Pimping one's patio with purple...

Schhhhh... don't tell anyone...

... but this morning, after dropping the boys off at school, instead of returning to my computer, where work is still piled up, merciless and demanding, I took a right turn and drove to our nearby garden centre... 

With days and days of endless rain and gales, prettifying the patio has not really been a priority...

... but with lovely friends and family visiting this weekend...

... a modest attempt to "pimp" the patio with some colour...

... seemed like a good excuse to "skive" from work for an hour...

So there we are. No styling overkill or flower mania, 

only a few pots of pick-me-up purple, 

some delicious lavender for my little Buddha to dip his nose in...

... and now, time to dance my special anti-rain dance to keep the rain AWAY this weekend, 

so our guests can enjoy lovely Wiltshire at its best!

***

... and speaking of purple petals...

In the July/August issue of Wedding Flowers Magazine, 

one of my old pansy photos is used as an idea for small wedding favours.

Never in a million years could I have imagined, when I started blogging two and a half years ago, that I would today see some of my photos in print. However, I do have a little conundrum. Even though this is my private blog, I know some of my clients have found me through the blog, I therefore feel it might be useful to show when and where my work is published. At the same time, in doing so I find myself worrying that it may be seen as horribly show-offy and boastful, which is not an image I feel comfortable with. What do you think, where do you draw the line between allowing a blogger to be happy about and share his or her accomplishments as opposed to thinking it is a bit too much...?  

***

Looking out the window, I see that the rain has returned. Ah well, as the old Swedish saying goes: "It is good for the potatoes"... Whether that is true or not, I do not know, but at least I do not have to water my new purple plants tonight!

Wishing you sun, sun, sun, wherever you are!

Helena

Dyrham Park  Part II...

Welcome back to part II of the image stroll around Dyrham Park...

Now, I have always dreamt of an Orangery, and the one at Dyrham Park 

certainly looked inviting today. In celebration of the Queen's Jubilée...

.... the tables were laid to offer special menus of champagne, canapés and cakes. Hm, my muddy trainers and equally muddy entourage had to settle for admiring this lovely scene from afar...

But not to worry, we had plenty of eye candy to enjoy, and who needs champagne when 

there are gorgeous "Granny's Bonnets" (Aquilegia), pretty ponds and sunshine on offer?!

To my delight, Dyrham Park is the home of both more 

formal gardens and wilder meadows, as this one below...

... and if that image does not scream SUMMER, I am not sure what will!

I nearly missed this, but just as we were about to leave, I spotted a "familiar face" next to the house. Well, I say familiar loosely, as "my" other big head sits in the wonderful gardens of Abbey House Garden (a k a The Naked Gardeners - see for example here).

(Click on the images if you would like to view them larger.)

So, there we are. 

We bid farewell to funny faces, floral fabulousness and dozing deer for now. 

I am sure we will meet soon again.

I am very invisible on your blogs, and for that I apologise. I wish I could find the time to stop by and say hello, but my life outside of the warm and wonderful Blog Land keeps demanding all my time and energy. To those of you who still stop by here, thank you - it is lovely to have you here!

Warm regards to you all!

Helena

Dyrham Park Part I...

Dear readers,

With nearly two weeks since my last blog post, and with nothing new to report interior-wise from the Swenglish abode, I instead invite you to stroll with me in the sun in a green haven the Swenglish family enjoyed earlier today...

Just north of Bath lies this lovely 17th-century mansion, garden and deer park...

... and despite it being so close to home, it was our first visit today.

The deer are very used to humans strolling straight through "their" grounds, and barely raised as much as a sleepy eyebrow when many of us crept closer to snap a few close-ups of these beautiful, spotty creatures. 

Discovering this pond, with its stunning symphony of mossy stones on the bottom, old stone wall at the back, wisteria dribbling down mentioned wall, and green, green, everywhere green... well, I could only just refrain from letting out a big "Weeeeeee... yippey!"...

As today was a bank holiday here in the UK, the park was full of people who, 

like us, were trying to make the most of this Jubilé-scented day off.

Despite the large number of people in the park today, it is big enough (110 hectares/272 acres)

 to allow for many tranquil spots where benches invite you to contemplate life, 

whilst lazily letting your gaze follow the movements of the coot in the pond.

I like it when flower borders "overflow" and dribble their gorgeous 

greenery onto the path, like by the stone wall above...

Above the stone wall in the previous photo perches the 13th-century church, 

accessed by a small path to the left.

Like so many beautiful old cemeteries here in the UK, this one also has old tomb stones leaning in all directions, like the teeth of an old grandfather who never really thought much of dentists...

This path, just outside the church, filled me with a longing to explore, to follow it and see what might lie  beyond. I did not have the time to do so on this visit, but I swear I heard it whisper my name, softly, slightly eerily... "Helena, come this way...."

I confess to having gone a little snap-happy here today, so next time 

I will show you a few more photos from beautiful Dyrham Park.

Welcome to join me then!

All the best,

Helena

Did you see the butterfly fluttering by...?

Dearest readers,

I hope you are well and that you too are enjoying stunning 

summer temperatures wherever you are. 

We started our day today in our neighbouring town, Chippenham, watching the Olympic torch being carried a few steps closer to its final destination in London. Then back to business as usual with the younger generation safely deposited at school and us - supposedly grown up grown-ups - back to the computer screen. With a deadline looming, I shall today offer you something as unusual - for me - as a "Wordless Wednesday" and let these photos tell their own summer-scented story from a spot by the pond earlier this afternoon...

Did any of you experience a small déjà-vu just then? Well, you probably then saw this blog post...:

... from this very spot last year, also inspired by butterflies, 

that day expressed in the form of a scarf on the table, 

fluttering gently in the evening breeze...

Wishing all of you a sun-soaked, flower-picking, strawberry-tasting weekend! 

(I know, a few days to go before the weekend, but just in case I don't see you before...!)

Helena