A return to the farm with some gorgeous beginnings & beautiful endings...

It's been a while since this blog has visited the farm...I took these pictures a couple of months ago and thought you'd like to see them...


The back courtyard was looking especially gorgeous...my Mum was so proud! When we first moved here over 30 years ago, this little yard was a real tip...and there was a ramshackle dairy building in one corner that was falling down...


So much more beautiful now! My dad adores hostas and this is one of the two huge beds they have planted out. I took the picture through glass, so apologies for the reflection!


The hedgehogs & badgers keep the snail and slug population in check here...which is why there are no holes in those leaves...


It's quite rare to see the front lawn not covered in William's golf balls, as this is his prime practise space! Every child loves this expanse of green...we used to play croquet and rounders here as kids...the pond is at the far end, through a little white gate and over a footbridge...


The glade, bordered with stunning trees, is the morning and evening walk for the dogs who live or visit here...


and the huge old oak tree at the top is a perfect roosting place for the owls...


It marks the gate that leads to Dad's pride & joy...the wild flower field that he dreamed of having many years ago...and finally managed to attain! This year it held hundreds & hundreds of wild orchids...


and so many species of flowers and grasses...the butterflies, bees and insects adore it. Here's a Meadow Brown basking in the early summer sun...





and taking a drink of nectar from a red clover flower...


Just a small sample of orchids...


It's hard to leave that field when it looks that way! It has now all died down, of course, and will self-seed ready for next year...who knows what will come up then?!


The big old dew pond is such a tranquil place to sit and dream...watching the wild ducks, the nervous little moorhens...


and the splashes of colour from the yellow 'flag' irises and foxgloves...before walking back down to the beloved old house with its tangle of fragrant cottage roses...


I used to pick bunches of these and wrap them in damp kitchen towel to take as presents for a favourite school teacher! I love the memories that wind themselves around the farm. I can still see my younger sisters whooping and turning cartwheels on the lawn...and now their own children do the very same thing! Such a special place.

Back at our own home, we make more memories...and it's been a glorious summer for them! I can't believe that September is here...but it's still fine and warm, we are still enjoying the garden and having to water the plants almost every day! This peacock butterfly shared his buddleia bloom with a bumble bee last week...


I will miss sights like that in the winter to come, but it has been a fabulous summer! We woke to this breathtaking dawn a couple of weeks ago...





and it heralded a perfect day. And then at the end of last week, I was cooking supper when I realised that the light outside was quite strange...


this was what we saw! Almost like the northern lights, or a comet!


And off to the West, the clouds were on fire!
So much beauty all around, whatever the season or time of day...

I hope you've had a glorious summer (or winter!) too...there is lots to look forward to in the coming months.
Oh...and we had a birthday at the farm this week...I'll leave you with this lovely photo of Will helping Granny to blow out her candles!



Have a great week xx

Posted using BlogPress by Rachel Lucas 2013