Category Archives: Gardens

Norfolk, on the Edge of the Sea

14 Thursday Jun 2012

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Flat as yer hat. That’s what My Beloved Brit’s comment was as we drove north through Norfolk.  And he was right.  Huge expanses of level fields and hedgerows to the edge of the sea were everywhere we looked.

The flat fields of Norfolk. Photo by me.

We are staying in a great Best Western (Le Strange Arms…a strange name) right on the edge of the sea in Old Hunstanton and used it as our base this week to explore Norfolk. It was perfect.

Our escape next to the sea. Photo by me

We were pleasantly surprised to have a room with a separate living area with many large windows facing the sea, and have had great pleasure viewing it at all times day and night, no matter what the weather.

Our view. Photo by me.

The sky and sea is always dramatic.

Sunset at Le StrangeArms comes late. Photo by me.

We have gotten out and about during the day exploring the area.  And the week has turned from chilly and rainy at the start in Sandringham…

Sandringham in the rain. Photo by me

…to chilly and partly cloudy at Houghton Hall. A definite improvement. It is all relative.

Houghton Hall and the skies are clearing. Believe it or not, this is good weather. Photo by me.

I promise future posts on the amazing homes and gardens we have seen this week, but for the moment I am focusing on what makes Norfolk Norfolk…at least to me.

The north coast of Norfolk near Wells-next-to-Sea. Photo by me.

It is very rural, with lots of farming (from lavender to cows) and many beachy seafront villages that cater to the family on holiday.

The beach in Hunstanton. Photo by me

It reminds me a bit of Holland with the scattering of windmills about…

A windmill in Cley, on the Norfolk Coast. Photo by me

and the many canals with dikes separating the flat fields of cows from the irrigation.

Thoughtful cows at Holkham. Photo by me.

There are a scattering of excellent large estates that were well worth the visit.

The estate at Holkham on the chilliest day of our trip so far. Photo by me

I love the buildings in the area, faced in different patterns of red and white stone.  Everything is done in these stones in a huge variety of patterns.

The stone on the buildings in Norfolk are in all sorts of patterns. Photo by me

Stone like mosaic on the sides of buildings. Photo by me

But the beaches seem to be the main attraction, and even in this chilly grey month of June (everyone keeps telling us this is the coldest June in 8 years), the beaches are busy with dog walkers and children running in the sand.

Little beach huts line the shore in the resort town of Wells-Next-to-Sea. Photo by me

The beach is busy, even on a cold June afternoon. Photo by me

The area does seem a bit hard hit from the economy downturn with lots of For Sale signs and empty storefronts, but people are still very cheerful and extremely friendly. One of the things I notice over and over again in England is how absolutely polite people are.  Manners are still very important, especially in rural England, and Norfolk is no exception.

The seaside resort town of Hunstanton where there seems to be more ice cream and Fish ‘n’ Chip shops than anywhere we have seen on this trip. Photo by me

I will miss this area.  It is always wonderful to make a new discovery. But tomorrow we head south again for a weekend of sailing for MBB…the forecast is for cold and rain.

Sandringham, the Queen’s Norfolk Retreat

12 Tuesday Jun 2012

Posted by in England, Gardens, History, The Royal Family, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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We’ve come north to Norfolk to see the Queen’s residence in Sandringham.  It was raining yesterday (yes, again) and although we were also going to be in the area today, it was listed on the internet as being closed on this particular Tuesday.

When My Beloved Brit (with rain dripping down his neck) inquired at the ticket office as to why we did not have the option of coming tomorrow, we were told it was the Queen’s Garden Party in honor of the Diamond Jubilee. They were setting up tents everywhere for their nearest and dearest…4,000 guests…as we went through.

The tents were being set up for the Queen's Garden Party. Photo by me.

Our invitation must have been lost in the post. Rumour had it that she was already in the area, but we never did run in to her or her corgis.

Sandringham is lovely, even in the rain. Photo by me.

It was still a lovely visit.The gardens were being spruced up for the party.

The gardens were freshly weeded and pruned. Photo by me.

As we approached in the rain, we could see they were setting up for the big event, so we went around the side to the main entrance.

Sandringham. Photo by me

You actually may tour much of the living area of the main floor which is lovely (no photos allowed).  In the main drawing-room, the Queen’s special felt covered table where she does her jigsaw puzzles was in direct view of the fireplace. It all looked very cozy.The dining room was exquisite. And the carpets! We left the main house in awe and crossed the green towards the museum.

Even with the rain it was perfect.  The trees on the estate are magnificent.  Every time you turn a corner you see one more impressive than the last.

On the path to the museum in the old stable complex. Photo by me

We found the museum which was filled with a wide variety of vintage cars that the Royal Family had owned and used on the estate. MBB was a happy man. I’ll try to do a  post on that in the future, but suffice it to say, I would have been proud to own any one of those cars, even the ones used to carry the luggage from the train station.

The museum had a wide variety of The Royal Family's classic vehicles. Photo by me

We headed towards the exit of the property to return to the car park, and wandered along the lake.

The grounds were magnificent. Photo by me

We constantly saw people preparing for the party the next day.  All of the guides in the house were talking about it and what they might wear if it was still raining. The excitement was building.

Everywhere people were primping the house and grounds awaiting the Queen's party. Photo by me

The gardens all looked perfect to me, and each time we made a turn on the road through the grounds we decided it was our new favorite view.

Sandringham from across the lake. Photo by me

Finally we approached the small church, so familiar from the news photos of the Royal Family attending services there every Christmas.

St. Mary Magdalen's Church at Sandringham. Photo by me

MBB teases me that he’s seen more of England since he met me than he has in a lifetime, especially anything having to do with The Royal Family.  I think Sandringham is the last of the Royal Residences on our list of grand houses to see. I asked him which was his favorite, but they are all so different and beautiful in their own way, it is just too hard to choose.

I thought of the Queen today. The sun has just appeared which has been very rare in the past couple of weeks.  The ladies can wear their special outfits for the Garden Party this afternoon.

A Medieval Visit, Penshurst Place and Gardens

09 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in Art Museums & Exhibitions, Gardens, History, movies, Travel, United Kingdom

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We continued through the countryside in Kent, and came across another great estate, Penshurst Place, surrounded by ancient parkland.  I had read about this grand building, parts of which dated back to the 14th century.  The halls and rooms were incredible and even more so when you realized that the heart of the house was medieval from the Tudor period. Henry VIII was said to have used it as a hunting lodge.

The entryway to the grand hall. Photo by me

It has been described as “the grandest and most perfectly preserved example of a fortified manor house in all England”.

The magnificent stone work was matched by the woodworking inside. Photo by me

I loved the sense of history here. It really was just a family historic home, but every time you turned a corner, you expected to run into a medieval nobleman or lady. We just have nothing that can compare to this in the United States, and it humbles you to realize the long, vast history of English-speaking people.

A gardener works on through the rain showers just outside the hall. Photo by me

Many films have been made here, including The Other Boleyn Girl. Sound recordists from the Harry Potter film series came and recorded floor creaks in the Long Gallery to get authentic sound effects.

You can imagine Henry VIII sweeping through the courtyards. Photo by me

After a quick tour of the building, My Beloved Brit and I went out in to the gardens. We started by crossing the sunken garden outside the main structure.

The sunken garden. Photo by me.

We passed down a few long passages of gardens in rainbow hues, some quite whimsical in their design…

The dramatic skies just made it more wonderful. Photo by me

The showers made everything so lush. Photo by me

Each garden held a bit of a surprise.All photos by me.

…and then we entered a maze of exquisite garden “rooms”. Each had their own personality.

A "secret room", buried in the garden maze. Photo by me

They were varied and lovely, even in the rain which kept starting and stopping.  It didn’t matter at all.  Sun or grey, they were lovely.

The wind blows the fountain on a grey day in the gardens. Photo by me

You could get lost in the many passages as you cut through the “doorways” in the hedge walls that separated them.

It was unique and lovely and made for a truly wonderful afternoon.

I love Kent, fondly known as “England’s Garden”.  Aptly named.

Every time you are tempted to curse the rain, you realize that it is responsible for these extraordinary explosions of nature. I love every drop.

Chartwell, A House Full of History

07 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by in Art Museums & Exhibitions, England, Gardens, History, National Trust, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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We woke to another rainy day in Kent.  What better way to spend a wet, grey morning in England than to tour a house and garden.  There are so many really monumental estates in this area to choose from. We picked one that appealed to both My Beloved Brit and myself…Chartwell, Sir Winston Churchill’s estate that he purchased in 1922.

Chartwell, the adult home of Sir Winston Churchill. Photo by me

It was an interesting drive to get to the estate…under an hour through winding, narrow lanes with barely enough room for two cars to pass let alone a lorrie.  Good thing MBB offered to drive.

Churchill spent as much time as he could at Chartwell, except during the Second World War, until his death in 1965.  And why not?  It is a spectacular setting.

The view of the Kent countryside from the front patio is breathtaking. Photo by me.

The house reflects the family’s life at Chartwell in the 1920s and 30s. I loved that The National Trust chose this particular period, and made it seem like we had just dropped by the home for a friendly visit. I am sorry no photos were allowed of the interior, because it was warm and friendly and inviting.  I was ready to move in tomorrow.

The drawing-room windows look out over the immense view. Photo by me.

There was even a pool on the back lawn which rolls down to a lake and cow pasture.

The swimming pool from the gardens. Is it ever warm enough to swim? We didn't feel the desire for a cool pool. Photo by me

The pool in the foreground, and the lake beyond. Photo by me.

Touring the house, you had the feeling that the Churchills had just stepped out for a newspaper, or perhaps Winston was down in his art studio putting the finishing touches on a landscape from the magnificent views over The Weald of Kent.

The view from the house to Churchill's art studio where over 100 paintings by the amateur artist are on display. Photo by me.

The gardens have a natural quality and are quintessentially English, rolling hills with casual looking gardens that you know must have been perfectly planned to take full advantage of the English weather.

The kitchen garden in the rain. Photo by me

The rain came and went throughout the morning, but no one seemed to mind.  You just opened your brollie and carried on, and when you went in to the house they had little plastic sheaths ready for wet umbrellas and rugs to wipe the rain off wellies. These Brits are used to rain. As MBB said, if you waited for the sun to come out, you’d never do anything in this country, so you just carry on.

We took refuge under a large tree with several other families until the rain took a break. Photo by me.

We both were mesmerized by the gardens and the views, as well as the sense of history that filled the house.  Many of Sir Winston’s uniforms and medals were displayed in one room, giving a hint of the true greatness of his career. There were photos with recognizable faces everywhere, but the house still had an informal charm.

The Water Garden, one of Winston's final painting locations. A beautiful, tranquil spot.. Photo by me

Another view near The Water Garden. Photo by me

It seems the gardener's work was interrupted on Lady Churchill's Rose Garden. Photo by me.

It was a truly lovely day, rain and all. We shook off our umbrellas, got in to the car and drove down the country lane looking for more gardens.

 

 

Balmoral, A Gardener’s Paradise

28 Monday May 2012

Posted by in Gardens, Scotland, The Royal Family, Travel, United Kingdom

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One of the main reasons we chose the Deeside village of Ballater to use as our base in the Scottish Highlands was its close proximity to Balmoral Castle.  I had seen photos of the royal residence on many occasions, and decided it was time we paid it a visit. The Royal Family uses this idyllic spot as their summer retreat, so there are only certain times of year you can visit.  We lucked out.

The River Dee was always rushing along. After all, it is only early spring in Scotland. They had snow the week before. Photo by me.

Winding down the road alongside the River Dee, all of a sudden we saw the small carpark area and a modest sign tucked under the trees announcing it’s presence.

The welcome sign at the carpark a short way down the lane from the main gates. photo by me.

We parked, paid our pay and display and as instructed walked over a bridge above the river and approached the gate house.

The gatehouse at Balmoral. Photo by me.

Quite an entrance.  You can only tour the gardens, one ballroom, several exhibitions set up in the stable area and then of course the usual gift shop (very tastefully done) and coffee shop. But we were happy with that and bought our tickets at the gate house and decided to walk down the road to the castle rather than wait for the tram. Less Disney, more royal.

We didn't see a squirrel in site. photo by me

We walked from the gatehouse to the welcome area through the scent of pine that shamed any Christmas Tree lot.  The pines were planted in Queen Victoria’s time, and now were massive and varied.  I have never seen anything quite like this.

The walk down the drive was incredible. The decades old pine trees smelled like Christmas morning. photo by me

As the path curved through the pines, the main building came in to view.  What can this be like to come home to after a long London winter?

Our first view of Balmoral coming down the lane. Photo by me.

Because of this unseasonably warm week, the prep for the summer gardens was in full swing and it was so complex and beautifully laid out, surrounded by the magnificent hills of the Cairngorms and the Balmoral Forest.

Spring has arrived at the Balmoral gardens. Photo by me

As we wound in to the gardening area I found so many glorious images of spring that I didn’t know where to start.  I thought I would just let the pictures speak for themselves.

The seedlings have already been started just in case warm weather came. photo by me

New plantings. photo by me

Every corner was planted with little surprises. They plant enough for the kitchen, and flowers for the castle as well as the local church. Photo by me

I am not sure if the covers are protection from frost, or the local creatures. Photo by me.

Seed potatoes for sale. The whole garden seemed so intimate, like a visit to a family farm. There just happened to be a castle in the background. photo by me

There are several greenhouses filled with potted plants preparing for the summer holidays when the royal family arrives. photo by me

Balmoral is a magical place, and visiting it in spring was really special. photo by me.

Scotland is like going through a magic mirror into a fairytale land. It was worth every penny of the high priced petrol it took to drive here.

Garden Update…May

12 Saturday May 2012

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The warmth of May has finally brought the first waxy white gardenias with their gorgeous green leaves.  The small star gardenias out front have bloomed but they barely last.  Now the real things are getting ready to go in to full bloom, filling the path to the studio with their scent, and they will go on for weeks.

 

The first buds appear, and there are so many of them!

Pure white

I love how these pop up overnight.

Full bloom. Let the party begin. And the scent...

...even the garden statue is ecstatic.

 

 

Palm Sunday in Paris

01 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, Gardens, paintings, Travel

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Today is Palm Sunday in Paris, a point hard to miss in this city.  On my way to breakfast I passed the ladies at the door of the church preparing the greenery.  In Paris, it is sprigs of boxwood rather than palms, but the point is made just the same.

The ladies prepare greens outside the church for Palm Sunday. photo by me

At every church in the city, it seemed you could get a sprig of green to carry around.  And at Notre Dame they had big white tents set up to entertain the children. Church members in white sweatshirts would answer any questions you might have about the day, and their church, and their religion.

Notre Dame, photo by me

Around the corner, a flower market bloomed.  I happened on it quite by mistake while making a detour for a scoop of haagen dazs (chocolate praline carmel crunch).

This flower market went on for blocks around the corner from Notre Dame. Photo by me

Perfect for the patio, from peach trees to pussy willows. Photo by me

And as I became intoxicated with the smell of fresh spring blooms, I heard  birds chirping away.  There were cages full of tiny birds, every variety imaginable, to the great delight of children straining to escape from their parents to see what it was all about.

Tiny birds, chirping away, hoping to find a home for Easter. photo by me

There were all shapes and sizes and colors. Fascinating. I don’t know if this was just for this weekend or if this a regular occurrence, but it was really quite magical.

The varieties were endless. Something for every taste, so to speak. photo by me

There were booths with all types of birdseed…

Bird seed by the bulk. photo by me

…so you can feed your nesters and get your own fresh eggs.

You could also buy live quails, chickens and doves at the market if you wanted your own endless supply of fresh eggs. Photo by me.

And that was just part of my day.  The highlight was a visit to Centre Pompidou, the Paris version of New York’s Museum of Modern Art.  A unique building, very modern and industrial, it was a delight, and the collection was interesting and varied.

The courtyard from the roof of Centre Pompidou. Photo by me

The last time I was in Paris, much of this museum was closed for renovation, so today was a treat and I spent hours there. My poor Beloved Brit I am afraid would have been bored to tears, which is why I came on my own.

Outside the galleries are sculpture gardens in a pool high above the city.The views of Paris from up here are spectacular. Photo by me

The collection is varied, but my favorite area is Floor 4 and 5, 1900 to present.

Matisse cutouts. Never disappoint. Photo by me

A few of my old favorites…

Joan Mitchell. I have this image in a book back in the studio, but it pales in comparison to the real thing. Photo by me

And of course Peter Doig…

Peter Doig, the painting in real time. Photo by me

I could go on and on and on–way too many to mention here.

Just a spectacular day.  And then I walked outside and down the street on my way to Notre Dame, and saw this…

A small side street captured my attention. Ssssh, don't tell anyone. Photo by me

You’ve got to love Paris for the art.  Just when you think you’ve adjusted to the visual overload, something else pops up and blows you away.

 

 

Violets

19 Monday Mar 2012

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This is a special time of year in the garden.  This week, the violets have bloomed, and I can’t resist bringing a small nosegay in to the house each day.

Don’t you just love spring.

In the garden, photo by me

A day in an English (or not) garden

04 Friday Nov 2011

Posted by in England, Gardens, Peak District, Uncategorized

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I spent the day working in my garden. I like to think that it has hints of a proper English garden.  It is the end of the season, and everything is in wild disarray.  It is the last burst of color before it all goes quiet for the winter.

My garden in autumn

My Beloved Brit wanted roses in our garden.  They remind him of England.  This variety is “Don Juan”, a climbing rose that blooms all through the summer and in to fall.

The last rose?

I know it is the end of summer when the white hydrangea blossoms turn purple and green.  I pick a big bouquet and put them in my favorite blue and white vase in my studio at this time of year. They slowly dry and last the winter. It keeps me hopeful that spring will come again.

The sage has gone wild this year and covers the garden path.

I love gardening. It is everything that I am most comfortable with…color, flow and composition.

I think gardening is just one of the many reasons that I have always felt a strong connection to England.  Residents of the UK take their gardens very seriously. It’s a personal point of pride, and no matter how large or small the outdoor space, you will probably find a garden tucked in. The gardens there are everywhere, and everyone has a lovely story about theirs.  Is it all the rain?  Everything is always so green and lush.

A small house garden in the village of Ashford-in-the-water

Maybe I should get a gnome?

A dear friend of ours in England has a small fisherman’s cottage where we have stayed while MBB was racing.  In the back courtyard she has the loveliest garden, and this particular summer it had the tallest sunflower I had ever seen. I believe it was involved in a friendly competition between neighbors.

Jo's garden, Burnham-on-Crouch

The next summer I saw a field of sunflowers near a farm market in the Hamptons on eastern Long Island while we were on holiday.  I couldn’t resist, and a series of conte crayon drawings was born.

It always amazes me how images stick in my brain, and float and tumble and fall out after many days (or even months) on to paper or canvas.

The studio wall

That sunflower in that English Garden on a far coast kept popping up when I thought of things to explore in my art.  Who would have thought the seed from that garden would transform into a field of sunflowers and be one of the first works on paper series that I had tried in ages.

I post all of my work on my personal art website, or you can visit the website for Gallery 50 where my “Sunflower Fields I-IV” are displayed. Gallery 50 is a tremendous gallery run by Jay Pastore in the ocean side town near Washington, DC, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, USA. If you get a chance, go by and see him and his gallery that never disappoints for its quality of art and its diversity of styles. Thank you Jay.

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

26 Monday Sep 2011

Posted by in Art, Gardens, National Trust, paintings, Travel

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Of all the gardens I have visited in England, one of the most beautiful and original has got to be Sissinghurst Castle Garden. Located in a rural area of Kent, I found it quite by accident after coming across a small documentary about it on television years ago. I put it on my list as a “must visit next time we are in England”, and the next time we were in England, we rambled through the countryside east of Tunbridge Wells and found it near the village of Cranbrook on the A262. There, near the ruin of a great Elizabethan house is the spectacular National Trust garden, gently tucked in among the farmland and surrounding woods.

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

It was a gray and rainy day (how unusual for England), which was a gift really. The garden was green and fresh, and there were hardly any visitors on that particular day. The history of the garden is fascinating, and many words have been written on the garden’s designers Harold Nicolson, the writer and diplomat, and Vita Sackville-West, poet and novelist. But I was most engaged with the visual richness and complexity of the many garden rooms.

Each time I turned a corner, a new intimate garden would be revealed. And on this particular day I seemed to have it all to myself. My husband was game for awhile, but finally retreated to the warm, dry restaurant located on the grounds, and left me to explore at my leisure. He was happy, I was happy.  Win, win.

From Vita’s solitary tower in the center of the gardens I looked down on her secluded world and got a new perspective. I could see the few visitors weave through the paths under their bright umbrellas. Occasionally they would meet. This was the inspiration for “The Encounter”, an oil painting I did in the year following my visit.

The Encounter, oil, 36 x 48", private collection

"The Encounters" inspiration

Another tower view

Perhaps one of the most interesting “rooms” to me was the white garden. It is magical and serene, especially in the mist.

 

In the painting that I did from this enclosure, I inserted a mysterious figure moving through the garden. I also increased the moodiness of the scene. I could only imagine past visitors finding their way through the mist to the rose arbor. And I wanted it to look like dusk, when white gardens look their best.

"White Garden", oil painting, 30 x 24", artist's

"White Garden" inspiration

After leaving the white garden, I moved outside the “rooms” in to the fields beyond and found the most glorious apple orchard. The red fruit was bright from the rain, and weighing the branches down. It smelled delicious.

It was all there. Another painting…or two.

"Apples I". oil painting, 7 x 5", artist's

"Apples II", oil painting, 7 x 5", artist's

It is so fascinating to me where new inspiration for art comes from. I can travel and wander for days, and may not find anything that truly inspires me. And then all of a sudden, I find a Sissinghurst. It just strikes me immediately and ideas for paintings roll through me.

I still like to return to my quiet studio and let the idea “cook”. But I immediately know when I see it that there is a real visual to draw on, and I always make notes, whether with my camera, or in a sketch book, or on a scrap of paper. When I begin the work, it all comes back in a rush…the sight, the smell, even the sounds of the moment when I was actually there.