I chose Mottisfont in Hampshire for G for garden, specifically their famous rose garden.
I guess a bit of a refeflection point for me here is realizing I shouldn't be desperate to "tick off" all the categories in one visit. I chose this one because I was going to be down in Hampshire with the family for the Hampshire Show—which is brilliant, by the way; see my other post on that. However, and unsurprisingly, given I was there in the summer, the timing was a bit rubbish in the sense that the rose garden itself wasn't that spectacular because there weren't many roses out. I need to remember I've got the rest of my life to tick these off, so let's not force the issue just 'cos I'm gonna be in an area.
But Mottisfont is a different story completely; it's an incredible National Trust property set in the heart of the Test Valley. Funny enough, I’m actually recording this as a voice note as I’m walking back through the Test Valley now. I came back for another visit because I was so taken by the area when I first came down for Mottisfont. Hopefully, in time, I’ll be able to link this blog entry to that one so you can see where I was while I was narrating this. I've just seen a couple of absolutely beautiful little blue tits or chaffinches or something—I’m not very good on my birds, to be kind!
We had a really good time at Mottisfont, and I will try to go back to see the gardens properly. I have to remember that this project could take many years; I don't have to knock everything off at the same time. I need to choose my timings better. I actually need a system—a diary of sorts—so I can mark down when certain gardens are going to be particularly stunning. I’ll call it my "ABC Diary."
Anyway, enough for now. I’m going to take a fantastic photo of the Test Valley and the River Test and I’ll link it here.