Open Gardens (part one)

 My second proper garden visit this year (there have been lots of gardens open since April, but for various reasons, including the weather, I haven't managed a lot of visiting).  I love the Open Gardens idea - where several gardens in a village, or in an area, open their doors and are usually accompanied by home made cakes and tea and possibly even a plant stall. This one was in a village 20 minutes or so away and the contrast between the city and countryside couldn't have been greater.  In the village, all we could hear were birds singing and the occasional dog barking.  In the city, we hear police sirens, cars speeding along, people shouting, dogs barking (but a lot of them) and a constant level of noise.  I suppose the city has some advantages - in the snow, we don't get cut off, we can always walk to work if the car won't start and we can always get to the shops for the necessities of life.  I do love the peacefulness of the country though.
The first two photos are from the Quaker Meeting House in the village, which really did have an air of tranquility.  There was a small graveyard in the garden which was so beautiful and was lovingly cared for.

 This iris in the Quaker Meeting House garden caught my eye.  I do like irises but don't have the space for them.  This one really did have velvety petals.

 The next few photos are from my favourite garden.  The path up to the house had lavender either side and through the door in the wall, I went into garden with a lawn and some lovely trees.

 Then another door in a wall called me on, giving a glimpse of a purple haze of nepeta, alive with buzzing bees.

Through the doorway, this is the sight that greeted me - roses, eremurus and more nepeta, flanked by the yew sentinels.

Everywhere I looked there was another photogenic area.



 A stripy rose - Variegata di Bologna, I think.  If only I had room for one like this at home...

 I think this view could grace the cover of a posh gardening magazine.  Just gorgeous.

Looking back down along the path to the yew shapes.
We were so lucky with the weather too, as earlier in the day, huge grey clouds hovered menacingly just where we were heading.  Happily, once we arrived, the sun decided to join us.
 More photos in my next post.