Today, an errand that involved ordering shower room parts took us out of Shropshire and into Worcester. We’d been putting off going since Monday, the weather being so dire. But this morning the three-day deluge had reduced itself to heavy drizzle, so after a fortifying coffee, off we went.
I find bathroom showrooms dispiriting places for all sorts of reasons, but it had to be done, and mission completed, and the vile, multi-islanded Kidderminster bypass survived in both directions, we felt that soothing surroundings were needed. And since our route took us past Dudmaston Hall, which being National Trust has a very pleasant cafe, we decided to call in for lunch. And very nice it was too with the big log burning stove blazing away. (Anyone would think it was October.)
Afterwards we had a wander in the gardens. Many of the roses had been crushed and their stems battered down, but I thought they still looked beautiful in their way. So here are some more with their fallen petals, photos taken with Sue Judd at Words Visual in mind. Sue is a wiz in her studies of decay and transience.
But it wasn’t all mayhem. One walled border that comprised mainly wild flower species – foxgloves and red centranthus in particular – was thriving in the rain.
And out in the parkland among the buttercups there were some very contented cattle browsing lush meadow grasses.
Tish Farrell 
Well, Tish, you have some marvellous images of decay and transience here – I love
images 2332 and 2302 especially……
Thank you, Sue. So happy you like these.
I most certainly do!
Oh, and thanks for the mention!
You’re very welcome.
😊😊
Beauty does fade away over time . Thenrain didn’t keep from a lovely visit.
Yes, it was quite a lovely visit. Not many people around and the gardens being queitly themselves.
Of course it’s raining, silly – the Cricket World Cup is on.:
)
Of course! And tennis coming up.
Our garden is also doing very well with its wildflower selection. Even though some aren’t native wildflowers (the daylilies are from Asia … still not exactly sure how they became New England’s wildflower du jour). We have Asian Solomon’s Seal (not the native version) and the ubiquitous Columbine. And then there are the barbed wire roses. People keep talking about their scent, but ours don’t have much scent at all. Only the more cultivated versions seem to have the lovely rose smell. I don’t know if daffodils and narcissus began as wild species, but they seem to have become them, as have yellow Chinese lilies which now grow along the rivers along with native water plants. It makes the bees happy and if the bees are happy, I am happy too.
You must be getting our rains of yesterday. Late Monday and half of yesterday, it POURED all day. Today is beautiful, but more rain tomorrow. Only the Hosta and wildflowers seem to like the rain.
I think the wild flowers, and the cultivated strains that have gone feral must have added vigour. Grown into their niches as it were. And thank you for passing on your rain to us. Far less would have done. It’s carrying on now and for the next 2 days apparently. Makes me very grumpy.
We’ve been having rain every two days )
Poor roses, but beautifully photographed. My new clematis have suffered from the wind more than rain. In fact we had quite a nice afternoon here, but the sky is blackening now.
Raining harder here now, and for the rest of the night it seems. But yes, the wind has been a pain in the garden too. I don’t know. Always something to grumble about 😦
The photos of the fallen roses are exquisite.
Many thanks, Suzanne.
Your photos are lovely Tish; especially the fallen roses. I’m sorry your weather is still bad 😕
Thanks, Su. A bit of brightness on the horizon this morning.
Yay!! May it last.
I do love how dead & dying flowers take on a different kind of beauty..especially in the rain! The last image of the large rose is particularly lovely. There’s something intriguing about walled gardens, I always feel they have stories to tell. The foxgloves look so pretty in front of it too. There’s a few wild ones in bud, dotted around the local lanes, I’m looking forward to seeing them open. Glad your trip to the bathroom shop turned out much nicer than you originally thought it would, Trish. 🙂
Thank you for all those thoughts, Debbie. I love walled gardens too – even dilapidated ones. And more power to your Powys foxgloves. They are such majestic plants.
Fortifying coffee and then a log burning stove, help dissipate the damp chill for sure. I like the flower photos, documenting the transience.
You’re right, Ruth. Coffee and a good fire can’t be beaten. I also managed to slip in a hot chocolate 😉
Mmmm -perfection!
Lovely shots of the bedraggled blooms, Tish. I hope the rain subsides before we get back to England in a couple of weeks.
Hi Sylvia. The weather’s supposed to be picking up after this weekend. So fingers crossed for your arrival and warmer, drier times. We’ve had a month’s worth of rain in the last couple of days. Enough already!
👍🤞
I love the roses in their decay, and with those raindrops glittering on them. Beautiful captures. And I also adore the contented cattle! 🙂
They are such nice colours, aren’t they 🙂
They certainly are! 🙂
Needs must, Tish, and I love your fallen beauties. Reminds me of a carpet of bougainvillea I saw here last year. We have 2 hydrangeas on our patio which look desperate for a bit of drizzle. Good job they’re not foxgloves! Aren’t they lovely? 😍🌸🌳🌹💕
Bougainvillea makes a good shower after the show that is. But, yes, foxgloves are being especially brilliant this year, Lots of white ones have popped up in the garden.
Great blooms.
Gorgeous photos of the roses! And those cows sure look happy.
Alison
The National Trust seem to have introduced more traditional cattle rearing habits on their landed properties, so you get bulls, cows and very big calves all together, which doesn’t happen on commercial farms. I need to look into it.
The roses do look beautiful in their way. Mother Natures deluge and your photography skills have produced some gorgeous works for art here. I hope that your rains let up soon. The cows don’t seem to mind it at all.
We’ve just been away to Wales for 4 days and somehow managed to avoid most of the continuing rain storms which in Wales is quite a feat. So yes, it’s still deluging and in some places causing flooding havoc. Definitely not very summery.
Am hoping sunshine finds its way to you soon.
Your happy smile does much to relieve climate gloom, Lisa 🙂
Lovely images, Tish. I, too, love taking photos of fallen flowers and leaves. I love their colors, among other things.
Hello Hannah. Thank you for your nice comment.
Such lovely photographs!