS BANKSY comes in HANDY!

NO ROBBER WOULD GET PAST HIM!

 

 

 

I LEARNED A NEW WORD! THIS IS CALLED A RILL………..

A POEM READ AT LUCILLES SISTER’s FUNERAL………………..

 She had engraved on the Pyramid in the GARDEN at the end of The Rill.

I cut off just ONE WORD.

Which I think would be MAKES.

VERY TOUCHING and I love the RILL and MIRRORED PYRAMID!

 

 

ADMIRING THE STEPS…………

 

 

DO you SPY The LITTLE DOG taking a SWIM…….ONLY THE HEAD IS OUT!

 

 

 

GUNNERA the BIG PLANT LEAVES and I NOW HAVE SOME IN MY POSSESSION!

MAJESTIC……………why would ONE NEED TO LEAVE?

 

 

 

LOOKING A BIT SAD I AM…………OR IN DEEP THOUGHT!

WONDER WHAT I WAS DOING ON THAT PHONE!

THE COMPOSITION of THE TURBAN THAT CAME FROM RUSSIA,

THE SUNGLASSES on MY KNEE, THE HAND JUST SO ALL MAKE for AN INTERESTING PHOTO too BAD MY EXPRESSION IS NOT MORE UP BEAT!

Just PASSING BY ANOTHER OLD CHURCH………………..

A VINTAGE SHOP in SHERBORNE!This is what YOUR CONTESSA use TO DO!

OH SHARI…….I SNAPPED THIS PHOTO FOR YOU!

MY GIRLFRIEND DEVINE has these DOGS…..they travel to the JOB-SITE with her DAILY.

She is a LANDSCAPE DIVA!

Evidently, these DOGS LEAVE AN IMPRESSION as SHARI has DONE THREE HOUSES on MY STREET and TWO of those NEIGHBORS have RUN OUT AND BOUGHT THIS BREED OF DOG!!!!!!

THE INSIDE OF THAT ABBEY who’s BELLS TOLL EVERY 15 MINUTES even ON THE WEEKEND!!!!

ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!!!!!

LOOK I CAUGHT A FLOWER DISPLAY IN THE WORKS!

I LOVED CATCHING HER in ACTION and she was HAPPY TO GIVE ME A SMILE!!!!!!

 

Contessa at SHERBORNE ABBEY……..do note the ceiling!

OKAY!!!

ZOOM IN READERS!!

MY APARTMENT with my TWO ROOMIES was the second FLOOR straight a head all THREE WINDOWS!On the LEFT, LIVING ROOM.MIDDLE WINDOW THE ROOMIES BEDROOM.On the Right KITCHEN.My Room faced the side of the ABBEY where the BELLS DID TOLL…….

MORE GARDENS TO COME…………MORE TALES TO TELL………..KENSINGTON PALACE………

INSTAGRAM MEET UPS……..and MORE!!!!!!!!!

THIS WEEK AT THE ANTIQUE SHOW IN San Francisco with MY YOUNGEST SON!

STAY TUNED FOR MORE!!!!!!!!

XOXO