Dorset Jollies :: day 3

Day 3 of our holidays and we had a low sea mist to contend with, not especially brilliant for lounging around in or for viewing scenery in. So we decided to drive along the coast and go visit Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens. We had a visit here last summer and really enjoyed it, so felt it was worth a re-visit. Its one of those places that I vividly remember visiting as a child and so was delighted to find my own Little People enjoyed it so much, and in fact it was their suggestion that we go back again this year.

I think it's one of those places that can please all generations. The Little People just love to run and the pathways through this wonderful garden are just made for running. And they are equally good for old biddies to shuffle around too, if you happen to be of that age. We just had to make sure that the two didn't collide. It was like trying to reign in a couple of over excited puppies, but overall, the Little People were a joy, I love the sense of excitement and adventure they seem to generate out of any given location, be it the beach, a small back garden, or a huge jungle-like garden such as this one.

As you can imagine, I took a lot of photos at this place, the colours of the flowers were absolutely breathtaking. But I don't think I was concentrating properly and a lot of them came out blurred. You can imagine me can't you, getting all in a  lather over the colour of the blue agapanthus set against the bright orange of crocosmia, with vivid red dahlias and purple verbena bonsariensis thrown in, I was delirious with joy at such colour combos. J just shook his head as I started going all giddy, I was running around like a loon taking photos left right and centre. I was obviously on sensory overload and must have been shaking with excitement, hence the camera blur. Sorry about that, but hope you do enjoy the photos I'm posting that are reasonably ok.

This gunnera by the pond was spectacular, as gunnera usually is, but most especially if you are 4 and 5 years old and the leaves tower above you.

And can't you just imagine the sound of four running feet, back and forth, over and over and over this delightful little red bridge? I had to wait patiently for them to tire of it before I could photograph it. It took quite some time.

And this is the Hydrangea Walk (or the Hydrangea Run/Shuffle, depending on your age)

I'm not a massive fan of hydrangeas. Maybe it's because I was forced to try and paint intricate watercolour studies of them when I was at art college, which is a very hard thing to do as it happens. I think maybe I could have developed Post Hydrangea Stress Disorder. True, the colour variation is beautiful, but a bit too subtle for me. I prefer my flowers to be wham-bam in the colour department.

There are magnificent lily ponds at these gardens towards the end of the walk round. They were so peaceful, I could've spent an age just sitting and looking at them.

The Little People were especially excited for this bit, which was well remembered from last year. Beside the pond is a little dispensing machine where you can exchange a 20pence piece for a handful of fish food pellets. Oh, can you imagine the thrill! Feeding these fish was such fun, some of them were ginormous with huge open mouths coming right up out of the water for the food. The Little People squealed with delight and so did their Mummy. Their Daddy even got quite excitable.

I love this last photo. Very much. These beautiful pink flowers, not sure what they're called, but oh so pretty planted there in front of the lily pond. Concentrate, focus, hold still and don't get giddy and the flowers come beautifully in to focus. Background in soft blur. Lovely shot.

It was not until I got home and put the photo on the computer that I noticed my Mum is there in the background. I was so busy focusing on the flower that I didn't notice she was in the frame. She was dressed beautifully in red that day, and the colour of her clothes compliments the colour of the flowers to perfection. I think I could be quite good at photography if I didn't get so over excited.

Comments

[Becki]

Lovely photos!

[Mark Woods]

Beautiful shots - especially the red bridge and the last photo. To prevent camera blur
may I suggest the Beanpod - the tripod that's full of beans?! www.Beanpods.co.uk
£ 9.99 with free postage in the UK, shipping worldwide.

[Maddy]

Who knew England could put on such a stunning show of tropical plants, I think the photos are beautiful.

[Rachael Rabbit]

Wow - it really does look like your somewhere tropical ... although Dorset is lovely ... it is not always tropical ;-)

[Helen]

Hi there, I just have to say that I only discovered your blog a couple of days ago, and already I am hooked. I love reading it, and the photos are really great. I learned how to take close-up photos using macro on my camera thanks to you.
Also I really enjoy reading about Bridport and West Bay, because I used to live in Bridport myself in the '70's. My then husband and I moved there in 1974 and moved away in 1980. We ran a business in the trading estate (very near where I think your mum lives) and our first home was in St. Michaels Lane, so reading about Bridport brings back so many (mainly) happy memories.
I have just started my own blog and am very much still learning, but enjoying it immensely.

[Brenda]

Hi Lucy, beautiful photos! I've been to Abbotsbury many times but never to the gardens, must make time next time I'm in England. I think the flower in the last photo is the Kaffir Lily, a native of South Africa, botanical name is Schizostylus Coccinea.... Kaffir Lily is much prettier!!

[simone]

You have two mums in the last photo as she is reflected in the water too! How considerate of her to blend in with the flowers! There are some striking colours in the gardens. I love the green gunnera and the red bridge and the Hydrangea shuffle looks most inviting! All those colours certainly lift the spirit.

[cherrie]

Hi. I just love your pictures so much I have been using some of them as my background picture on my desktop. Cherrie

[Fi]

Beautiful last photo! Yep I'm always in a hurry too, always have masses of blurry photos!

[Fi]

You wouldn't believe the amount of photo's I have to delete because they're blurred! I am truly awful.
Yes that last photo is fantastic, and with your mum in, truly special.