Blenheim Palace

I went to Blenheim Palace last Monday with my friend Amy. The palace was gorgeous and so were the gardens. We were really surprised to see so many roses in flower - many were beautifully scented.


I was especially pleased to see one of my long term favourites 'Peace'.


and also Iceberg


Isnt it wonderful to see roses planted in such profusion.


I wish I had had more time to look at the restored secret garden


We hope to revisit in the spring. We can do this for free as we were able to convert our ticket to an annual card for no extra charge - great value.

And now here is a picture I took of the beautiful garden behind the Montague Arms at Beaulieu


The weather has cooled down now that it is October. Today I picked all my tomatoes (green and red ) and put them in a large dish in the kitchen. I am hoping some of the green tomatoes will ripen but if not I will cook them green. Have you read Fannie Flaggs book -Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe ? Its a novel not a cookery book but it did inspire me to use my green tomatoes in recipes other than chutney. (Nigel Slater has recipes in todays Observer)