A stroll through the village
This weekend my Eldest Daughter was home, organising some preparations for her wedding in August. This included us making part of her wedding dress!! Thank goodness that we were joined by my clever sewing friend the Biker Chick who is the same age as me - you can see in her, wearing pink on the far right in the photo of my Piddle Valley friends in Wonderful Walks)
At some point, when I can publish photos of the wedding dress (ie after the wedding!) I shall show you all the process of creating something amazing without a pattern! As you can imagine, it was a fairly intense process, so in the early evening ED and I took a refreshing, tranquil stroll along the river and through the village.
The young ducklings are quite grown up now, and the banks are green and lush. It is wonderful to live this delightful place - I really appreciate it the more I live here. 32 years and no intention of moving!
The flowers and shrubs through the village are wonderful, they even grow out of walls! And some gardens are the epitome of cottage gardens.
ED had the last of the wedding invitations to post, and so posted it in front of the church where they will get married. The invitations are quite amazing and unique, as one may expect of two graphic designers - I will try and find a way to reproduce them.
Amazing cottage gardens, and the delightful lathyrus? the perenial sweet pea climbing over lovely flint wall. I must try to get some, its just so robust and strong, and the colour is gorgeous.
The lovely combination of hydrangeas and honeysuckle are in the front garden of Well Cottage just at the bottom of the path from the road to our Old School.
Finishing with some updates of what is flowering in my garden, there is no way I can compete with some of the beautiful examples in the village!
This lovely combination of rose and clematis is not technically in my garden as they are escapees over the fence from my neighbour's garden.
But all the rest are mine -
The acer that I planted when my mother died many years ago contrasts nicely against the spirea that has small pink blossoms at the moment, but in spring the variegated leaves are a delight too.
Armandii suprised me by throwing out a couple of out of season flowers.
The acanthus or Bear's Breeches are flowering for the first time ever in their ten years. Normally I just get the sculptural leaves you can see at the base, but hurrah the flower spikes have burst upward this year.I have just taken time out to post this from the time consuming task of considering my job situation. I am coming around to the idea that I may do something entirely different, rather than be forced into a boring and meaningless job that is not related to anything I am trained for or enjoy just because it suits the Efficiency Review and the Library Service.
More news of that when I have something concrete to share.
posted by Val @ 7:20 am
9 Comments:
Acanthus, that is what we call an oyster plant here. We have in our garden too! I must admit though that we have sometimes thought of getting rid of it, as it can look kind of, well, spooky. But it grows in shade and drought and is very reliable.
Love the photo of your daughter walking along the grassy path.
My mother-in-law has an acanthus, but constantly loses it when its foliage dies down (at least that's the only reason I can imagine for someone losing a bedding plant in a bed!
Sorry for not commenting sooner - I'm catching up with everyone, just. Beautiful photos of your village, looks much like Martock, one of our favourite Dorset villages!
Have a great week and good luck finding some new, interesting gainful employment :)
Beautiful photos, Val!
I'm truly amazed at the gardens in your English villages. The roses, delphiniums, foxglove and purple (?) plant are a gorgeous combination, and those sweet peas against the stone wall are absolutely devine! We have them growing against the shed/garage over at Gran's house (now our tennant house). I've been trying to get them established on our front bank ever since we've lived in this house. I think I may be somewhat successful this year..finally!
The centranthus growing through the wall is amazing!
I'd love to see those invitations, and will look forward to seeing the dress.
My spirea is just beginning to bloom. Lucky you to share your neighbour's roses and clematis :)
I loved all your photos. Thanks for sharing that lovely walk.
Hello Val....
What lovely pictures, especially the one of your daughter walking along a path edged with cow parsley, so symbolic of the English countryside right now. English villages are so enchanting at this time of year.
I was surprised to see clematis armandii in flower too. I have one growing through one of the apple trees.
Enjoy your day Val, I hope the sun shines for you. Here in Wales it is quite overcast and the forecast isn’t good either. I wouldn't like to be at Glastonbury this weekend. Marion
It is truly a wonderful environment!
Such lovely flowers surrounding you everywhere. You are so lucky to live in such a welcoming climate. By summer our plants look tired.
I have another year at my 'lovely' job. The work has grown and one employee spends everyday manipulating and setting me up. She wants my one of my two jobs and blames me because she wasn't selected...yet I can't convince her I had nothing to do with it.
Oh well, only one year to go!
Intense is a good description for wedding preparations Val. My neighbour's only daughter is getting married in October and it has been...intense :)
The flowers in your photos are all so lovely- l would love to walk along that path with the pink flowers flowering- flowers just soften everything.
hopeyou are keeping well
bests and hugs
Lovely photos Val especially the one of your daughter by the river. I hope you haven't been washed away in the recent dreadful weather. How are the wedding preparations going? It's hard work but worth it in the end. I just hope that the weather improves by then - the setting will be beautiful, it just needs a little sunshine for perfection.
Post a Comment
<< Home