Celeste, Lovely! I've visited it twice, once in the spring and it is a worthwhile trip. You really hit a good time because when I visitd it in the spring, tt was not quite so floriferous. I don't think it is Veilchenblau either; too dark but oh so spectacular. My Veilchenblau is much lighter and more of a mauve gray. I found it frustrating that so many of the roses, especially the old ones are not labelled. The old story; not enough help and budget crunches. Thanks for the lovely pics. Will have to go again in the spring. Jim

Here is a link Here is a link that might be useful: master gardeners garden tour

Hi Caperose- Ooooh, your question brings back great memories of our trips. Your choices are overwhelming... Here are some points to ponder. Sorry, if I restate the obvious. Do you want to see formal gardens, cottage gardens, or smaller private gardens, or a mix? Do historic houses w/gardens interest you? You need to decide in order to refine your focus. Enrollment in National Trust, Royal Hort Society, etc. qualifies you for free admission to their properties. Saved us a bundle. Also check out the "Yellow Book" (charitable garden schemes) which specifies dates that private gardens can be visited. All info on net. There is a 1992 book on "rose gardens to visit in England" - probably out of print but available in your state-wide library system. Sorry, forget title and author. The number one mistake US folks make is overbooking too many places to visit and too frequent a lodging change. Too many of us return home exhausted and it doesnt need to be that way. When you evaluate travel miles, 50 country road miles there can take 2 hrs by car, not the 1 hr here. We've had a blast using public transport and an occasional day guide there (for isolated areas) and have found it very rewarding. Another idea: day coach tours run daily from the larger cities and are reasonable. Oh yeah, when I have emailed the rail and coach authorities for clarification, their responses are accurate and timely - love those people - the US transport system could learn from them, they arent perfect but they sure are helpful. Independent travel is very easy if you enjoy research and planning. We did and wow, the small as well as the formal gardens we saw - memories to last a lifetime. Garden tour companies didnt fit our taste as we like to set our own pace. Example, one private garden on an island is open a few weeks a year and we stayed 5 hrs there, some plants bloomed for the first time in 25 years! A tour company moved on after 2.5 hrs and we would have missed the many details that sunny day, including our picnic at water's edge. On the other hand, tour companies take the worry out of planning, etc so many people prefer this type of trip. Again, there is no wrong or right, you just need to know what suits you best. Make sure that you ask for the daily itinerary to check out the time per garden. Some tour companies devote more on meals/giftshop versus the gardens and that works for many people. Tour companies also tend to frequent more populated places and they can be very crowded in summer and holidays. Travel time - make sure that you dont overplan your trip and need to hurry from place to place. A distance of 50 miles there could take you 2 hrs, depending on the roads. Let's hope the exchange rate improves and don't forget Wales and Scotland, lovely gardens there too! English Grammy's Gardengull

I *am* exhausted! & sunburnt! (went out there on an overcast morning, wearing a scoop-necked top, forgot to notice when the sun came out. duh.) The gardens were *gorgeous*, of course, & the swap/sale was loads of fun! We had a woman who sells plants/bulbs/seeds on ebay, the Master Gardeners had a booth, Waxahachie High School had a booth, there was a "flea market" with proceeds going to the Garden Club,...can't remember everything. The brown bag lunches were very good (& the Club now has arrangements with the to-go barbeque place to take up the slack in case they run out of food in the future!) I moved a lot of plants in pots, so my summer watering schedule is considerably eased (sold a few & traded a few.) This was the first time my friend Vi had been to the Tour & sale, & she had a great time, didn't bring very much but took several things home. Unfortunately, although the Extravaganza continued until 4 PM, Vi had to leave early to help her husband with a garden project, & my sunburn began to really burn & nauseate me, so I left a little later, by probably 2:30. Lots of nice people, helpful hands all round-several of the guys helped with loading & unloading, setting up tables, etc, & one kind person gave me some lotion for my back. It was great! can't wait til next year... (when I'll bring an extra shirt & a hat & some lotion!)