On June 27th in the morning, 30 of us were welcomed to ‘Covertside’ at Perrott’s Brook near Cirencester by an exuberant Hungarian Vizsla dog and delicious coffee & cakes provided by Lynn Sales. This was accompanied by a talk about the development of the property, then John Sales explained his management of the meadow area and around the sloping garden he answered numerous questions sharing his knowledge as a true plantsman. My outstanding memory of the beautifully kept garden is the incredibly thin 3 foot high box hedges which divided the central areas.
Our afternoon visit to Moor Wood, at Woodmancote was only a short distance away but we had a long walk from the lane, where the coach had to drop us, down the drive to the main house. Henry & Suzie Robinson were delightful hosts having inherited the vast property they explained how they set about simplifying its management with limited help. The National Collection of rambling roses came about in 1983 and we saw it at its peak, climbing into trees and covering old walls. A truly wonderful sight. Followed by a generous tea and cakes we staggered back up the driveway to our awaiting coach. A lovely day and we only encountered the forecast rain on the journey home.