Sunday 26 July 2009

A Perfect Summer's Day





























One swallow doesn't make a Summer but it does help. Yesterday - the day we went to two parties - was a perfect Summer's Day. The first party was a lunch party - in the garden - in the warm sun. I can't think of a nicer thing to do than sit in the sun eating lovely food and chatting to friends. Unfortunately I can't show you because I forgot to take my camera!
The other one - a sixtieth birthday bash - was also in the garden. Delicious food again and good company. This time I did remember to take my camera. Although the light was fading (it didn't start until 8pm) I managed to get a few photographs of the garden for you to enjoy.
You will see they have a medlar tree - it is only the second one I have ever seen - I think this was a very popular tree in Elizabethan times but I am not sure what they did with the fruit. Does anybody out there know?
Also - does anyone know the name of the tall, thistle-like plant with yellow flower heads? It filled a dark corner and looked really majestic.
Sue, who does this garden, is a very busy lady - a farmer's wife, a school secretary, a mum. She says she has a "really good do" in the garden in Spring and then, apart from mowing the lawns, it has to look after itself until the Autumn. I suppose this is the essence of a good garden - it doesn't show that no one does any weeding in the Summer - there is so much ground cover that it all looks pretty immaculate. The low sun showed it to its best advantage, kittens from the farm cats romped and played in and out of the plants, silkie hens scratched in a pen in the corner, geese and two Jersey cows grazed in the field beyond the ha-ha - lovely evening.
We are off now to walk across the Ribblehead railway viaduct - there are no trains today and there are organised walks throughout the day. The weather forecast is absolutely abominable - heavy rain and strong winds - so we are packing waterproofs. I guess if the wind is too strong the walks will be cancelled, but we are going full of enthusiasm - and taking the camera.

22 comments:

Arija said...

What a lovely day you had. No Idea about the thistly thingy but I too have a Medlar in my Mountain garden from the 1850's. You obviously have not been watching Midsummer Murders or you woul know that they made jelly from the rotten fruit. Sounds great doesn't it? I did not bother and just enjoyed the tree for its endurance and rarity.

Crafty Green Poet said...

The first thing i thought when I saw those lovely yellow thistle like flowers was 'what are they?' so sorry i can't help there! It was perfect weather yesterday for a garden party....

Heather said...

Gosh Weaver - don't get blown away on your walk today. Yesterday sounded heavenly and the garden you photographed is beautiful. I have never seen those gorgeous thistles in that colour before. Could they be a globe thistle or cardoon in a different colour? I don't know how you use medlars but aren't they the fruit that has to be left to go rotten before picking and conserving? That rather puts me off.

Dave King said...

Super post, really made me wish I had been there - and yes, I will pick up the challenge of your meme. WP, DV, USA.

Jinksy said...

My your enthusiasm remain undiluted, as it were, by rain. :)

SG said...

What a fantastic day.. and what an amazing set of photographs!

Titus said...

Oh what a super day, it's pouring here at the moment but the weather also blessed us yesterday. Brilliant that the sun came on the double party day!
I think the big yellow thistly thing might not be a thistle at all, but a Giant Knapweed cultivar - a Macrocephela. That might be spelt wrong!

Elizabeth said...

Bliss indeed.
Yes, I've certainly heard of a medlar tree
and it sounds wonderful too

so interesting Arija knew about it!

Elizabeth said...

Me again!
Yes, I would definitely like to do the inspiration meme.
Are there any rules as to length etc?
I think I could go on for ever and bore people to death.
Is it to be Wednesday?

Unknown said...

Hello Weaver,

Hope you're not too waterlogged or windswept after your walk! I saw part of a TV programme not so long ago where they were making medlar jam but even they were a little put off by the state of the fruit!

I wondered if the plant was part of the cardoon family. I used to buy something from the florist in St Andrews that could be a much smaller version but I can't recall the name, sorry!

If you pop round to my place you will find an award waiting.

steven said...

oh weaver what a beautiful day!!! the garden and the side wall of the hosue look spectacular!!! the medlar tree is new to me as is the yellow-thistled plant.
crossing the ribblehead viaduct!! i once saw the viaduct at a distance on a walk through north yorkshire. it's an incredible engineering achievement but i am wondering in high wind and rain of the very wet type if it has handrails or brick walls on the side? i'm sure it does. have a great walk and let us know what the view's like. steven

Leenie said...

It looks like the weather cooperated for your parties! Glad you had a good time. Best wishes for the walk. It should be a fun adventure whatever the weather. Bring back some pics to show!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Arija - think I would feel the same about medlars.
c.g.p. - I think we are still in the dark as to what they are.
Heather - have failed to find cardoon in any of my gardening books. Shall now look at globe thistle.
Dave - glad you are joining in our Inspiration meme.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Titus - thanks for those suggestions but I failed to find any reference to them in my garden books.
Elizabeth - glad you are joining in the meme.
Derrick - thanks will call shortly.
Steven - will reveal all about Ribblehead in tomorrow's blog.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks to you all for your comments and your suggestion as to that flower. The simple answer is that I shall ask Sue when I next see her - then I shall post it on my blog so that you can all see it. It is a lovely statuesque plant - perfect in its setting.

Tess Kincaid said...

Your neck of the woods is so lovely. I have no clue on the thistle plant, sorry.

In case you didn't see my other comment, yes, please do count me in for the Wednesday meme. :)

cherie said...

ma'am, i am new to your blogsite, but i do like the qauint englishness of it and woulf like to come back more often. i hope you don't mind? this post on a perfect summer's day is beautiful and idyllic. thank you, and God bless!

BT said...

Now come on Weaver, I've mentioned our medlar tree several times, and put photos on! You must have missed them! Arija is right about the rotting fruit, though our fruits tend to drop off before they ripen anyway! When we arrived here it was all lop sided and falling over so we staked it up. It's still a bit wonky but at least it won't fall over any more! Sorry - no help with those lovely yellow thistles. What a great day you had and how lucky you were with the weather. I bet the food was great too.

xx

Country Girl said...

It looks like you had such a lovely day in the gardens of both parties!
I don't know what the yellow flower is, but the medlar fruit can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mespilus

Midlife Roadtripper said...

I'm not sure about the globe thistle either. Great pictures. Feel like I've had a nice walk.

Penny said...

What a glorious sounding day. we can grow medlars in Australia but I dont know of any. I dont think the thistle thing is a cardoon, the leaves or what I could see of them look wrong. I suppose it could be some sort of artichoke but again the leaves dont look cut through enough.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Cherie - of course you may join in - I will post details tomorrow. I have tried to leave a comment on your site but have had no luck in finding a place to write it.
Weren't our two party hosts lucky with the weather - yesterday it poured yet Saturday there was not a cloud in the sky.