I would certainly like to see the gardens of some of the people here but have limited ability to travel so can only visit local Canadian ones - I hope to see rouge's at some point. But we do enjoy hosting garden visitors... I do a fair bit of garden visiting via the printed word :-) i.e. I have a reasonably extensive garden library that includes lots of books about the making of individual gardens. I'm a voracious reader of all things garden and DH abets the habit by finding interesting garden books at any possible gift occasion (a lovely man!)

As Idabean mentioned in the thread that suggested this one, 4 of us from the east coast have been talking about visiting MOBOT, Detroit Garden Works and Chicago Botanical Garden next summer. Until it actually happens it's a fantasy garden tour. I think it would add to the interest to visit with other gardeners since except for day trips all my visits to other gardens have been with nongardeners.

Don't forget a visit to Ken's place. But, when you are there, make sure you don't eat the mustard!

lol karin ...

i got a great crop of weeds in the hosta this year ... its embarrassing .... you cant see half the hosta ....

from detroit garden works.. which is not in detroit.. thank god .... i am ... in theory.. on the way to chicago ....

if you come.. it will be to tour the conifers.. not the hosta ... because i doubt the hosta will be any better next year ....

ken

Oh. And as long as the tour is fantasy, can we have shirtless poolboys do all the garden cleanup for us ahead of time? So we can just stroll around in nice clothing and take credit for everything? After my last garden tour that is definitely the approach I will be using for the next one.

And if the host gardener wants some other kind of shirtless person, that'd be OK too. Every host gets their choice, right?

Sorry.... it's hot here....

Are you kidding me? Detroit Garden Works is not in Detroit?What a nerve.
I would love to add Ken to the tour. If DGW is 4 hours out of the way, I'm willing to drop it. It is too expensive, anyway.
I would hate to sit next to someone who cracks gum and takes up more than their share of the seat.The former is unlikely among garden touristas. The latter, well, I'd say 50/50.
idabean

I'd love to have a place for some of those DGW pergolas! Having read on their site that the pergolas are bolted together and come apart for shipping and that they do custom work, I'm curious whether they built the beautiful pergola at an old church on the main street of our town... The small garden there, according to a plaque in the garden, was built in 1993 - by a landscape architect in memory of his parents who were members of the congregation. The pergola is bolted together, something I'd never seen before in a pergola. That DGW is not too far away so it's entirely possible that they built it - although I just read the 'About' on their site and DGW was established in 1996 so maybe it was someone who became a supplier for them who built the pergola at the church....

Some pictures of the pergola and the little jewel of a garden it shelters:

{{gwi:10478}}

{{gwi:10477}}

{{gwi:10480}}

Detroit Garden Works builds their own pergolas, so yours is probably from another source if it's older, Woody.

If money and job were no option, I'd go to England, Ireland, and Scotland for a couple of months. I'd be sure to include the Chelsea Flower show and Kew and then visit some of the large estate gardens and those of some of the famous garden authors such as Great Dixter, Hidcote, Beth Chatto's garden, Sissinghurst, etc. To provide some variety (since I don't think I could visit gardens every day for a couple of months) I'd plan to spend some time on one of the canal narrowboats, do some hiking, and travel by train as well as visiting some of the architectural highlights such as some of the old abbeys and castles.

That would be my Fantasy tour as well, Babs. I'd love to see all of those gardens, particularly, Beth Chatto's, Great Dixter and Hidcote. Traveling by train sounds great too and I've heard of tours that use the canal narrowboats. And since it is a Fantasy Tour, we could take Woody along with us. :-)

Babs, don't miss Wisley. Outstanding.

my fantasy garden tour would be to rent an RV and travel all over the country to visit so many GWers gardens as well as see the sights. As a family, we do plan some day to take a couple months to go see sights all over the country, but somehow I don't think I can turn it entirely into a garden tour......and I'm pretty sure my DH would not be too keen on driving the flowered bus from the other thread!

T2D - no husbands allowed unless they are gardeners! The last thing we want is spouses making bored gestures while we are deep in a discussion of agastache hybrids. I think we'll be just fine driving the flowered bus ourselves.

Oh, and the flowered bus would be powered by biodiesel, so we'd be light on our carbon footprint while we drive all about the country.

What time are you picking me up??? I'll pack the snacks!

Oh my, the snacks. We haven't even begun to discuss that yet. Or the cocktails for that matter!