Dream gardens

I may sometimes wish I lived in a country with warmer and more settled climes, but when ever I see an English country garden in its summer finest, I am not sure that I could really settle anywhere else. Today was like stepping into one of those embroidered pictures from the 1930s. Open gardens in a nearby village called Tansor was a riot of colours: lupins, delphiniums, geraniums, roses scrambling over sheds and windows, neat vegetable gardens with perfect pods of peas, strawberries on thick straw beds and runner beans climbing up canes. 

Eight gardens of all shapes and sizes, from the stately home sized Tansor Court, to tiny cottage gardens crammed with colour.

Paths and plots, wildflower gardens and limestone walls.

Roses battered by the elements, tattered but beautiful.

Peonies.

Many of the houses overlook open countryside, or the river Nene

This is so typical of where I live, willows, reeds, riverside:

I love flowers, but also find orderly veg plots quite fascinating these days (age!). I would love to make a lino cut print of these pea pods.

All rounded off with a cream tea with homemade scones and strawberry jam in the village hall (which even had a few vintage stalls too). My companions Perry and Sue were very patient with a) a lot of photo taking and b) my urge to visit the vintage before we'd finished touring the gardens.