Sweetbriar Dreams

So where shall we go on our journey today?

Saturday 7 June 2014

Flowers and Garden in the Rain

Hearing the rain fall this morning as I woke from my comfortable slumber was music to my ears.  The thunder was rumbling in the distance and the rain tapped at my window panes and fell to the ground with a splash into the awaiting puddles.  To me, I should be sitting next to a fire, with a good black and white film and hot chocolate during weather like this.  I listened to the birds giving warning of the heavy rain and my little Coco getting a bit restless downstairs as she knew that she would be taken out into this downpour very soon.  

It was not to be a whole day inside as there was a birthday in the family... my Dad's (we haven't given him a nickname yet have we?).  So, with one Miss Teen ready (Mr Teen still snoring loudly!), it was time for a short journey to the parent's home.  The roads were beginning to flood, so we left the smaller lanes to their own devices today.  After some catching up, Mumsy wanted to show me some new plants that they had bought this week.  I always love to see their garden as a few years ago when they moved in, it was just grass and a shed.  Now, it is a gorgeous haven completely put together by the both of them.  So, shall we peek through the looking glass?

The chocolaty red rose that you see is an absolute beauty.  It is meant to be the colour of chocolate, but doesn't quite match that of a Galaxy bar or Fruit and Nut, but still looks delicious.

The rain was falling again, but I had to capture the many pages of the rose petals trapping the rain.

This rose had such a story to tell I felt, especially with the raindrops enhancing its petals.  The same rose bush is on my Grandparent's graves.
My parent's rose garden is full of such gorgeousness, and so many buds yet to open.

There are many different textures in their garden.  The rope ball against the stones give a wonderful contrast to the greenery that surrounds them.

There is a real nautical theme in the garden due to their love of Cornwall.

Here are a couple of their many 'wish stones' that they found over the years while they holidayed there.  I am yet to find one of these stones with a hole through them.

The stepping stones  take on a completely different look in the rain and even though we were dripping while I was taking photos of this tranquil place, I thoroughly enjoyed focusing on the simple things.

Such as this rose petal in amongst the stones.  I loved this shot so much that I have edited it and made it my banner!

At the bottom of the garden is this secret hideway.  The vine is the housewarming present that we gave to my parent's when they moved in a few years ago.  A little plant that has gradually grown and now is a firm fixture in this oasis.

Can you see a little visitor to the garden by the mushrooms?  He is a colourful character isn't he!  A new purchase by Mumsy who has been looking for a pheasant for a while now.

Through the arch and into the hideaway is Mumsy's calming place, with this little fellow quietly meditating amongst the foliage.
The neighbours over the fence at the back are at peace.  There is a cemetery at the back which still holds burials, something that my parents didn't mind when buying the house.  After all, it can't be built on!  It is a lovely little cemetery.

One of the new plants was this unfurling fern.  I love it when these little fronds start to unwhirl.

The fern looked perfect next to the healthy pond.

The residents looked very happy to have this new addition to shade them on the sunnier days ahead.

The flowers and the garden were such a welcome respite to look at in the rain.  The wet stuff was certainly falling with vengeance, but everything looked so fresh and new in spite of this.

 And so, at the end of the catching up and a delicious cream cake, it was time to say goodbye to the Birthday Dad!  Happy Birthday!!!!! xxxx
 Thank you so much for your comments on my Wordless Wednesday post.  I have been a tad busy this last week at work so haven't been able to catch up properly, but I will eventually.  Welcome too to some new followers, you are so kind to have visited and followed.

Hopefully next week I will have some photos to share with you on York (a work trip but the camera will be coming along too).

Have a wonderful weekend and week... well, when the sun comes out anyway!

Take care.


You can also follow me on:

Follow on Bloglovin follow us in feedly

This week I am sharing with:

32 comments:

  1. Beautiful pictures. Happy Birthday to your Dad. Looking forward to York.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a beautiful garden Chel - amazing how it's been transformed over such a few years. I think having a cemetery at the back of the garden would be wonderful - although I might have to forsake my love of watching spooky films! Glad you and your family had such a lovely day x Jane

    ReplyDelete
  3. It is a gorgeous garden, I can almost smell the roses.
    We once considered buying a tiny church conversion that still had it's churchyard out front. I thought it was rather a feature and we wouldn't have had to worry about noisy neighbours?

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a beautiful garden they've created - a real oasis. I love all of the different textures and materials they've used, as well as the lovely greenness of it all. Wonderful. Hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend. CJ xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Chel, your Mumsy and Dad's garden is so lovely even on a rainy day. I'm glad you took some photos to share with us. A lovely celebration of your dad. Have a wonderful week ahead. Hugs. Pam

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your Mum and Dad's garden is a delightful place, Chel. Thanks for taking us along on the tour. The roses in the rain are so lovely. I can see why you chose the one rose petal on the rocks as a special photo. Hope the days in York are satisfying. Happy weekend (and week) to you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy Birthday to your Dad, Chel. I hope he had a lovely day. Your parents' garden looks fabulous. Even the rain can't spoil it! :o)

    ReplyDelete
  8. ... Chel ... thank you for sharing Mumsy's beautiful garden it was a joy to wander through there with you and in the rain too! ... I hope that your father had a lovely day on his birthday ... xx Simone

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow, send your parents over to do my garden - it's a secret paradise -beautiful and serene:) So glad I looked up your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Happy Birthday to your Dad! And the raindrops made the roses look even more beautiful. You have a good camera to capture them so clearly...well done! And I love the 'wish stones'. It was so odd that the last time we went to the beach, I found flat stones with holes in them. It seems like every time we visit, I find something different. Enjoy your weekend my friend ! Hugs, Diane

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh my gosh, I am loving your landscape and all your gorgeous photos! thank you for linking up to Fishtail Cottage's Garden Party this week! Can't wait to see more of your garden posts this summer! xoox, tracie

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Chel, the Wordless Wednesday post I'm sorry I missed! I do love the red umbrella. Happy Birthday to your Dad! I loved the flowers and garden. The photos came out so pretty even in the rain! I hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend and week.
    Julie

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a lovely looking garden, must be a lovely space to spend time in.

    ReplyDelete
  14. That's the kind of weather that we were promised yesterday but instead we had bright sunshine - I'll put up with it! Raindrops always improve photos of roses even though they make a mess of the real thing.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love your parents' garden Chel, your photos capture so much beauty. I think the raindrops enhanced the pictures. Happy Birthday to your Dad, x

    ReplyDelete
  16. We are all having plenty of opportunity to photograph raindrops. We keep removing duckweed then to rain spreads it across the pond again.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Lovely photos. The roses are coming along nicely this time of year with such pretty blooms.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Chel!
    Oh, what glorious photos! I love your mushrooms and the spunky guy nearby!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Oh how beautiful! Cornwell/England is very pretty..I don't think I would mind all the rain that you get. Happy Belated Birthday to your dad. Blessings

    ReplyDelete
  20. PS I love your new blog header.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I like the idea of looking at small areas of a garden....I do it all the time with mine that way I can ignore the messy bits! Lovely photos of your visit to your parents. x

    ReplyDelete
  22. What a beautiful garden your parents have created, the roses look beautiful and I love the seaside elements in there. Everythings looks wonderful in the rain:)

    ReplyDelete
  23. What lovely photographs! We have had rain where I live all weekend, too. It's much needed, so no complaints from me.

    ReplyDelete
  24. it rained here yesterday too but was so hot by lunchtime and has been baking ever since, there will be a few burnt bodies tonight!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Happy Birthday to your Dad! Glad that you had such a nice day. Your parents garden is beautiful, so many lovely flowers, and I love the new pheasant!! xx

    ReplyDelete
  26. Fabulous photos Chel. The garden looks lovely. Hope your dad had a great birthday. Enjoy York - a walk round the walls is a must and, as well as the obvious sites, I'd recommend the Treasurer's House - it's a gem.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Absolutely gorgeous photos and what a beautiful garden.
    Marianne x

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hello Chel, I will add you to my side bar list , enjoyed your post very much. And Happy Birthday to your Dad.

    ReplyDelete
  29. You take really beautiful pictures. I love how your parents' garden has a secret hideaway. It reminds me of The Secret Garden and not just that, the roses truly look magnificent. Your mum and dad must've been taking care of them very well. They have wonderful landscaping skills, too. Do you visit the garden often? I think I wouldn't want to leave once I set foot on it. Happy gardening guys! :)

    Al Perreault @ GreenCollar

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hi Chel, thanks for stopping by my blog and your lovely comment. What an incredibly beautiful garden - those touches like the mirror and enamel bucket are charming, as well as all the gorgeous planting. A wonderful space. x

    ReplyDelete
  31. Chel, you've turned a grey and rainy day into a rainbow of colors! Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for visiting, I love reading your comments and will answer either by email or on the blog. You can also email me privately in my side bar. Have a great day x

Other Posts

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...