Haddon Hall
Haddon Hall has been on my wish list for so long. I've heard so much about it and seen so many beautiful photographs that I couldn't wait discovering it myself. I'm very much a person who loves grey skies and rain. And that is exactly how I've always imagined Derbyshire. Except that, this Summer, well this is a real Summer with lots of sunshine and heat. And burnt out colours. Even in Derbyshire.
When I was commissioned to shoot a garden nearby, I jumped with happiness as I could finally make plans to see this unique Tudor country house. I got there just in time to catch the last of the roses.
I went straight to the chapel (maybe unconsciously looking for a cool place?) that was one of the most beautiful places I have ever-ever seen. I was completely mesmerized by the 15th century wall paintings but it's more than impossible to describe so look..
I did have a good look around the whole house. As I mentioned (maybe hundred times) how hot it was, the windows were all open and as you walked by the perfume of the roses just hit you. I must go back. When it's cooler and when the light is better for taking photographs (as you're more than welcome do to so, at Haddon Hall).
Rousham
“Rousham is restful, spacious, time-worn and beautifully paced. Whatever season you visit, the garden always reveals something afresh. It is a magical landscape, an exercise in restraint and classical narrative, where anything seems possible. It has been hugely influential.”
Reading this, by Dan Pearson, how could I possibly write anything about this beautifully paced garden, an example of the early English landscape garden. As I write landscape garden, I even feel a bit ashamed too as I spent quite a lot of time admiring the foxgloves around the dovecote. These were most certainly not planted by William Kent. But then I did take a big walk around the garden, down by the River Cherwell, around the ponds and cascades, the Cold Bath or the seven arched Praeneste. Rousham must be seen. And felt. It is a very powerful place, you’ll see.
Debbie George at Green and Gorgeous
I first came across Debbie and her work via Alan Callander. He made this wonderful video of Debbie, look. Then I started to follow Debbie on Instagram and have been admiring her work form far.
But when Debbie came to teach her magic skills at Green and Gorgeous Flower Farm, I was so happy I could finally meet her. The course was so super relaxed and colourful and floral and just, well, perfect. Let me show you ..
First, Rachel showed the class around the gardens where everyone could pick the flowers they wanted to paint.
Orchard Dene
I haven’t posted here for a long time and I so wanted to add so much but then everything just happened and time was not on my side and all that but now, here I am. With images of Orchard Dene Nurseries.
I first heard about them during a Chelsea Flower Show week years ago and then I found out they were just down the road. But wholesale. So I’ve never been there until this week when my biggest luck sent me there. Long story short, I picked up an order for someone special and I got to have a look around this perennial heaven. Here’s what I saw..
The most close-to-nature nursery I’ve ever been to. And the choice plants is just amazing. And very close to my heart. So voilà. The visit to this nursery was one of my lucky treats for this week.
Flower arranging with Honeysuckle and Hilda
It’s a very quiet Saturday afternoon in our little Oxfordshire village. It’s snowing. Several times I make my way to the dining room. Not to eat but to admire my floral arrangement and pinch myself! I still cannot believe I made it! How lucky I am to have been able to participate at the flower arranging class given by the super stylish Claire of Honeysuckle and Hilda. Claire organised the class in the ever-so beautiful village of Hambleden. A village I absolutely love and that is not short of cute cottages and rolling hills everywhere you look. It’s only a twenty-minute drive away from where I live and I often go there, especially when the cow parsley covers the churchyard. Now back to March ..
The class was held in the village hall and people came from all parts of England. After everyone introduced themselves, I got a bit intimidated as everyone was a florist with years and years of experience between them. There was a moment (or two) where I wanted to run away and cry but I had my camera with me and that calmed me down, as always. And then I returned to my arrangement and kept working on it. When I arrived at the village hall that morning, I spotted the fritillaria persica and I knew I wanted that flower to be the centre piece of my arrangement. Claire’s signature flower is amaryllis that she always arranges so wonderfully and I almost felt bad I didn’t use that flower but I’m sure she didn’t mind. So yes, fritillaria persica and with many other Spring flowers. The arrangements all turned out so beautifully, as expected, and I was fascinated by how we all made arrangements so different yet quite similar. Clearly the influence of the class and Claire’s style.
Enough of words, I let the photos speak for themselves. There are photos of the class too but I’ll share those with you once Claire has written her blog post about it too.
Also, here’s how all our arrangements looked like. Well, one thing is for sure. I love flowers even more but I’ll stay behind the camera and take photos of them rather than working with them every day.
Snow in March
And so there was snow. Beautiful snow. We didn’t get as much as Scotland did, but I was really happy with ours too. I enjoyed it a lot, enjoyed seeing the garden, the snowdrops and hellebores disappearing under the snow and I enjoyed taking long and cold walks with Henry. And I managed to go up to Turville, just before it all disappeared, to admire this quintessential little village under - a bit of a - snow.
Chelsea Phsyic Garden
I only had a few minutes to look around the gardens before I had a meeting there last Friday. Almost missed the last of the snowdrops but caught the first blossoms. Beautifully hidden behind its walls in Chelsea, this garden is a little piece of heaven in London.
