Further Afield

Today we went on 7.5 mile with the group Walk London.  The walk began at Tottenham Hale State and ended at Limehouse Station.

It followed along the River Lee / Lee Canal has it headed south toward the Thames River. 

 

The beginning of the walk was quite idyllic.  The Lee was lined with house boats and Hasidic Jewish families out on a Sabbath morning stroll.

We walked along the Walthamstow Marshes to the  Middlesex Filter Beds, then to the Hackney Marshes, and on to London's 2012  Olympic Park.

 

It was the perfect place to see wildflowers.

 

The day was mild and pleasant.

It was nice to see large green open spaces.

Besides the houseboats, the Lee was full of kayaks.

There were also a series of locks along the way.

And birds!

Mute Swans, and Magpies, Coots, and Herons, Cormorants, and Moorhens.

Herring Gulls, Song Thrushes, Canada Geese and Green Woodpeckers.

 

This was my favorite art installation along the way.

It is called 'Rise and Shine Magic Fish'.

 

Isn't that an iconic English scene?  Cricket!

Here's a look at the Olympic Stadium.

I enjoyed watching the boats and birds along the canal.

There was a nice area to rest at Three Mills.

 

The Mill was quite picturesque.

It looked back upon some disused gas storage areas.

We ended at Limehouse...

...where these two houseboats were festooned with flowers.

The Very Wet Chelsea Flower Show - Day Two

Warning!  Picture heavy post!

 

Day Two of the Chelsea Flower Show was cold and miserable with rain most of the day.  Thank goodness for the Grand Pavilion!

 

The Grand Pavilion is an enormous covered area where the nurseries have their show displays.  May I say they are amazing and in their own right they are works of art.  Every kind of plant imaginable is represented at the peak of perfection.

  

There were cacti

and delphinium

and narcissus

and orchids

and carnivorous plants

and auricula

 

and lupin

and sweetpeas.

 

Just look - everything imaginable including bonsai.  

 

There were acers

and hostas

 

and allium

and lilies

and alpines (rock garden plants)

and even foxes

and last but not least, there were dahlias!

(Which considering they do not 'naturally' bloom until July was just darned amazing).

 

Oh yes, there were also plenty of opportunities to shop as well.

After all of that, I'm tuckered out.

Sublime

I thought I'd share my last purchase before leaving home.  The two newest Cottage Garden Sampling charts for May and June, and a Homespun Elegance bee skep.  I have to give a shout out to Beach Cottage Stitchers.  Cyndi went above and beyond to make sure I got the charts before I left on my trip.

 

Some days, though long and maybe even a bit hectic, are nonetheless sublime.  This was one of those days.

Mom and I started out bright and early...

...and headed for the Royal Hospital and the Chelsea Flower Show.

A few of the Chelsea Pensioners were there to greet folks as they arrive.

The show is huge.  Spread over eleven acres there are vendors, nurseries, Show Gardens large and small.  You name it, and if it is floral in nature, it was at the show.

For this post I thought I share some of the large Show Gardens.

This is M & G Centenary Garden.  

The Arthritis Research UK Garden had a very interesting sculpture at the end of the walk.

The SeeAbility Garden was shaped like a retina.

Stoke on Trent's Story of Transformation garden had a neat faux pottery kiln in the center.

Smaller garden competed in an area called Fresh.  This garden was called the BrandAlley Garden. 

The Mindfulness Garden was one of my favorites   Can you tell that you are looking through a tunnel to the sculpture?  

This garden is called the Forget-me-not Garden and is sponsored by Prince Harry's charity Sentebale.  Harry came to a Chelsea Garden preview with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. 

I liked the faux London skyline that was part of Blue Water Roof Garden.

Some of the gardens were quite austere like the Laurent-Perrier Garden.

The East Village Garden was one I could see translating to my own personal garden.

The As Nature Intended Garden made a very different statement.

The Rush of Nature Garden was for sale by silent auction.  It is a knole of grasses and vibrant flowers...

...and topped with this amazing sculpture.

So many wonderful gardens and plants, and textures, and scents...sublime.

We ended the day at St. Paul's Cathedral listening to the English Chamber Orchastra play Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9".  That too was sublime.  The setting in the cathedral, the wonderful musicians and vocalists.  Transcendent.