Birthday Day

It was my Birthday day yesterday :: tiptoeing into my fifth decade, I am now Forty One.

Did have a lovely, lovely day yesterday too, waking up to a cloudless blue sky and glorious sunshine which helped the day along enormously.  J had taken the day off work and after some deliberation about what to do with 6 precious child-free Birthday Hours, off we headed over the hills to visit an RHS garden called Harlow Carr.

It was a first time visit to a garden of this kind and we really enjoyed it.

There was a mixture of expansive woodland, lakes, big cultivated gardeny bits (above), and smaller cultivated themed gardeny bits.

And although at this time of year the summer flowers were more or less over, the autumn foliage and elegant grasses more than made up for the lack of flora.

You can see from the above picture how blue the sky was, honestly, I couldn't have asked for better Birthday Weather. It was perfect.

One of the themed gardens I really enjoyed was the Scented Garden. It was beautifully laid out with little pathways winding amongst the flower beds, hidden benches to rest a while (was glad of those) and some beautiful woven willow structures too.

 

In fact, there were various willow structures dotted around the gardens :: I really liked this Living Willow fence.

There was an area of small themed gardens called "Gardens Through Time", which started in the Regency period (early 1800's) and went through 200 years to the present day. These photos were taken inside a little painted potting shed which was the entrance to the Victorian period garden...

...I loved it in that little shed and didn't want to step out!

Out of all the gardeny bits, big and small, my favourite bit of all was without doubt the Kitchen Garden. It was set out in a series of small raised beds  which were interestingly constructed from planks made out of recycled plastic bottles, which pleased me enormously.

I can't describe to you exactly what kitchen gardens do to me, but they give me feelings of huge excitement. I would say that those feelings are right up there alongside the ones generated by bolts of fabric and shelves full of yarn, by little trays of coloured buttons and perhaps wrapping paper and greetings cards too. Oh, and jars of coloured sweets.

Do you get what i mean? It's something to do with how neatly arranged it all is, how pretty and promising and inspirational it all is, and how abundant too. Makes me want to immediately go home and create the very same set-up in my own back yard, well on a much teensier scale obviously. 

I loved looking at this garden as if it were a huge patchwork of colours and textures.

 

The little neat rows of vegetable plantlets made me want to cry with pleasure.

It was lovely. Lovely-lovely.

We ate a very enjoyable picnic lunch sat on a sun-warmed bench in amongst the very beautifully planted herbacious borders.

And then it was time to leave....not to go home though, no no, we still had a few hours of the afternoon left to accommodate Birthday Pleasures. So we decided on the spur of the moment to drive up over the big hills to the little picturesque village of Grassington, which is in the Yorkshire Dales and not too far from home.  We pottered about in the afternoon sunshine, walking the little lanes, bobbing into the most delightful little shops and eventually coming to rest at a small cafe to enjoy a sit down and a delicious cream tea.

Then it was back down the Dale to our town to pick up the Little People from school, and then home sweet home.....

....ahhh it was really good to come home! I bought the above sign yesterday from a gorgeous little shop in Grassington called the Rustic Rabbit. I had rather a big attack of The Wanties in this little shop, sooo many gorgeous bits and bobs to tempt ones pennies out of ones purse.

But I was very restrained as I knew full well that back at number 24 there was a colourful little stack of wrapped birthday gifts waiting to be opened. Thoughtful and beautiful gifts sent from friends and family, I felt very blessed indeed. Had a lot of fun (with help from Little Fingers) unwrapping these parcels and there was much ooohing and ahhhhing.

So that was my yesterday, my Birthday-day.

Forty-one, crikey.

Not sure quite how I'm feeling about my life at this particular point, I most certainly never, ever expected to find myself on my 41st birthday with a big round belly and twenty-five weeks pregnant, thats for sure. I appear to be experiencing something of a little emotional wobble to tell the truth, but am hoping very much it'll be short lived and I'll be back to my usual up-in-the-clouds self again very soon.

Think I shall now go and eat cake :: always a good cure for the Wobbles.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Edited to add :: Awwwwww, many thanks for all your birthday wishes, I really appreciate your kind words. My wobbles are gradually subsiding I'm pleased to say, the tea and cake (and chocolate) helped enormously. Will also be showing you some of my gifts soon too, in case you were wondering what was underneath all that scrummy wrapping paper! xx

Comments

[poppy]

Hello and very belated but very best Birthday wishes! I've been away from the Internet for a while because one reason and another, but catching up now and glad to hear you had a lovely day! And I love your phrase "The Wanties" -- I know that feeling very well!

[Alexis]

Happy Birthday! I'm 41 too--and I've been quite enjoying it so far!

[penny]

Happy Birthday! Sorry it's late. Loved your visit to Harlow Carr, I have a thing about vegetable gardens too!

[Shannon]

One more wish to add to the inbox - I am glad that you had a lovely day! Thank you for sharing it via photos. I would love to wander in that garden; especially with a pocket full of colorful sweets out of the jar you mentioned! :)

[Kelly]

Happy Birthday!!!

[Erica K]

Happy Birthday Lucy! Glad you had a wonderful day! :)

[Debbie Price]

Happy belated Birthday! I got the wrong date from the post of last years. Glad to know you had a wonderful day. I would love to walk through some of the gardens you have posted...I live in America and long for England! Have a wonderful time with the rest of pregnancy...I was 40 when I had my unexpected one..she just turned 10! How I wish she was still little and cuddly! That's what grandkids are for though! Thanks for a wonderful blog!

[Anna]

Happy belated birthday! Your post is like a gift for us, lovely pictures! I hope the tea and cake helps, it's usually does!

Anna x

[geovnna]

Querida Amiga :
Feliz Cumpleaños, espero que lo hayas pasado muy bien junto a tu familia, que el señor te cuide bastante a ti y a tu familia.

Muchos besos y abrazos desde Costa Rica.

[Femke]

Happy Birthday Lucy, what a lovely day you shared with us with beautiful pictures, thank you!

[loveaphid]

Hello Lucy and a belated Happy Birthday to you. Sounds like a perfect way to spend your very special day. Sorry about the Wobbles, I know how they can be. I'm sure they'll pass, you have so much beauty and warmth in your life with more to come. How could they not?

Again Happy Birthday!

[AnnaPaula]

Happy birthday!!
We've the same age..
kisses
AnnaP

[pj]

"Happy Birthday" Looks like you had a lovely day. Best wishes, Pj x

[g.nur öner]

hi
happy birtday tooo youuu from turkey
Ilove your blog bye

[Lee]

Happy Birthday! Hope the wobbles are all gone and that you enjoy many more beautiful days!

[paula]

Happy birthday!!!!!!

[Susan]

Happy Birthday Lucy, sorry it's a day or so late... Do not wobble, it'll all be well!!! We have this song in our village community singalong choir: All shall be WELL. I've been singing it for you, am sure it works! Best wishes and rub that tum from all of my family. XX SMK

[Lucy]

Lovely Lucy
Don't feel blue
You bring such pleasure with what you do
Your gorgeous colours
Your sense of fun
Your little family
+ weeny one
Your fabulous photos
Your yummy cakes
Your chirpy lines
Your crochet makes
Lovely Lucy
Don't feel blue
Just keep on being
Lovely you

Lucy xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Debbie Price]

Happy Birthday! I was 40 and pregnant, so I know how you feel! I love your blog-look forward to it everyday. It has inspired me to start crocheting again! In 2 weeks, I have made your lovely bag(which now holds my projects), 2 scarves and am starting a baby blanket for my new grandbaby! Hope you have a great day! Keep the lovely pictures coming-they are a real day-brightener!

[Pia]

Happy Birthday Lucy!! So beautiful flowers you have there, ours here in Finland are nearly all frozened. Some sorts are still flowering, not many. This morning we had 3,5 degrees below zero. But....my HUGE ripple blanket is soon warming me, now is just third of me! Beautiful, lovely after-birthday!

[Katie]

Belated Happy Birthday!
Harlow Carr looks stunning.

[Suz]

Happy Birthday Lucy..sounds like a beautiful fun filled day....hated being forty myself loved 50 and can't wait for 60!!
Like to thank you for a rippling good day too...made a ripple sample cushion yesterday afternoon ready for a rippling good winter throw for the ugly sofa in the sitting room xx

[Cayt]

Happy Birthday Lucy!

[Regina]

Belated happy birthday from Austria!
Hope that your 41st year will be a great one, full of colours and joy!!!
We have several October birthdays in the family and I like these autumn celebrations :-)

[Fiona]

Happy happy Birthday dear Lucy! Sorry this is a little late(working this week so a bit behind with blogging) but I'm glad to hear you had such a lovely day. Harlow Carr ~ oh I love it when you talk about familiar Yorkshire places. Love that garden, especially the veg patch. Did you see Nigel Slaters programme last week? There was a lady with a back garden turned completely into a veg patch. Looked wonderful. Very 'Good Life', my all time favourite programme. Hope the wobbles have been overcome with lots of cake and Birthday love. Fiona X