The Gardens of the Rose

Last week, along with daughter Janie, Oliver and Rebekah, we visited the Gardens of the Rose. I had been before some years ago, but Janie had not which was surprising as she loves gardening and roses and this garden is very close to her home.

Apart from the individual rose beds there are a series of archways circling the 3 ponds in the middle of the garden. It is a quiet and peaceful place where one can just sit and listen to the splashing of the fountains while surrounded by the perfume from the roses.

Recently there has been built a Butterfly Garden with many different themed gardens in a modern style right next door. This is being developed as a place for children's activities too. It is called Futures Garden and the large ant that is shown here in one of the photos is where the gardens meet. I can see that this will be a fun and informative place eventually to take families but I do hope it does not impinge on the tranquility of the rose gardens.

We began with lunch in the tearooms before strolling and sitting as the fancy took us. Come round with us and enjoy.

How much is that doggy in the window? Quietly watching while it's owner took payment and issued tickets.

We are off the day after tomorrow (Friday) for a weeks holiday, staying in a tiny and quaint 16th century, thatched roofed cottage. Only two and a half hours from home, but an area with pretty villages and a number of National Trust places to visit. So this will be my last post until we return.

Fortunately the heatwave is apparently going to die down at the weekend. Can't say that I am sorry as 90 degrees plus heat rather cramps one's style. Have a great week everyone.

Oh, and you can see my new Grand daughter at 10 weeks here

Lavender Everywhere and More

The garden is forever changing colour and shape as the weeks go by. The main beauty and fragrance at the moment is from the Lavender with Clematis in abundance and the later flowering Roses. With the roses generally the first flush, which is always the most prolific, has finished and the shrubs need time to come up with their second main flowering.

White Lavender

We visited the Gardens of the Rose last week while visiting Janie's (more in my next post) and Jane and I both bought this lovely creamy yellow minature bush rose. When I got home I found I had no room anywhere to plant it. So...........off to the garden centre to buy a pot (this rose also does ok in a container). I ended up paying twice the price of the rose in order to be able to plant it. One of the hazards of being a gardener - difficult to resist buying another plant.

This is a 'groundcover' rose.

Beautiful Thyme in several places

This has inadvertently become my current garden project. Around one side of my pond and waterfall I had a Juniper Horizontalis that had spread for about a metre and recently had begun to die back. I thought it would be just a matter of cutting it back and digging it out. What I had forgotten was that when we built the pond some decades ago this shrub was planted in amongst the rockery sides that were holding it all together.

It became a matter of partly dismantling the structure which has now entailed clearing of a lot of ivy too.

So when I have finished I will be replanting this area from scratch

For now it has become far too hot to continue today and we have a severe heatwave forecast for the coming week, at the end of which we go on holiday so it is going to look a mess for a while to come.

The Centre Court at Wimbledon registered 104f last week - wonder what it will register this coming week

A shaft of evening sunlight highlighting a single Peony, bought for me by one of my guests at a dinner for 7 that I organised here last Monday.

Janie will be here for the day tomorrow with Oliver and Rebekah so we are waiting to see what the temperatures are. We planned to visit a children's theme farm but if it is too hot then we will do something less active. Today after several hours of severe storms yesterday, it is extremely hot and humid.

A Walk from Flatford Mill to Dedham

As promised in the last post, I will take you on a walk from Flatford Mill to Dedham. This will be a 3 mile circular walk taking in afternoon tea on the way. (You can see lots of beautiful photos of Dedham by clicking on 'English Villages' These are from our last visit in November.)


This becomes a long drag up the lane to the top of the hill

We are now walking across the fields to the village which is on the horizon here

I love the long grasses blowing in the breeze

We come to one of the many 'kissing gates'

And out onto a path

Passing some cows

And over a river covered in Algae

Along a wooded path

Through fields and to another river, the River Stour which divides Suffolk with our own country of Essex. On the horizon here you can see the church in Dedham. We cannot go directly there though as we have to wait until we can cross the river, making it much futher than the crow flies.

Now is this cow standing on top of his friends! - no, he is standing and they are lying down.

Continuing along the river. When my children were young we took our own dingy onto this river but I would imagine that health and safety would not allow that now.

We are now on the bridge crossing the river

And passing the bank of a stream covered in wild Cammomile

Into Dedham

Passing a country green grocery store

We come to The Essex Rose, our favourite 16th century Tea House

I had Rocky Road square and Alan had carrot Cake

Some good views of the surrounding area and a portrait of the painter John Constable on a souvenir teatowel

And now fully refreshed we make our way back to Flatford Mill

Seeing light at the end of the tunnel

And following the river on the other side this time

Across the last field where we will find our car and make our way home. Hope you enjoyed the walk as much as we did.

Flatford Mill and the Artist John Constable

Last week we took a trip to Flatford Mill in Dedham Vale. Less than an hours drive from home and famous for being the place where John Constable, the famous English painter, lived and did most of his paintings. The following link will give you lots of history and information if you are interested.

John Constable 1776-1837 was a Master of English Landscape painting in the romantic style. As well as being known for his painting in the open air, he is also known for his depiction of reflections on water and light on clouds.

http://www.britainexpress.com/History/bio/constable.htm

This painting of Constable's looks across the fields to the village of Dedham and one can just see the church on the horizon.

Here is the same scene today and like with all the paintings, the trees have grown in the years between painting and photo.

Bridge Cottage now houses a museum and the whole area is now managed by The National Trust.

The back of the cottage overlooking the river stands next to a restaurant, also run by the Trust where we had a delicious Cottage Pie with Salad.(Lamb and vegetables with a potatoe topping covered in grated cheese,not a pastry crust) for the uninitiated.

This is the back of the old Granary which is now a private house offering bed and breakfast with rooms that open out right into the garden on the riverside. We both thought we might like to spend a couple of nights there as the area is popular with walkers.

The front of The Granary. This was once owned by John Constable's Father, but the family lived in East Bergholt, a couple of miles down the road.

We are now looking at the dry dock featured in John's paintings showing the original timbers. And here is the painting.

We digress from the front of the buildings to again look at the back of The Mill from across the river.

Back across the bridge onto the road

Where we see the front of the Mill which is now used for painting courses

We now come to the exact spot where the famous picture The Hay Wain was painted.

The painting

Willie Lott's cottage which became famous as a result of being included in the painting

The Hall used for accommodation during painting courses

Having walked around Flatford we did a 3 mile circular walk which took in the village of Dedham half way round. (you may remember my post on our visit to Dedham last November.) I'll keep the walk for another post and hope that you will come with me.

Moments with Sara Pt.4

Seen here on the Saturday before Sara and CT embarked on their wonderful tour of England and Wales. Jane and family came over for the day as Jane being a blogger too, she and Sara wanted to meet.


Deep in conversation while 6 week old Rebekah gets a cuddle from Sara

Grandma makes a Daisy chain for Oliver

With family gone Sara and I were relaxing after a long day when at about 9.0 pm on the evening before Sara left I realised that we did not have a photo of the two of us together. Every minute of our time had been taken up with getting to know each other, chatting and visiting the area that we almost missed this opportunity.

So, at a time of night when the last thing we wanted was to have a photo taken, we came up with this, one and only, taken in the pale evening light.

Sara will be posting many pictures of her visit to England over the coming weeks and has aleady posted a little taster.

As afternoon tea features a lot in our life in England, this was the Buttercream and Vanilla sponge that graced our last afternoon together in my home.

On the Friday afternoon (the previous day) I had the opportunity to take Sara out to Pilgrims Hall for a tour of the house and grounds and to meet the members of team that were on duty at the time. I did not take my camera (although I did take a picture of Sara in the grounds with her camera)

A couple of days later I was out there myself (with my camera this time) and took some random photos of areas of the grounds that I had not previously shown you amongst the numerous pictures that you can see by clicking on "Pilgrims Hall" in the sidebar.

So do come and walk around with me and we will then have afternoon tea in the dining room. This is a new venture we have just started - running an English tearoom and coffee shop (open to the public) on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Into the house for tea now. One has the choice of sitting outside, or sitting in the flower filled conservatory or as here in the dining room. This was the first day and over 50 people came for tea or a light lunch b ut it is almost closing time now. The cakes are all home made on the premises and are delicious.

Second Week in June

The changing face of the garden

What can be more 'June' than strawberry picking.

Gone are the days when one struggled on hands and knees

Now the strawberries are grown in growbags at chest height

Moments with Sara Pt.3

Sara and CT will be at the airport now waiting for their long flight back to California. I had planned to telephone their hotel last night but developed a really bad sore throat with streaming eyes etc. and did not remember till way past their bedtime. Could not bear to disturb them before a long flight and sleepless night.

I'm sure that over the next few weeks Sara will have many photos on her blog. Here I continue with just a few random photos taken while driving around some local villages. There are many photographs of Finchingfield and Thaxted in previous blogs and they can be found under 'English Villages' on my sidebar.

Where we ate lunch. A centuries old pub. The waitress offered to take a photograph of the 4 of us but would you believe it, she did not click the camera properly.

More to come

Moments with Sara Pt.2

I have telephoned Sara while on her tour and she and CT seem to be having a great time and experiencing the very changeable British climate. Over the weekend we had 2 months rainfall in half a day with a temperature of 59f when last Tuesday it was 81f and I was wearing shorts!

The previous post I wrote on Sara's visit was actually during the middle of her week with us but I will return to the beginning. On leaving Heathrow airport we made our way along the M4 with Sara and I chatting away in the back of the car and Alan and CT doing the same in the front. I looked out of the window and there was Windsor Castle in all it's majesty towering above the trees. We had missed the turning on to the M25 London Orbital. Alan's navigator was sitting in the back seat completely oblivious of what he was doing. OK, turn around at the next junction(how we managed this I do not know) but at least Sara got to see the outline of the castle.

On arrival home it was a nice warm sunny day so we began our time with afternoon tea in the garden, after which Sara and I took a walk.

The following day we had planned a chill out, getting to know you, getting over jet lag kind of day. Come afternoon we were all feeling like a walk, so get out your walking shoes and come with us. We are walking in a lovely park close to my home.


We pass the churchyard of St. John's Parish Church

And here stop to look at the Queen Elizabeth II bridge over the Thames (double click if you cannot see it)

This particular part of the wood can look quite eerie on a winter walk when it is dark and all the trees are bare.

Our walk took in a deer enclosure, meadows of wild flowers and a fishing lake but I have already posted photos on these in the past. I love taking photos in woodland and forest as the shadows and dappled shade make for interesting pics.

The sun setting on the garden at 9.0 in the evening.

The next day we visited some interesting and pretty villages which will be covered in another post.

Giveaway, Awards and Gifts

And the winner for this Giveaway is.................Bennie and Patsy of "The Smith's Bennie and Patsy"


I am sure that you are both going to enjoy many moments enjoying your tea with this lovely set and probably thinking of England at the same time! Don't forget, heat the pot first and make sure that the water is boiling when it hits the leaves. Releases the oxygen.

Commiserations to all who entered and did not win!

And now to some recent awards. The first one, Your Blog is Enchanted came from

Zetor for a blog with the character of caring. Zetor thank you so much, I am honoured to receive this from you.

I pass it on to Adrienne of With a Grateful Heart

The second award Exalting Christ Blog Award came from Kim of Stamping Between the Dishes and Laundry and was created by Women to Women. Again I am honoured and very much appreciate this recognition. I pass this on to Susan of Penless Writer.

I received the above book as a gift from Susan Kelly-Skitt

Susan asked me if I was able to help her son with a school project about aspects of life in England. I was more than happy to do this for him and was glad to know that the project subsequently went very well. Susan has a page in the book telling some of her own testimony amongst over a 100 daily devotions written by different women. Thank you Susan.



And then Willow from Southern California, who stayed in our home last year sent the above gift over with Sara. Roses for Regret by Audrey Stallsmith is a book and author that I have never heard of so it should be interesting reading. The organic Earl Grey tea will accompany the reading.

First Week in June

More Moments with Sara coming Soon

Moments with Sara Pt.1

How can a week pass by so quickly! Sara from Southern California and her husband CT have 'been and gone' already. Sara was a delight to meet and I know we have made a life long friendship. I did take some photographs but not as many as usual (more on Sara's blog eventually of course). Photographs were a lesser priority to spending time talking and sharing our lives and getting to know each other better and taking into account that we may never meet again in the flesh.



My first photograph at the airport was so blurred I had to delete it. Not easy to take an indoor photo without my tripod when my hands were shaking with excitement. I recognised Sara and her husband way back in the hall before they even came through the gate. The photographs that I did take I will share over a few posts.







This is the day we visited Chartwell, the country home of Sir Winston Churchill. (For new visitors you can see much more on Chartwell by clicking on 'National Trust' on the right hand sidebar).



Sara was able to experience some real rain which she loved. It was so wet that we were given plastic sleeves to put our umbrellas into before we could enter the house. Walking through the orchards and gardens was a real battle against the wind and almost horizontal rain. A great contrast to the hot and sunny weather we experienced from then onwards.




We parked the car alongside these beautiful meadows full of wild Buttercups slightly shrouded in the rain and mist.

And here she is - Sara assuring me that she was loving the experience of the heavy rain that she rarely saw in Southern California.

Any ideas - this bucket looking thing high up in the tree? With tongue in cheek Alan decided it was a portable loo for tree climbers!

Winston's swimming pool

This particular day had many facets of an average day out in England for Sara to experience. We were delayed on our outward journey through heavy congestion on the motorway waiting to cross the Queen Elizabeth II bridge over the Thames. Having got so thoroughly wet we decided to not eat at Chartwell but make our way back to the other side of the river to eat. Again we were held up in congested traffic waiting to cross back to the north side of the Thames through the tunnels.

We decided to eat at The Bell Inn in Horndon-on-the-Hill. This pub has a great chef and has won awards for the food. We arrived at 2.0 pm only to find that they stopped serving lunchtime food at 1.45 pm. As we took Sara and CT inside to look around and use their facilities our nostrils were bombarded with delicious aromas that sadly we were unable to partake of.

http://www.bell-inn.co.uk/

Worth clicking on the link to read the history of this Inn which dates back to 1445 and see photographs.

Sorry about the quality of the picture (I should carry my tripod for indoor photos) but one of the interesting things about this pub is the fact that every year for the last 100 years an Easter Hot Cross Bun has been preserved and hung amongst the rafters.

Disappointment over we drove to a Harvester chain on the way home and did have a meal that we all enjoyed.