Flower Face

I often see faces in things.  Can you see the face in this Viola?  It's the reason I bought a whole tray of 20 plants - just to have the one with the face.

Hatfield House Gardens Part Four - The Final Part

I hope you have enjoyed these last few posts about Hatfield House and the gardens.

I was certainly inspired by my visit and have taken ideas from the house and garden to apply in my own home.

I didn't grow any nasturtiums this year and this display of them in the kitchen garden have reminded me to grow them again.  I think the cream ones are especially delightful.

They were growing various varieties of runner beans including purple podded ones.  Next year I think I will grow them up a framework like that shown above.

Great face on the a pillar of a gateway.

I think this plant is eryngium or sea holly.  The insects loved it!

 A lovely entrance to the gates.  Look at all that perfumed lavender either side.

 A gently bubbling water feature.

 A beautiful modern sun dial.  We couldn't see a shadow due to cloud cover.

 Calming water ripples.

Flower beds inside the kitchen garden and some lovely painted hen houses.  Chickens were seen but were elusive when it came to taking their pictures.

Hatfield House Part Three

A section of the long gallery.  The ceiling was originally white but covered in gold leaf by the 2nd Marquess after seeing a gold ceiling in Venice.

The Library. This is just a small part of the library which was full of over 100,000 books going back as far as the 16th century to the present day.  It;s a pity that we couldn't explore the shelves!

 A replica of Charles I death mask on the right.

 A suit of armour.  I was half expecting it to walk!

Stained glass windows in the private chapel depicting scenes from the Old Testament.  The chapel is still used by the family each Sunday.

Hatfield House Part Two Around The Gardens

This post focuses on the outside of the house showing parts of the main garden and also the private garden which is only open on a Wednesday.

 The garden above is directly outside the The Old Palace where Queen Elizabeth I played as a child.

I believe this is nicotiana or tobacco plant.  I used to grow it many years ago and remember its heady evening scent.

Not sure what the plant above is.  Can anyone help?

We walked along a wild orchid path.

 Looking out across the lake from above the boathouse.

Nature left to go wild beyond the topiary.

 Magnificent topiary elephants in the private garden.

 That's the private East Wing behind the elephants.

 Love that little baby one!

 Horseshoes that adorn the topiary.

 Tree seat.

Massive sculpture. Neptune?  I still have more photos to share including back inside the house and of the private kitchen garden. 

A Taste of Hatfield House Part One

Hatfield House is an historical landmark in Hertfordshire.  You can read more about visiting it on the website here. 

It was built in 1611 by Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, who was one of Elizabeth I's most important advisors. He used material from the Old Palace, part of which is still standing today, to build the present house. (Info from here.)

We visited on a Wednesday afternoon.

 It was all so very grand.

 Knowledgeable guides stood in every room and were keen to impart lots of information.

 There were so many interesting paintings and lots of doors hidden in the oak paneled walls.

Whoever carved the staircase didn't do it with cleaning in mind!  So intricate with many unreachable nooks and crannies.

 Up to the first floor.

 The first floor landing.

 This room was wall to wall and floor to ceiling with paintings.  So much to see.

Ornate ceilings in every room.

All the photos are taken in the west wing.  The east wing and the third floor are out of bounds as they are still in use by the 7th Marquess and Marchioness of Salisbury and their family. 

Garden in July 2019

The garden has a few splashes of bright colour at the moment.

Gizmo sits daily overlooking the wild area hoping to catch whatever torments him.

My husband planted up some runner beans in late spring.  Hopefully we will be harvesting in a few weeks time.

I've been happy with this begonia called fragrant falls peach.  It flowers profusely and smells of roses.

The petals are tightly packed and just looking at it makes me smile.

Staying Productive in a Heatwave

Long time readers of this blog will know how much I hate hot, humid weather.  I tend to get up early and keep the curtains drawn for most of the day only opening them much later on.  I've been flagging these past two days but today decided to use my time productively.

I tried to ignore the heat as I watched YouTube videos on the desktop computer.  Focusing on how to make a beaded wirework bracelet I totally immersed myself on learning how to do it.

I'm very happy that the day wasn't wasted and looking forward to making more bracelets like these  and developing my skills further. 

*You may have noticed that I have made my font larger so that it is easier to read.