'He gave us eyes to see them, and lips that we might tell, how great is God Almighty who has made all things well...'
It was pretty crowded at Nymans Gardens this morning, but I knew it would be. We got there soon after the gardens opened so we were ahead of most of the families bringing picnics and anticipating a day enjoying themselves together.
I remember when this rose garden was being replanted, and the fountain installed maybe thirty years ago now.
The advantage of going slowly is that you have time to notice things that you would normally miss, like this little carving on the side of a shed in a slightly hidden path.
We had ten minutes or so before we needed to think about making tracks for home. Just enough time to take in the view across the valley to the ridge
There were many, many different flowers and grasses in the wildflower meadow. The white vertical spikes dotted about are orchids. But what are these? The flowers look like thistles but the stalks and leaves are not at all thistly. The colour is a beautiful fuschia pink.
It's easy to wander around in the sun among the flowers and views singing praises to God. I'm 'banking' today as a memory to turn to on greyer, tougher days when praising and blessing doesn't come so easily, and I'll need some extra help.
Knapweed.
ReplyDeleteAha! That was the word that came into my mind, along with the character from the children's TV programme 'The Herbs' singing 'I'm Constable Knapweed'! Thank you
DeleteOh yes, I loved the Herbs too! Especially......'I;m Bayleaf, I'm the Gardener' !!
ReplyDeleteI'm Dill the dog..... I'm a dog called Dill.... you can watch them on YouTube!
DeleteOh yes, I’d forgotten about Constable Knapweed. I loved the Herbs and would watch with my much younger brother. I even gave him a jigsaw puzzle featuring the characters which we would do over and over again. Good to see Nymans meadow, it’s about 40 minutes’ drive from us and we haven’t visited for a while. I used to enjoy the walk through the woodland past all the old hammer ponds and I think I also remember the revamping of the rose garden. Have been a life member of the National Trust since I was 21 so that is now 42 years. Nymans meadow is similar to ours here in the South Downs where we live on the Greensand ridge between Bignor Hill and the Rother valley. I describe ours as a natural perennial wildflower meadow and the only addition I have made is the sowing of yellow rattle seed, everything else has arrived naturally including hundreds of bee orchids or ophrys apifera. For completeness the Latin name of knapweed is Centaurea Nigra and its other common name is hardhead. I like your idea of banking the good days. My husband has Parkinson’s so it came be a struggle but generally life is good: swallows swooping and soaring over the meadow, green woodpecker pecking the anthills, kestrel sentinel on the telegraph line, barn owl silently working the meadow which is pepper-potted with tiny vole holes as well as squirrels pinching apples and mice caching unripe strawberries … we take the rough with the smooth! Sarah in Sussex
ReplyDeleteYour meadow sounds wonderful, Sarah. We visited Bignor Roman Villa years ago; I remember the lanes through apparently deserted countryside.
DeleteA man with Parkinsons has just joined my pulmonary rehab exercise class. Hope it helps him as much as it is helping me (I have PF and use oxygen when out and about now).
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DeleteAh, these are beautiful! It IS easy to praise God in the sunshine but I also find a really stormy, windy day by the sea is also a great opportunity too!x
ReplyDeleteI remember the song from 'The Mikado' by Gilbert and Sullivan; 'there is beauty in the bellow of the blast'.... maybe not terribly religious though!
DeleteI remember the song from 'The Mikado' by Gilbert and Sullivan; 'there is beauty in the bellow of the blast'.... maybe not terribly religious though!
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