I love the sunny, calm Autumn days that we can get. The crisp air and the blue sky really awaken the senses and make a walk in the park quite wonderful.
Perfect Autumn day
Reply
Tag Archives: green
Fiery Sunflower
I love this fiery looking sunflower, not sure I’ve seen these reddish colour petals before, and it seems that I’m not the only one that loves it, the bee in the middle is in his element.
Mam Tor
Mam Tor (meaning Mother Hill) at the Peak District is one of its most well know hiking spots. It’s also also known as the Shivering Mountain because its shale and gritstone layers are prone to landslips. Whilst in the area a few weeks ago my family and I decided to do the walk.
At the bottom there was a sign post telling you what was in each direction. We found the path for Mam Tor and started our steep hike up. Alongside the path I saw a few metal images placed in the ground. I assume this alludes to the history of England and the Iron Age.
As we got higher the winds got stronger but the views became more beautiful too.
Taking our time and putting in some effort we made it to the peak where there was a stone pillar marking the highest point. We all spent a bit of time looking around and taking in the magnificent view.
After taking in the views and some photos we then started our careful walk back down to the car park. I’d recommend this hike, it’s not too difficult to do and the views are amazing. They definitely helped soothe my soul.
Giant waterlilies at Kew
I’ve been to Kew Gardens in London a number of times, it’s one of my favourite places. I always remember going as a child and seeing the giant waterlilies in a hot greenhouse but never managed to see them since. I was determined this year to try and catch them and luckily I did.
The waterlilies can grow up to 3 meters wide and grow in the summer months. Seeing the size of the lilies in person was quite spectacular. There were also some pretty flowers growing in the pond that made the view all that more amazing. It made me want to sit on one of the lilies but I’m probably too big for them now (they can support a child).
It made me really happy to see these lovely plants after so many years, and that they were as stunning now as they were then. It’s plants like these that increase my wonder about the world and about all the astonishing things in it.
Willen park
I went to visit my sister and her family in Luton recently. We went to Willen park and in between the storms that been and were expected it was very windy but quite refreshing. I didn’t take many pictures but here a few that I liked on a blustery but sunny day.
RHS Garden Hyde Hall
It was really hot and sunny in the UK recently so to make the most of it my family and I wanted a day out. The place we chose was RHS Garden Hyde Hall, which is an outdoor space with various types of gardens.
There were so many different types of plants and flowers, some I’d never seen before and most that I’d never be able to name. We started off looking at a little garden that had a variety of flowers, my favourites were the huge, eye catching, red poppies. I’ve never seen them that size before.
We then walked down to the fish pond that also had water lilies.
As it getting quite hot, we stopped for ice cream and a little rest. Nearby was a dry garden that overlooked the far reaching green hills below.
We walked on and saw beautiful flowers wherever we looked. It was amazing to see such a variety of flowers in every shape and colour you could imagine. Although I seem to be drawn to the purple ones the most.
I also spotted some light pink poppies, again I’d never seen this colour before and never in this size (they were about the size of a melon). Maybe there’s something in the water here.
We then took a path that led us to the Sky Meadow. Curious as to what this could be we came to a field full of wildflowers and a lovely calming view. I imagine the name comes from the fact that the sky meets the meadow and that’s all you see.
After resting for a while we made our way past a huge lake and a lovely green expanse which was lined neatly with tall trees and an interesting sycamore structure in the middle. The kids wanted to play so we headed in the direction of the play area that also had some fun animal structures .
The last part we saw was the Winter garden which consisted of foliage that would keep growing and survive the cold. There were some figures of leaves, showing stages of decay as you walked along, that I really liked. Nearby was also a pathway lined with hundreds of foxgloves.
We then made our way to the shop, where we picked up some lovely plants for my mum. My favourite being these Galaxy sky petunias that were quite striking.
The visit to RHS Garden Hyde Hall was a really nice one, there was so much to see and so many winding pathways that lead to unexpected spots. I felt a little rushed on this visit and the heat tired us out too, but I’d like to come back again in another season, see what else is growing and hopefully take it a little slower.
Colours of Spring
Spring is in full swing here in London so went to our local parks and into my garden to see what kinds of flowers I could spot.
The earliest flowers to be seen are the daffodils and croci. There were swathes of bright yellow daffodils in some parks that I visited, which was always pleasant to see. The flowers blooming early in my garden was a huge camellia tree with vibrant perfect looking pink flowers and magnolias. These magnolias were on a huge tree I spotted in someone’s front garden. It was quite a magnificent sight.
Later the flowers that opened up were varied and some I haven’t seen before like Blue Pasque flowers which I thought were quite fascinating. And as always a tree full of blossoms is a sure sign that Spring is here.
I’m lucky to have a few parks where I live and am able to go for long walks with lots of visual stimulus to enjoy. I always find myself stopping to tale a closer look at flowers I come across, each that brings it’s own beauty and joy.
Pops of Colour
With the recent cold snap here in London it’s nice to see early signs of colourful life emerging. I love seeing pops of colour unexpectedly appearing, something that always brings a smile to my face. Here are some lovely flowers I came across not so long ago. I hope they cheer you up as much as they did when I spotted them.
Goodbye to 2020
Today is the last day of 2020, a year that was unexpected and tough for so many. The coronavirus pandemic has impacted almost every person in the world this year, and I’m no exception. There have been times that I have felt I could take things in my stride and others when I felt stressed, anxious and alone. But I always like to think that even in the worst of things, there’s always a silver lining and I think I tried to convey some of these in my photos this year, whether it was making the most of places being quieter and tourist free or just being grateful for the fact that we had long hot summer which is unusual for the UK. I was also happy to have ticked a few places off my bucket list which I didn’t expect like visiting Chatsworth House, the Lake District, and the confetti flower fields. My favourite photos of the year are shared below.
With several vaccines now available, I hope and pray that 2021 will be a better one for all of us, that with a little more patience and caution we will get through this once in a lifetime difficult, but shared experience and come out stronger together. I hope that all of our loved ones are safe and that we can enjoy each others’ company once again soon, very soon. Take care everyone and I wish you all a happy, healthy amazing year ahead.
Scotland Trip – part 1
I went to Scotland in the Summer with my sister and her family and having spent a day in the Peak district, the next day we continued driving north to our destination, Scotland.
On the drive up we could see the landscape change. The view became more hilly and the greens became deeper and more lush. With the grey clouds chasing us the view became quite dramatic but so beautiful.
Once we arrived at the hotel we checked in, found somewhere to have dinner and then had an early night.
The next day we spent at a theme park so the kids could have some fun (and me of course). We walked through the nearby country park to the rides on what was a bright, beautiful day. Quite a change from the day before.
We spent some time on the rides, and then we visited the small indoor rainforest which was also on site. Here they had some quite impressive species, and we spent time marvelling at the different and some quite deadly animals we could see.
We spent the afternoon at a park as the sun was out with some friends of my sister and her family who then invited us back to theirs for dinner, which was a nice end to the day.
everyphototunity 