Saturday 26 September 2015

Thanks to all Readers



Leaves are falling fast now,
 it is coming to the end of October.


Feels a bit sad as autumn is starting
 to come to a close.


Leaves are really falling fast!

 

Cornus Leaves changing
 as Autumn begins




I wanted to say a big thank you to 
all who have engaged and read my 
blog to date.



Please continue to read it, I really 
do value your opinions. 


I would love to hear what you have 
gained from it so far. 






Wednesday 23 September 2015

Canal Side Gardening



Heron in flight over the still Canal today......

It is very peaceful walking down by Canals. 
It feels like you are a million miles
from the rat race which so many of us live in. 


I go there when I can and it really
is therapeutic, in a strange kind of way. 






Still water, narrow boats cruising at a 
gentle pace, such friendly people, from 
all walks of life, 
choose to live or travel 
on narrow boats.  






           



I took a walk by The Grand Union
Nature and beauty side by side
Canal today, 6.7.15 to get some 
inspration for my blog.  It was 
a bit cool which was a shame.
 












 
 

 


 

 
  
                            


I love walking by canals and watching people who 

live on house boats, going 
about theire day to day lives. 
I find it fasciniating.


 




I looked into this lifestyle but 
it is not so straight forward.


May be it will have to wait until 
I can have a more leisurely
lifestyle and ideally somewhere warm. 




Captured this as boat was going
through a canal lock with
owner's permisson





So here is my first example 
of a 'Mini Garden 
on a Narrow boat.



It looks so colourful and atrractive 
especially at this time of the sumer.




I love this reflection don't you?




I watched a Lady who clearly lived right
 on the Canal with her

watering can taking water from the canal.
and she then went to water her Garden!

 
Wild brambles in early July. 
A treat to pick later on.




Some residents of canal side life 
have the privelidge of a permanent mooring. 

This is where you tend to see a whole lot of 
narrow boats moored together.



So along side this there are 
those lucky people who
 can create their own 'Mini Gardens'
on the land.  



Hanging baskets, planters and little 
sheds all alongside their homes. 



Dappled sunlight
in the afternoon






I love the reflections you see. 
There is something
 serene about water. 


Here there are often lots
 of boats but not today.


 


Some just have their boats to display 
their colourful pots and planters. 


I think this is really nice it if it 
is done tastefully. 

So you can have a Mini Garden 
almost anywhere. 



Nature is great. Wild flowers
grow anywhere



There is so much to see, 
some days
 I see at least two herons either 
standing still or in flight. 



The herons seem to be around
 in the same spots. 

In flight over a certain patch of water or
watching on the canal side.

Monday 21 September 2015

Wisley - RHS Gardens




Welcome to my RHS Wisley page. 
This is the most fabulous landscaped gardens 
open to members and non-members. 


                                 
I have had the opportunity to visit 
Wisley on quite a few occasions
                       and it is always different and 
        most of all inspiring 

 

 

 

It is a Gardeners Paradise......

                     
Beauty of a Silver Birch


Please follow my trip around 
these beautiful gardens. 



So many areas to
sit and contemplate
in. You can walk
and talk and be
totaly inspired.





Wisley -
Centre of Plant Research






It is divided into lots 
of areas. Rose Gardens, 
Alpines, Rockery Garden 
landscape, Alpine Glass 
houses and a lot more.









Perfect waterlily in Canal

Stunning Magnolia



This is in a walled Garden at Wisley.
Most unusual tropical plants.  


I wouldn't cover it
with any plants


What would 
you do with 
such a  cool 
plant support
in your own 
secret walled 
Garden?

Love the colours and reflections here.
The walled Garden 
is a really tranquil 
spot. It feels like 
you are entering 
another world.

What do you think of this composition?




There really is something for every gardening 


enthusiast or professional gardener. 

Look at its huge fronds


Cool and exotic
plant in Walled
Garden at Wisley.
Truly amazing
plant. Like a 
giant fern.








In a walled Garden you
can grow so much








There is something
special about a walled
garden.

A micro climate 
is created so you,
the Gardener, are
able to plant all 
sorts of exotic and 
unusual plants. 

Don't you love
the deep red 
with contrasting
green leaves? 





Makes me want to get out my paints.



I love the way this plant spreads
out and looks so at home.


Red is so 
eye catching
and this plant
really stands 
out here.

It is a real 
beauty.
Dainty and
exotic looking. 








Nature is amazing

I really love 
this tropical 
plant, don't 
you? It is
so unusual.


It feels like
it belongs
indoors in
a hot house. 




Wisley is a really fabulous place. I was amazed 
at how much there is there. 

It transports you into another world and you can 
walk around for hours just taking it all in.



Like this or not?



This is such an easy
and clever feature


Such a simple effect.















 











We all need focal points in our Garden space













 Summer colour





Conical trees make
such a statement


Monday 7 September 2015

Beatrix Potter and The Lake District

 Your Journey to Hilltop and beyond ...


By open topped bus?
Did you take a boat like this?


How far did you travel?
How long did it take
you to get to this special
place?





Did you walk instead of
taking The Mountain Goat bus?



Was it a real adventure for
you too?

I had no idea quite
how far away it was from anywhere.

How would it have been in
Beatrix Potter's day?



It must have taken
a lot longer to get
from A to B.



I can picture Beatrix sitting in
her old Farmhouse, working
away in her study or her cosy
kitchen plotting and creating
her many characters.

She needed to be in a peaceful
place, to engage and work out
her stories and her fabulous
 illustrations.


What came first? The illusrations or the
stories do you think?


Do you think she was a bit of a loner and needed her
own space and company?


I can picture her having visitors
from the postman, farm workers,
friends, and they would sit together
by the fire and all engage in
fascinating conversation.

All animals were Beatrix's friends.
Do you think her house was full
of them?






Did you take a rowing boat to the Landing Stage 
across Lake Windemere?

Do you think that Beatrix had to take 
a rowing boat to cross the lake?

If so who would have rowed? Mr Heelis?


How did Beatrix live?
We know she grew her own produce, had sheep, 
may be chickens to lay eggs, bees to pollinate the flowers
and make honey?