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Late this morning sunlight burst onto the canna lily given to us by Helen Keenan.
The garden beyond was alive with the buzzing of bees
and fluttering butterflies like this Small White three quarters of the way up the lines of a hanging basket
or this Comma hiding in the shadows.
The dahlia in the first picture is one of those
supported by the white pedestal in the patio.
Dappled starlight seemed to brighten the Stable Door.
Marguerites, petunias, and bidens continue to bloom on the edge of the Dragon Bed;
deep violet petunias spill from the Iron Urn;
while pale pink striped ones accompany similar hued geraniums on the
Cryptomeria Bed also sporting Hot Lips salvias.
More dahlias continue to bloom alongside the Dead End Path,
and in the New Bed.
A Canna lily lifts its flaming torch over the Palm Bed;
Blue Ming Marvellous campanula once more lives up to its punning name in the Rose Garden;
New Zealand flax, rudbeckia, and the remains of a crocosmia Lucifer still provide a sinuous sweep in the Palm Bed;
and clematis Comtesse de Bouchard flounces once more over the gazebo.
Sedum, fuchsias
and asters parade along the herbaceous border.
An orange begonia hangs before the Weeping Birch, the leaves of which appear to confirm that summer really is thinking about departing.
This afternoon we drove out to the other Downton, near Salisbury in Wiltshire, in order to checkout the route to the venues for Rachel and Gareth’s wedding on Saturday. The service is to be held at Timberley Lane, Redlynch, which was our first stop. From there we travelled to Barford Park Farm, where the reception is booked.
Cattle grazed in the field
on one side of the entrance drive.
The fields on the opposite side of Barford Lane basked in the warm sunshine. What a shame that the forecast for this area on the wedding day is continual rain.
Driving through:
on our way home, we noticed that the village public telephone box has now been converted to a book exchange.
Naturally we rummaged for romantic novels.
Jackie all but made off with her favourite find.
The cricket season has ended, but ponies still carry out groundsmen’s duties on the outfield at Nomansland.
We stopped for a drink at The Green Dragon, Brook, then continued on home.
This evening we dined on smoked haddock, piquant cauliflower cheese, crunchy carrots, new potatoes, and runner beans. I drank more of the malbec.
Love the colours of the rudbeckia and flex etc,; the borders look great.
Those book exchanges are showing up everywhere here too. I keep forgetting to put some books out.
Dinner sounds yummy.
Many thanks, Mary
England, my England … your pictures speak straight to my heart and remind me that I will never really leave. The book exchange idea seems to have legs and I am so delighted that it does. On that note, I shall leave you in peace to dream of that England, forever tattooed on my heart ❤️
Very many thanks, Osyth
These book exchanges are such a brilliant idea!
This was a particularly good one, Marina. Thanks very much
Sigh. The garden is beautiful, the countryside is beautiful, Jackie is beautiful, the pub building is beautiful. Even the dragon sign is beautiful ……….. And there’s a village called ‘Lover’ 🙂
Lovely comments, Pauline. Many thanks
Love the moo’s and the landsacpe shots Derrick. At this time of year the remaining blossoms really do look magnificent ?
Very many thanks, Val
The garden is more beautiful than ever
Many thanks, Lynn
I love that book box!
Thanks a lot, Bob. Many of our iconic phone boxes serve a similar purpose
We have a “little library” box in our neighborhood, but it lacks that panache.
Oh my…your shots of the field are incredible, Derrick. I particularly love the first one. Wow!
Very many thanks, Jill. When I got back into the car, Jackie asked me if I’d seen the tree. 🙂
Photo after photo–just beautiful, Derrick. I love the Green Dragon sign. Is the Lover sign on the route to the wedding?
The phone booth book exchange is great.
It is possible to approach the wedding via Lover. Thanks a lot, Merril
Your garden is so lovely. I struggle to grow one small pot of golden rod and milkweed.
Many thanks, Leslie. All down to the Head Gardener
You always say that, but I know you lend a hand.
🙂
You know I always love the flowers!
Thanks a lot, Rekha
Splendiferous garden! Our local book boxes are doing very well. Such a good use of our heritage err… street furniture?
Many thanks, Clare. Long may they remain
Your flowers and garden are lovely. (And your dinner sounds delicious!)
Many thanks, Sweaty
What a lovely pub,seems an unusual name for an English pub, I’d have thought more Welsh, but then again what would I know about such things:(
🙂 Thanks a lot, Brian
There is a local legend about a dragon, there is a dragon lane nearby.
Well fancy that, I didn’t think we Poms went in for dragons, except of the spousal kind, and elderly spinsters 😈
Thanks or the info Jackie 😀
The images taken around Barford Lane and The Green Dragon, Brooke are brilliant. The book exchange booth is a heartwarming idea. Jackie seems to have hit cloud nine!
Many thanks, Uma 🙂
So enjoyed both trips – the garden (looking good thanks to the Head Gardener and that other chap involved! I believe you know him well! 🙂 and so great to see the countryside though your lens!
What a great use for the old phone booth!
Many thanks, Rob
the garden looks great – colourful and fresh and tidy!
Many thanks, Geoff.
Wow, thank you!
We never seem to have any luck with cannas – shame because they are lovely plants.
Yes. A shame. Many thanks, Quercus
Your gardens continue to look so lovely into the autumn, Derrick and Jackie. I love the converted telephone box, and the countryside on the way to the wedding is beautiful!
Thank you so much, Lavinia, from us both
Love that picture of Jackie!! Ha! And the idea of conversion of a telephone box into a library is great. Though I miss public telephones over here…so few left. As you may have seen in my posts, people in my area often build sidewalk-facing free libraries in wooden boxes on posts–or in old-fashioned mailboxes marked: “Free Book Library.” Some are decorative as well as useful. Always fun to see what people are reading.
I do remember your book libraries, Cynthia. Thanks very much for this
Oh, yes, that dragon…quite splendid art work!
Thanks very much, Cynthia
A paradise, love the Calla Lillies and deep purple petunias. The books are amazing!
Thanks very much, Holly
My pleasure always Derrick.