Today is 10/10/10 and is meant to be incredibly lucky for some.
I spent the day visiting a stunning garden which is only open three times a year to the public. It is close to where I live and I can’t understand why I have never visited it before. I can thank one of my blog readers for alerting me to today’s open day, and I took my friend Wendy with me, an art conservator and accomplished jazz singer, who heads off to Australia next weekend on a five month stay.
As we drove through into the gracious grounds of Chippenham Park, Wendy and I marvelled at the wonderful collection of varied treas. We marvelled at the creative planting and clipped hedges, the clever and amusing vistas and fabulous sculptures which we adored. We both thought it was an incredibly witty garden, and its designer clearly has a terrific sense of humour and succeeded in bringing the garden alive in a captivating way.
We were not the only visitors who were hugely impressed. One man told me he considered it superior to the National Trust’s Anglesey Abbey, and one of the plant sellers told me he felt it was the best garden in East Anglia. It really is a very special, if belated, discovery. So 10/10/10 was certainly fortuitous for me.
There are so many other tiny corners of England that gladden the heart in the same way. “There’s just nothing like this in Australia,” mused Wendy, with a sad tone in her voice. “There’s nothing like it there at all. England just has so much history, and there is such a cosy feel about it.”
Wendy loves the beaches down under, as well as Sydney and its spectacular harbour. But this is a corner of England that tugs at the heart. When she is thousands of miles away, Wendy will look back and remember how we we ended our visit tucking into the tasty home made cakes which were served on the manicured lawn. As we basked in the warm autumn sun sipping our tea, I felt Wendy was already beginning to feel homesick.
I’m looking forward to her return next spring because I hope to join her on a house hunting trip to Puglia where she wants to buy a property near the beach….
It looks absolutely lovely, as does the weather, as do you. Honestly, until you mentioned it I wasn’t really aware it was 10/10/10.
Wow – looks fab! And a great excuse to go to Puglia 🙂
This is called many things: the powers of ten, Eames Day, 42 Day, etc. Some are simply calling 10/10/1910 day, or ten days Diez Diez. It’s one of those rare calendar that nobody really knows how to explain, but for some reason, we are all fascinated by it.
10/10/10 http://apusa.us/101010-3-4051/
Yes, it was great, and I came back with bags of spring bulbs which I bought there.
Sorry I missed you Ellee , glad you enjoyed this garden knew you would as its simply glorious , the best to my mind in Cambridgeshire .
Better by far than any of the local National Trust gardens.
As we returned to Cambridgeshire we came upon a ceremony to remember a local lad who had given his life in Afghanistan.
How sad a waste of a life is this.
Whilst we enjoy the Indian Summer of a day such as today there are our lads and lasses who day on day lay their lives on the line for us in such dreadful places.
And here in golly old Blighty we still have a tax system which will see the military cut whilst the feckless are rewarded , I despair,
The weather looks wonderful! its raining here but I cannot complain at all. I spent 10/10/10 doing the gardens! :o)
Looks beautiful, as do you!
The visit did inspire me to go to the garden centre just now and spend a fortune – again!
disaffected, I was looking out for you, would loved to have seen you, and many thanks for the recommendation. I imagine you have a beautiful garden at home. And I’m so sorry to hear about the young soldier from your village who died, it’s such a waste of a life.
So glad you had a lovely day 🙂
I spent the day at a celebration for someone. Well, it was a forced retirement for someone still capable. And the trappings of celebration were all from the inner circle of ‘the committee’ type people and those they approve of, you know, the ‘inner circle’. We weren’t included, my children and I. So it was bitter-sweet, as days go.
That looks a wonderful place. I spent yesterday at a prickly pear festival!
I spent a few hours in Church at a little boys dedication .. then i spent the rest with a friend :-).. Your friend will be lucky moving to Puglia .. 🙂
That looks a beautiful place. Great picture at the bottom,.
Ellee, I see that the garden opens again next year on Easter Monday the 5th of April 2011 .
I went at that time of the year this spring and is not to be missed as the bulb display was magnificent .
Swathes of snowdrops ( late because of the Winters snow ) far better than Angelsey Abbeys display and so few people you felt utterly peaceful as you meander around.
Plus the added benefit of hot soup ,hot dogs and good coffee on offer at the end .
Although we have a garden of about 13rd acre which I love Id do a swap !
looks a beautiful place to visit 🙂 I spent 10-10-10 traveling home from the most wonderful month spent in china a month i will never forget 🙂
I spent my day at a strange christening service, but it was nice to catch up with family who we don’t see often 🙂