Keukenhof surprises

Enroute to the UK last year, I stopped off in the Netherlands for a couple of days and was generously treated to a visit to the Keukenhof Gardens -

a showcase of glorious blooms covering some 30+ hectares (with a few feathered friends and others). Following is a small sample of its offerings -

 

 

A Mandarin Duck

 

 

( For some reason I am unable to enlarge these images within Blogger, but hope you will still be able to get a feel for the environment there!)

 

Linking up with Outdoor Wednesday

 

 

Dunham Massey

Reflection of The Orangerie within the magnificent grounds of Dunham Massey near Altrincham in north-west England. This 300 acre estate (a National Trust property since 1976), includes a deer park and the former home of the last Earl of Stamford - an impressive Georgian mansion which was used as a military hospital during WWI. 

The mansion is surrounded by a moat

 The garden tour guide was a wealth of information and he made the walk very interesting.

The vibrant red tall Tulips featured often

as did the ever-appealing Bluebells

After an hour's meandering, we headed for the tea rooms which offered delicious food and were doing a roaring trade!  

This was the view through one of the windows.

I hope you enjoyed your "sample" visit here too, as I link up with 

James' Weekend Reflection

Biddulph Grange Gardens

Biddulph Grange Gardens are located near Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England.

National Trust listed, these 15 acre Victorian gardens were created by James Bateman in the 19th Century to showcase his collection of plants from around the world.

The house, a former Rectory (pre 1840 when purchased by Mr Bateman) has quite a fascinating history. (Wikipedia will enlighten those of you who may be interested)

I was given a delightful tour of the gardens and can well recommend a visit, especially in Spring!

Linking up with James' Weekend Reflection

Veale Gardens

 

A corner of the delightful, relaxing Veale Gardens on South Terrace,
bordering the City's square mile.

I'm off to Canberra to stay with friends and visit the Floriade for a few days.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

(I was going to link up with James' Weekend Reflections, but don't know how to do that in advance, so this will be early or late -
 Perhaps I'll try doing so from my Galaxy Tablet while interstate)

A Country Garden

On our way into the country for a specific photoshoot, we were keenly on the lookout for a bakery and coffee stop. Thought we'd found it here on a back country road, but sadly the cafe was temporarily closed, but we enjoyed stretching our legs and exploring the fascinating garden!

Participating in http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com.au/

Veale Gardens

Veale Gardens, located in the South Parklands of Adelaide, is home to a large rose garden, several quaint bridges (as shown in last week's post) and this pretty stream meandering through a pretty area for a lunch-time stroll.

Participating in James' Weekend Reflections (thanks James!)

Visit http://www.weekendreflection.blogspot.com.au/ for reflections from around the world.

Awaiting warmer days . .

Yesterday was a particularly wet, grey day here in Adelaide, but this outdoor setting in a friend's garden suggested brighter days are not far away. (Personally I enjoy the refreshing, invigorating coolness of Winter and the depth of colour it brings to nature)

Contributing to http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com.au/ and
http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com.au/

Versailles, France

During a 5-day visit to France (in conjunction with a 6-week revisit to the UK with friends) in 2009, we toured the Palace of Versailles and its Gardens.

Both were breathtaking - in size, design and artistry. It was the residence of King Louis XIV prior to the French Revolution, when he returned to Paris.

Checking in to James' http://www.weekendreflection.blogspot.com.au/

Happy weekend all.

Scenic Sunday - Versailles

These shots were taken at the remarkable Palace of Versailles in France.

The central picture does not capture the entire palace -

I couldn't get back far enough to get it all in!!

The grounds, gardens, lake, ponds, fountains and statues were amazing

and the interior of the palace was an awesome experience.

If you're blessed to visit France on any future travels, I suggest you ensure

this is on your itinerary.

For other scenic photos from around the world, do visit http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/