Thursday 28 June 2012

Garden Days

 I do love garden days....both the kind spent in my own garden and days out visiting other gardens, like the two i am showing you here today from our trip to the lake district....the first is the world famous historic topiary garden at beautiful Levens Hall..........we went one sunny morning and it was magical......
 ....it was very quiet, there were few visitors yet, and the gardeners were quietly going about their tasks, the sounds were of birdsong and someone playing croquet and the crunch of walking on gravel paths......
.......there were plenty of lovely floral plantings as well as the amazing topiary trees...the garden dates back to 1694...and unlike so many topiary gardens of the period which were replaced and updated, Levens Hall gardens have survived in their original design, as it says in the guide book' through a combination of circumstance and love'.......there was such a special atmosphere there, and the fact that the sun was shining added to the appeal, and to the dramatic effect of light and shade on the geometric shapes......
 .......a wonderful inspiring place to wander, especially if you have a sense of history as well as a love of gardens......you can find out more about Levens Hall here..........below are some more pages of my scrapbooky sketchpad, along with some of fee's gorgeous garden blocks which i love to include in my pictures...you can also find a fantastic giveaway at chipper nelly here..........
..........the next garden we visited is of course at Hilltop, Beatrix Potter's house, which we almost always visit when in the lakes, though we only go round the house every few years, it's nice to see the garden, the lambs and the occasional bunny........there were a lot of visitors this time queuing up the path, so i waited till they had gone in for the tour before snapping these photos :)
.....i have seen Hilltop in many weathers but never with such a bright blue sky and bathed in so much sunlight....though we do usually go there out of season......there are sweet roses growing on a trellis along the path beside the lambs' field............
 ........and a delightful vegetable garden has been established, as it would have been in Miss Potter's day...
..........up the garden path, so recently filled with visitors, many from abroad.....and there was a bunny in the grass......mr p caught the picture of the leaping rabbit for me while i was in the shop buying books for the grandchildren....... it does look very like Peter, minus the blue coat and little shoes don't you think?
.........this picture from Levens Hall of the man playing croquet in the morning sunshine captures the timelessness of that place for me.......and the lovely drifts of nepeta and other lilac coloured flowers reminded me of this quilt..........so when i got home i went and found it tucked away and unfinished......
.........i began it last summer soon after visiting the lavender farm in devon, and too many things got in the way of finishing it........but now it's back on the to do list, and will remind me of summer gardens whenever i see it...........it's a simple four patch, using lecien rose prints and other pretty fabrics in lots of shades of lilac and aqua.....i will show you more of it soon....
...i have lots of crafty things to catch up with...... lovely people to thank...... magazine projects to show........new makes and bakes....... so i will be sorting out a crafty catch up just as soon as i can......thank you for popping in here to see me, as you know, i do love your visits :).........have a wonderful weekend..........back soon xxxxxxxxxxxx

39 comments:

Vintage Sheet Addict said...

What a beautiful garden, :)

Tangled Sweetpea said...

Oh I dream of visiting Hilltop! I LoVe Beatrix Potter! Such beautiful photos Helen, amazing topiary. And what a beautiful quilt too!
Victoria xx

Anonymous said...

Lovely pictures Helen,I would love to visit Hilltop one day,that rabbit sure does look like Peter! The quilt you started is beautiful,such summery colours.xxx

mynestofyarnandbuttons said...

Hi Helen, Such beautiful photos. I love the hopping bunny, what a perfect affect for where you were!!! The lavender is so lush and everything so green. Just a spectacular get away. Loved popping in. Have a great rest of the week.
xoRobin❤

Clara {Clover and Violet} said...

Beautiful gardens! I love your quilt, such soft and gorgeous colors.

Marigold Jam said...

Lovely photos of lovely gardens - wish I lived near enough to visit! Your quilt is really pretty and the turquoisey blues and purple shades go together beautifully. As always a lovely post.

mags said...

Your post was a bit of sunshine on a very wet day in Cumbria! Levens Hall is minutes from where I live and my favourite ever garden. It's even beautiful in winter and the topiary is so Alice in Wonderland.

Anonymous said...

¡Qué viaje más bonito! los jardines son espectaculares y me encánta especialmente tu libro de scrapbook.
Me gusta especialmente las fotos de la casa de Beatrix Potter. Muchos saludos de Sara.

The warm fireplace said...

Wonderful gardens looked so peaceful, your quilt is so summery, beautiful.
sue

Missy said...

Beautiful gardens,and a lovely day out on your holiday.The big urns on the walls in your first set of pictures have given me an idea for my own garden, I have almost the same thing and after the massive haircut they deserve something prettier than just ivy.
Your quilt is delicious and makes me feel like learning how to sew properly!
Thanks for your lovely comment over at mine!
x

Natalia Glazacheva said...

Hi, Helen! So beautiful gardens you`ve visited. Oooh, it`s my dream to visit Beatrix Potter`s house and the garden, of course :o) Peter Rabbit is still there :o) Levens Hall is a divine garden. Thank you so much for showing me all that beauty, dear friend. All your and Mr.P`s pictures are great. And your quilt looks summery and so sweet, like garden flowers :o)
Wishing you have a lovely day
love
Natasha

My Little Home and Garden said...

Thank you for the lovely tour. I distinctly remember having a book, as a young child, with stories and pictures of Peter Rabbit. It would be such a treat to visit this place. Have a wonderful weekend, Helen. As always, I have enjoyed your post.
-Karen

greenrabbitdesigns said...

What a lovely post Helen, the beautiful topiary, a pretty quilt, the gorgeous gardens and shades of lavender but best of all the photo of Peter Rabbit!! It's definitely him, I recognise him from the books! ;) Well done Mr P!! :)
I have never visited Hilltop but it's on my list of things to do one day.
Have a great weekend,
Vivienne x

Jane said...

Hilltop is on my list of places to visit Helen. My parents have been there but not us. How incredible that you caught an ancestor of Peter Rabbit in action...perhaps you should have loaned him a coat! I also loved your photos from Levens Hall, I have not heard of it and I will add it to my growing list ;0)
Have a lovely weekend, nearly there again!
Jane x

Frances said...

Helen, these last two posts of yours are adding to my enthusiasm for visiting the Lakes.

I am sure that June is a fine month to be there, but wonder what other times of year might be interesting?

Have I ever mentioned to you that, back in the "last century," I was a member of the Beatrix Potter Society. I loved receiving the newsletters, but never quite managed to have one of my London trips coincide with one of the Society's meetings.

It is such a pleasure to visit your site. xo

Teresa Kasner said...

Oh wow, thanks for taking me along with you to see Miss Potter's wonderful stone house! And that fabulous shot of the bunny.. how fortuitous!
((hugs)), Teresa :-)

vintage grey said...

Oh, what a beautiful and peaceful garden. Thanks for taking us along! Love your pretty lilac and aqua quilt! Such pretty colors together. Have a lovely weekend! xo Heather

Gracie Saylor said...

Helen, I too thought of Peter right away upon seeing the photo of the rabbit...even without a jacket the resemblance is striking :)
Thanks for more glimpses of your sketch-scrapbook. And thanks for all the amazing pictures of the gardens...and a peek at your lovely quilt.
I enjoyed my visit with you very much!
Joy to you and yours,
Gracie <3

Linda O said...

Beautiful gardens, the topairy is amazing.
Hilltop looked lovely, and yes, I'm sure that was Peter Rabbit!!!
Your quilt is very pretty, such calming colours, love it.
Love Linda O xx

cupcakejojo said...

Such a lovely inspiring post! I love the glimpse of your quilt. Oh if only there were more hours in the day for me to do everything I'd love to! Look forward to your next post :)

Jo x x

trish said...

Thank you so much for taking us along on your trip. You have shown such beautiful places that I would otherwise never be able to see. The sweet little bunny does remind me of Peter. :0) And your art work Helen ... beautiful! Your talents are just amazing. Your dear quilt will be so fond ... bringing back such special memories. :0) I hope you have a lovely weekend. Hugs. Trish

Little Nell said...

Lovely pictures and it would be so easy to imagine Peter there!

Simone said...

Beautiful! It is amazing how better everything looks with sunshine! x

Julie Whitmore Pottery said...

Helen,

I've never been to that remarkable topiary garden, but the pictures convey the most wonderful sense of mystery. Its a magnificent place. Imagine the people in times past who have walked there!
Your husband's picture of the leaping rabbit is a classic! And you've caught some views of Hilltop that are really different and make one see it in a fresh way.
And I really like the way you have interpreted the topiaries in your journal~
xx
julie

Sewmancer said...

I love your sketches - beautiful!

sew said...

I don't know about Mr P - it looks like Mr McGregor's not too far behind!!
What a lovely venue for a relaxing break.

Crafted by Carly said...

What a gorgeous, summery garden! Thank you for sharing all these gorgeous snaps, Helen!
Happy Saturday!
Carly
x

Teje Karjalainen said...

Beautiful summer post! x Teje

Apple Blossom Barn said...

Hi Helen

Such beautiful gardens, reminds me that I must do more weeding and less time on my laptop, I love your post on the Lake District so pretty!

Have a lovely weekend

Denise

koralee said...

What a fun way to spend a day...I love gardens that inspire..and this one was perfect for you...just look at your lovely journal! xoxo

♥ Mary Janes TEAROOM said...

Beautiful, inspiring gardens Helen...I can imagine there is some lovely inspiration here for your cross stitching.
Ooh, I do love Hilltop and can't resist a little visit whenever we are at Sawrey.
Lovely colours in your quilt...the shades of lavender are really pretty... Gorgeous sketches and lovely blocks too!
Wishing you a happy Sunday,
Susan x

claire said...

The topiary garden is amazing! I also have very happy memories of taking the kids to Hilltop and Lucy (about4/5yrs) asking when Beatrix would come back and didn't she mind all these people being in her house - so sweet.The quilt looks delicious :)

Madelief said...

Dear Helen,

I have been looking forward to this post. Never been to Hill Top myself, but I hope that some day we will visit the Lake District.

It looks like a beautiful place. Such fun to see Peter Rabbit jumping across the field!

Your new blanket looks beautiful. You have a good eye for colour & patterns!

Happy new week,

Madelief x

Lori ann said...

thank you so much for sharing helen, i do hope to visit myself someday. i love that you saw peter rabbit!
and i love that quilt, what a pretty thing to have tucked away, i hope you finish it now. :)
xxx lori

Tracy Glover said...

Wow, such amazing gardens. I love your previous pics of the potting shed. I am imagining myself in there with a lovely cup of tea!
Tracyx

Annie Cholewa said...

The garden at Levens is one of my most favourite places, and my mother-in-law lives nearby so we get to visit often :D I must try to get to Hilltop sometime, it looks gorgeous.

Lovely post Helen :D

Fleur Cotton said...

What a lovely post - and so nice to see an English Garden without the rain at the moment - ever since you got back it has never stopped - you were very lucky with the weather!

Have a happy week.
Fleur xx

Sam I Am...... said...

I'm catching up on your blog as I have been "outdoors" working in my messy gardens before it got hot here. It's hot now (109 F last week!) so I'll be inside more.
The gardens are beautiful and I almost fell off my chair to see Beatrix Potter's home! I love her and her books and have you read Susan Albert's fictional books about her life there? They're wonderful! I was truly transported to that area and her stories included the animals and Beatrix and her farm. I think there are 3 or 4 in the series and I hope she keeps writing them. I want to buy them as they are books I could read again and again. I found them at our library.
I love your quilt and of course your lovely choice of fabrics. I love the way you have a story that goes with your quilts and all the beautiful things you design and make. Thanks again for the inspiration and for the pictures of Beatrix Potter's farm as I will probably never get to visit in person.

Anonymous said...

Oh how I love your quilt! SO peaceful and happy! :)

Have a wonderful day!

Ciao Bella
Sensible Sarah