Rosemary Cottage

 This is rosemary cottage, where we stayed last week, in a pretty little cotswold village.........

 .............it was warm and sunny, and the tiny cottage garden was filled with the scent of honeysuckle and the constant sound of birdsong............if you look closely at the little cottage gate below you will see the robin i managed to photograph before it flew off.......

 ..............we explored some of the towns and villages we haven't been to before............

 ..............and enjoyed a visit to kiftsgate gardens on a glorious day when the peonies especially were looking spectacular.............

 ...............and so were the roses and herbaceous plants............

 ............... i loved the pots of geraniums too and brought a new plant home with me..............

 ..................below is chastleton house which is an amazingly atmospheric jacobean country house (built 1607-1612) with some wonderful rooms and artefacts, left in an unrestored state which really captures the past...............this house was used as a location for filming *wolf hall* where it represented the home of the seymours..............

 ...............there is a topiary garden and a replanted kitchen garden here, and also a croquet lawn ........written on a blackboard in the garden was this.....'there was a pervading sense of neglect, which nonetheless had its own magic......a sleeping garden of great antiquity......'

 ...........back at rosemary cottage i picked a few flowers to enjoy on the window sill............

 .............and to paint in my tiny sketchbook..............

 .............there was time for crochet......and to eat strawberries in the sun.........

 .............i took some english paper piecing with me to work on but didn't finish anything so here is the work in progress............

 ..............this is the beginning of a pentagon ball...........love how the shapes fit together....

...............there will be lots more patchwork coming soon..............below is one of my favourite pictures of the entrance hall at chastleton house...............i love the vintage feel of this.........

..............it is good to be back after my blog break, dear readers, and thank you for visiting me here and your sweet comments.............i have lots of emails to answer now, and lots of lovely blogs to catch up with too............wishing you a wonderful week with sunshine and flowers, and a little time just to dream...........back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxoooooooooooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx