Natural beauty of an English garden

Flowers and old stone wall

There’s something about the natural beauty of an English garden…

Since my return from the US, often I find calm and peace by wandering around a private garden in the English countryside – with camera in hand – and exploring all its areas. Even with touches of formality there’s a wildness and naturalness to the landscape. Such a contrast to the manicured front and back yards where I lived in the Hamptons in New York State. (Unlike the amazing nature reserves!)

I need this naturalistic feel to my surroundings. Back here. Here in England!

I love glimpsing red roses growing up a house’s wall.

red roses

Then seeing wild white rambling roses entwined and draping down a tree.

Wild white roses and gate

wild white roses

Now I find hydrangeas growing naturally. Not controlled and spaced out forlornly in beds blanketed with mulch.

Hydrangea bush with background trees

I’m not surprised when I come across the beauty of petals unfurling in their fine glory one moment and then a flowering bramble.

red flower

bramble flowers

Foxgloves blooming along a formal path.

Foxglove in English garden

While the Deadly Nightshade – oh dangerous Belladona! – shows up in a walled garden.

deadly night shade

I’m indulged with such a variety and abundance of flowers wherever I look. Sometimes native, sometimes exotic, sometimes introduced by past generations. But it’s these discoveries which I find make an English garden special.

Flower with spike and fruit

Wild flowers are allowed to grow in the grass near a cricket pitch. Or creep through the cracks of old stone steps.

wqild flowers next cricket pitch

flowering plant stone step

I know, though, that much tender loving care and hard work creates this feeling of lushness and naturalness wherever I look.

shrub and roses

White rose wilting

But nothing beats the beauty of a rose when the sun is shining on a fine summer’s day in the English countryside.

Sunlight through pink rose

So this is my personal ode to the beauty of the English countryside. Natural, informal, formal but special.  Yes, I’m back over here. And smiling among the flowers of an English garden.

 

12 thoughts on “Natural beauty of an English garden”

  1. Emma Greenwood

    Very pretty, I suppose it is quitisentially English, living in England it is a look that we take for granted, you pictures make it look so beautiful

  2. That rose picture is stunning, you’ve made me appreciate English gardens all the more too – try what you say about the work that goes into making natural look right – battle with that a lot here!

  3. Beautiful! I love how everything is mismashed together in these sorts of gardens. Foxgloves are so pretty, really need to get some for my own garden, especially as it’s suppose to be a cottage garden 🙂

  4. Welcome back – nice timing as everything is in full swing in the gardens at the moment. Really interesting to read about the differences in gardens between over there and here. I totally love foxgloves – they remind me of childhood so much!
    Lovely photos – those rose ones especially – thanks for sharing x

  5. absolutely lovely shots and a lovely garden. and i agree with you, even though i live in the states and have never been to an english garden, since joining this link up, i too can say that there is nothing like an english garden

  6. Sometimes it takes a break from something for us to be reminded of how special it is. I agree, there is something rather special and relaxing about an English garden.

    1. I just love the naturalness of English gardens – although it does take a lot of work to make them look and grow as such.

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