evening light

The longer days give an opportunity for evening walks. The light at this time of day is so beautiful. These photographs are taken from the roman walls at Silchester.

Englefield gardens

I have been visiting the gardens at Englefield for almost thirty years. They are open on Mondays throughout the year but I usually make my first visit of the year in March or April to see the magnolias. This year I thought I might have missed them but the cold spring has delayed them and many were still looking stunning in May.

The garden has many azaleas and rhododendrons which are also a little later this year. This purple one stood out agains the bright green ferns along the stream.

The fragrant yellow azaleas were just coming into flower.

Away from the formal terraces there are many mature trees.

This more natural part of the garden is my favourite.

There is something reassuring about visiting a place that has changed little over the past few years. High streets and shopping centres have altered beyond recognition, new roads and housing estates (so much building) but through all that these gardens have stayed much the same. There are a few additions, a small area for children, a little stone bench has been placed under the weeping tree that my boys used to hide in, but overall it feels the same.

The gunnera patch is sprouting

and the deer are in the parkland.

A peaceful oasis in a changing world.

finished knitting, woolly hat

The beginning of May, just as we are finally getting some warm weather is not the most appropriate time to finish knitting a hat. I started it before Christmas but life has taken over in the past few months and knitting has been pushed to one side. Never mind, I will have a new hat for next winter.

This is Everglade by Woolly Wormhead. I have knitted this pattern before and have worn it a lot so decided to knit a second one in blue. As last time I used Jamiesons double knitting, this time in Prussian Blue.

When I first bought this pattern, the hat was modelled with the brim turned up, now when I reprinted a copy (I scribble and count rows on my patterns so it is nice to start with a clean sheet to avoid confusion) the picture shows it worn in a slouchy style with the brim down so I'll try that next winter - hat wearing fashion may have changed in the last three years!

I uploaded these photographs to my laptop along with some pictures of my walk, so continuing the blue theme, here are a couple of bluebell photos.

Bluebells and stitchwort, you can never have too many bluebells.