The Coach Trip

[Palustris]

They came on Sunday and they stayed for 4 hours or so and went on to the next place.
We are both utterly exhausted. Heaven knows how these people who open their gardens on a regular basis manage. Still the coach party were. it seems, utterly blown away by the garden, to the extent that they were heard to wonder if they could cancel the second part of the trip to a Nursery and stay here for the rest of the day, Very gratifying really.
We even sold £40 of plants and our friends who came to serve the morning coffee sold £20 of their plants too, so all in all, it was a successful if very very tiring day. We must have walked miles round the garden trying to answer their questions!. Nice thing is that the weather stayed dry and reasonably warm for them so they could eat their packed lunches in the garden. We have enough seats too for that many people (23). No one had to sit on the grass!
Very gratifying to be able to impress the kind of folks who came. Even better was that one of he visitors was an old lady who we have not seen for a while. She insisted on coming on the Coach trip when she found out where they were going. She thoroughly enjoyed herself too.
Done very little today. Potted up a few seedlings (Incarvillea alba, Edraianthus dinarica and some various cuttings) this morning, after watering the greenhouses. Then we went for a walk round Powys Castle gardens for a rest!
Tomorrow we will do NOTHING!
Saturday is another Alpine Show Day in Southport. We usually go to that one as we like walking round Southport itself afterwards.

[NightHawk]

This is excellent Eric, I had no idea you were planning to do this.

You should have given us advance notice then we could have built up the event for you. 

I'm sure your visitors had a great time, and it can't have been easy explaining all your plants to everybody.

Lyn and Malcolm will understand the effort you have put in to do this, as they are experienced at this.

Anyway, this ranks as a great achievement, and in recognition for this I award you a Gold Star.

Well done! 

Laurie.

[ideasguy]

I agree. That Gold Star was well deserved Laurie!

As Ive said in my PM, you are a very modest man, Eric.
That was a lovely story about the visitors wanting to stay on in your garden, rather than go to the next venue on thier tour. How nice to read about the old lady insisting on making the trip! Good for her 

Its clear youve both been working very hard in preparation for the visit. I recall the messages where youve said youve filled lots of bags with all sorts of "material".
I wish I'd been there. The £40 you lifted on plants would have doubled!

Start another topic and yell us about your visit to Powis Castle Eric! I'd love to hear about it.

Enjoy doing nothing today 
Somehow, I cant see you sticking to that plan 

[Palustris]

Right, so this is what the vistors saw on Sunday.
http://s703.photobucket.com/albums/ww32/Owdboggy/Coachtrip/
There are more plants in flower, but enough is enough!

[Eric Hardy]

Well done Eric. That must have been quite exhausting. On a much smaller scale we used to open out garden once a year to raise money for the village hall. Even that left us feeling tired and it was about the only time that aour garden got reasonably weedless. Unfortunately we haven't the energy these days. A bit past it 

Your namesake.

[NightHawk]

I've just viewed all your photos Eric and I'm sure your visitors will have been suitably impressed.

A great range of blooms, and I know you've got some secret garden areas in there somewhere too, which your visitors will have been very excited about.    That's the sort of area we would like to have if our gardens were large enough. 

You deserve a well-earned rest now to recouperate from your exertions.

Well done Eric.  I know it's not been easy, so I'm proud of you.

Laurie.