Road Trip - Gloucester

Gloucester is a beautiful part of the world. Lucky for me I have a friend who lives there, so tonight will be spent in a cotswold cottage, with good company, good wine (I shall be taking a bottle of Torre del Falasco 2006 Amarone, which I bought here) a dog and an open fire. Bliss.

Another plus is I get to visit one of my favourite nurseries, appropriately named Special Plants Nursery. And believe me, it is special. This is because it is run by a remarkable plantswoman called Derry Watkins, who is something of a miracle worker when it comes to all things horticultural. Plants respond well to her touch; she has a marvellous array of unusual ones and grasses for sale. I love grasses, so to get some tips in advance of purchasing mine later in the year, I shall be popping in to take a look at what is happening at her nursery in January. Derry is very patient and an excellent listener. She laughed when I called and asked if her nursery would be open. 'The only time the nursery isn't open' she said 'is when I have to go to the dentist'. It really is worth the trip from London, but rest assured, her team do also send seeds across the world and will mail a catalogue to you upon receipt of an SAE and 5 x 2nd class stamps.

The nursery is no more than a 10 minute drive from J18 of the M4. You get to it by driving a half mile down a country lane no more than a car width's wide. The nursery itself is adjacent to her house and garden. The garden is open every Wednesday in July, August and September. Better still, Derry hosts 'Special Tuesdays' where at 11am and 2.30pm a free talk in the garden is included with the £4 entry fee.

Derry's plants are both beautiful and strong; 'I grow anything that takes my fancy, anything that I'm crazy about' she says. This isn't the first time I have been to her nursery, but I am already excited to see what outdoor plants have survived the winter under her wing. You can read more about my visit here.