But I'm going to put in some pictures of the garden of a friend who lives in England. Over that-a-way, spring started a month or so ago so, while Rochester was busy having cold weather (normal) and wet weather (not so much normal, since it was the wettest April on record), English gardens were busy ramping up the posies!
I also have other pictures from England, and they'll be posted as well, but this bloggy thing (which sounds suspiciously like a boggy thing, but that's just my mind, since we've had so much rain over the past 72 hours) is about Chris's garden!
The garden has two sections, one for the poochies (this is a picture of the dog garden) and one for the peoples
In this shot, you are standing in the dog garden and looking back through the gate toward the people garden. Personal take? They're both nifty!
The yellow flowers are king's cups. They're growing in a little pond (because they are really water lovers? because they don't know when to stop?). I just went wandering in Google and have learned that this is one of the most ancient of British flowers. They predate the last glaciation and have survived and flourished. When you stop to think about what the weather was LIKE in the last glaciation, not to mention before and after, this is one stubborn and adaptable bloom!
Here is a paper birch
And here is a picture of some black elder flowering -
The rose is an early bloomer, a Maigold. Chris says that it has a soft fragrence. It's a lovely thing - I love the color. Makes me smile (no screaming and fainting at THAT thought, understand?)
Here we have a Hawthorn on the left and what (I have to learn to TAG these pictures!) I think is a blue spruce on the right. Remember, too, that this is NOT a huge garden. But it's bursting with all sorts of life and color!
Speaking of color! These are poppies. And they're absolutely beautiful. I know California poppies and I've seen cross stitch patterns for Himalayan Blue Poppies, but these are gorgeous. Maketh me to smile, they do!
We've walked a little way from Chris's home to look at a lovely, very, VERY stubborn Campanula. It found purchase between the bricks on this fence wall and decided to decorate the bricks. Again, so absolutely beautiful!
This gentleman keeps watch on Chris's garden. He was actually part of a church's facade. The church (forgive me, I didn't tag the picture and Chris isn't in town right now, so I'll have to update this later with the name of the church. I'm sorry...) underwent some updating, and he was removed, along with other things. Chris saw him and knew he had to come back to the garden. And there he sits, looking as if he'd never been anywhere else and completely at home.
EXBURY GARDENS - NEW FOREST
Exbury Gardens are famous for the Rothschild collection of of rhododendrons, azaleas and rare plants. The story of the gardens is fascinating, but today is about pictures. When Chris went visiting there a few weeks ago, it was still too early for the rhodies to be out, but she caught some lovely shots. I'm going to add them in here.
Azaleas, we have azaleas!
This is a beautiful, quiet nook in the 200 acre Garden. I want to bring it home (but my apartment manager might not like it!!!)
A very, very tall magnolia tree!
These are primroses.
This is a picture of trees of all different heights. In the foreground, encaged for its own safety, is a small sapling. To the right midground is a still leafless older tree. And in the mid ground center stands a massive oak (I think) protecting a very large pine, which probably doesn't need protecting any more, but has it anyway!
Notice, oh ye who may think that England doesn't have many sunny days - blue skies! Ain't that cool?
Ah, I feel ever so much springier than I did an hour ago! Have a great day!
No comments:
Post a Comment