|
Post by bixaorellana on Jun 6, 2017 13:16:56 GMT
As I was wondering what to do with myself on Sunday, I came across two brochures left in my apartment by a former tenant. These involved gardens, architecture, and a part of London with a romantic and historical reputation. It was a brightly overcast day, cool but pleasant, and it's a straight shot on the underground from Balham to Hampstead, so off I went. Now, close your eyes and think of England conjure up a quintessentially picturesque, even stereotypical vision of England. Got it? If so, you will understand why my first thought on seeing Hampstead was, "Seriously?! Reeeally???!" I mean, it is soooo perfect!
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jun 6, 2017 13:32:43 GMT
And here it is. I don't think this is the main entrance. At any rate, there was no one around and I proceeded toward a door of the house, passing a pleasant but undistinguished border along the way ~
|
|
|
Post by cheerypeabrain on Jun 6, 2017 13:52:31 GMT
oooh...they look like 'early' bumblebees bombus pratorum on the scabious lifespan of workers is only 28 days...aw. beautiful thread Bixa.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jun 6, 2017 13:54:50 GMT
A note about those red roses on the wall behind the Astilbe: they are small blossoms and all the more wonderful for that. This aesthetic choice didn't sink in until I zeroed in on the next climbers. Their color at first confused me into thinking they weren't roses. Again, small blossoms in clusters, as were the white ones which followed. Their cheerful ebullience and tidy habit can make the bigger blooms seem, if not vulgar, rather blowsy by comparison ~
|
|
|
Post by bjd on Jun 6, 2017 14:36:56 GMT
Given that Toulouse was traditionally a city of brick, I wonder why they never made such lovely gardens surrounded by brick walls. They set off the plants growing on and in front of them so well. Those various climbing roses are indeed beautiful.
|
|
|
Post by cheerypeabrain on Jun 6, 2017 14:38:08 GMT
oooh echium pininana my absolute favourite plant (6th pic down in post #3)I grew one from seed nd it took 4 years to flower...quite an achievement in the cooler climes here in the Midlands. It grows well in the south and when you walk past the towering spires of blue they seem to vibrate with bees.
|
|
|
Post by lagatta on Jun 6, 2017 14:52:20 GMT
There is a famous cemetery in the area as well.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jun 6, 2017 15:37:05 GMT
oooh...they look like 'early' bumblebees bombus pratorum on the scabious lifespan of workers is only 28 days...aw. beautiful thread Bixa. Thanks, sweetie! I didn't know that about their short lifespan. You realize that now, whenever I have a camera & spot a bee, I feel I must capture it for Cheery. Given that Toulouse was traditionally a city of brick, I wonder why they never made such lovely gardens surrounded by brick walls. They set off the plants growing on and in front of them so well. Those various climbing roses are indeed beautiful. Do you suppose they simply don't exist anymore, Bjd? I remember seeing at least two walled cloister gardens when you guided us around the Toulouse area. Thanks for commenting on those roses, as when I admired them I was thinking that you would like them as well. oooh echium pininanamy absolute favourite plant (6th pic down in post #3)I grew one from seed nd it took 4 years to flower...quite an achievement in the cooler climes here in the Midlands. It grows well in the south and when you walk past the towering spires of blue they seem to vibrate with bees. I saw quite a few of those last year when I went on that garden tour -- a tour that was in Kent & Sussex, so the south, as you point out. Would you mind if I went back & put in the identification? And you all please feel free to jump in with IDs whenever. I really appreciate the feedback, especially since I know how unrestrained I get with a camera in a garden.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jun 6, 2017 15:55:00 GMT
That's true, LaGatta -- Highgate cemetery is in Hampstead. Hampstead is worth more than one visit.
|
|
|
Post by mossie on Jun 6, 2017 18:17:06 GMT
Nice to see traditional type gardens.
The red brick walls are excellent for plants as they absorb and retain the heat of the sun, and then act as radiators to the benefit of nearby plants, as well as keeping the wind off.
|
|
|
Post by lagatta on Jun 6, 2017 18:45:32 GMT
Yes, that is what I figured with the fig tree; having it on the sunny side of a red-brick wall would let it flower and set fruit in a cooler climate zone than its native one.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jun 6, 2017 21:51:33 GMT
I do love a traditional garden, Mossie. Besides the heat and windbreak factors of a wall, I believe the ground, being protected, stays more gently and evenly moist. In later photos as I walk around Hampstead, you'll see that various homeowners are utilizing their garden walls to give plants a boost. LaGatta, I've seen quite a few fig trees in England, although I don't know how far north they'd grow, since I've never been north of London. Even in Louisiana figs are deciduous and must survive freezes.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jun 6, 2017 22:05:32 GMT
|
|
|
Post by lagatta on Jun 6, 2017 22:23:56 GMT
Splendid! There are certainly freezes in Umbria, as much of it is on very high ground.
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on Jun 7, 2017 5:03:41 GMT
Magnificent report overflowing with oxygen and chlorophyll.
The old apple orchard looks like it is reaching the end of its run, but I'm sure they probably already have plans for when the day comes.
|
|
|
Post by bjd on Jun 7, 2017 5:14:05 GMT
Fig trees are reasonably hardy. We get freezes nearly every year (of course, not -20) but they grow like weeds here. A neighbour told me yesterday that she found one that had started growing in a flower pot beside the garage. It was probably planted by birds or the wind.
Beautiful peonies, Bixa. I am envious -- mine didn't do much this year, although I find it hasn't been a very good year for many flowers that usually do well.
Mossie's mention of the practical uses of brick walls makes me realize that is perhaps why they aren't so common here -- they would trap the heat in summer and kill everything off. But they certainly look nice.
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on Jun 7, 2017 15:15:36 GMT
Remembering my childhood in a very hot location, I recall that just about the only plants that seemed to thrive against sunny walls were hydrangeas.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jun 7, 2017 21:30:37 GMT
Thanks to all of you for the kind words. I looked up apple trees and they are probably the longest lived fruit trees, with many examples of trees over 200 years old. Still, their bearing life would be less than that. Apparently well cared for apple trees which are judiciously pruned will last ages and even neglected ones can be renovated. Bjd, didn't you have a particularly hot summer last year? In the couple of gardens I've visited so far, I couldn't figure out if the peonies were coming in or on their way out. You can see in the picture, though, that there are buds as well as flowers. I think it might be lateish for peonies. Whatever -- I'm always so grateful to see them! Good point about a brick wall possibly functioning as an oven, depending on which way it faces. Kerouac, you might be remembering hydrangeas against a wall getting morning sun, rather than harsher afternoon sun. My grandmother had some planted against a low brick carport wall that was shaded in the afternoon. Those flowers were always pink, as the cement between the bricks made the soil more alkaline. But she also had some planted next to the wall of the old store, which was clad in galvanized metal. Those hydrangea blooms were nice and blue.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jun 7, 2017 22:06:26 GMT
Of course I was all kinds of happy to be there and went bounding eagerly up the stairs to the main living quarters. That is where the ax fell: No photographs! Well, stab me through the heart and shove me backwards down the stairs. The nice docent said he'd look the other way while I took the first one, but there were docents everywhere, so all the other pictures had to be sneaked. Accordingly, and also because Goldfinger's house and innovations are so interesting, I present some further reading which includes some photos. www.timeout.com/london/attractions/2-willow-road-1 ; www.coolplaces.co.uk/places/uk/england/london/hampstead/3066-2-willow-road-goldfinger-house ; www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/jun/07/erno-goldfinger-furniture-designIsn't it remarkable how to our eyes the house's exterior is hardly startling, although it "faced intense opposition when it was built. Goldfinger ... was forced to cover the concrete frame in brick cladding to blend in with its Georgian neighbours. One of the main objectors was the Tory Home Secretary, Henry Brooke. Ironically, it was his son, Peter Brooke, then Minister of the Environment, who took possession of the house on behalf of the National Trust. Goldfinger's children could not afford the whopping death duties." Quote is from Secret London -- an Unusual Guide www.jonglezpublishing.com/en/, which I highly recommend.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jun 7, 2017 22:23:42 GMT
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jun 7, 2017 22:42:54 GMT
It's time to head back home. I came in via the Hampstead underground station, but returned via the Belsize Park one, as it's one stop further south. Also, I wanted to see different things. I went along snooping into people's yards, which was quite rewarding ~
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jun 7, 2017 22:53:15 GMT
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jun 7, 2017 23:07:24 GMT
|
|
|
Post by mich64 on Jun 8, 2017 1:50:31 GMT
This is a day I would love to replicate. So many outstanding photographs Bixa! I really enjoyed the elegant gardens.
I found reading the links regarding the Goldfinger House very interesting and went back after to look over the photographs again. My brother and his girlfriend have just purchased a mid-century home here and I am so excited and eager to see inside. It is one of very few homes here that for a very long time I have wished I could enter. We have some investigating to do because this house has some stories behind it. We have recently been told that it has had 5 owners but that one of them owned it twice, sold it moved away and when he returned to the city he loved the house so much he bought it again!
Great portrait to end the thread.
|
|
|
Post by fumobici on Jun 8, 2017 4:42:08 GMT
Bicycle rack? That's Ceanothus, I think.
|
|
|
Post by fumobici on Jun 8, 2017 4:48:25 GMT
And wonderful report I should add. Real English eye candy, all of it.
|
|
|
Post by bjd on Jun 8, 2017 6:05:57 GMT
I scrolled down to the bottom, enjoying all your photos and ready to answer your questions -- only to see Fumobici beat me to it. Indeed, I too think they are bike racks and that is a ceanothus. (I just planted one in my new garden but it's still small.)
I think the London Chamber of Commerce or tourism should actually hire you -- you see everything with a fresh eye and are so keen on things like subway station tiles and little sculptures that usually go unnoticed.
And, no, we didn't have an especially hot summer last year. A while of very hot in August, but otherwise it was a fairly typical summer. My reference for "hot" is still 2003, and every year I dread that it will be like that again.
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on Jun 8, 2017 6:32:21 GMT
I'm afraid that I would put just about all of the furnishings in that house in a charity bin. In another 50 years, it will be fascinating but even modern teenagers need only visit their grandparents at the moment to see that kind of stuff. The architecture is fine, but I don't understand the need to display an old bath towel or super ugly living room furniture as relics.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jun 8, 2017 7:38:34 GMT
Thanks, Mich -- that's the best possible compliment! That is exciting about your brother's new home. It sounds as though the house was greatly appreciated through the years, so probably didn't suffer any disfiguring "improvements". If it's okay with your brother, it would be wonderful if you could share some pictures here. That era is having a resurgence with the 40s & 30s age group, whereas it's sometimes dismissed by those of us who grew up with it. I was that way up until the 1980s, when suddenly my eyes opened to the fabulousness of it. And really, some of what we think of as 1950's design goes back to the 1920s. The classics just work! Thanks, Fumobici. I thought they might be bike racks, but was leaning more towards some kind of boot removal devices. Excited that you've put in a Ceanothus, Bjd. From what I saw in front of that church, they seem to be real performers -- and those didn't seem to be particularly well tended, either. Thanks for the lovely compliment. Really, there is value to going places alone, since you can dawdle and look to your heart's content. Yesterday a very kind man accompanied me on the pedestrian highwalk between the Barbican and the Museum of London. He was enthusiastic and knowledgeable and I appreciated that very much. But if I'd been alone, I'd have gone more slowly and taken more pictures. You, on the other hand, were the consummate guide in terms of patience, as you must have seen all those things around Toulouse many, many times but seemed just as enthralled as we were and you never rushed us. And even though I'd like to poke Kerouac in his artistically blind eye right now for insulting furniture that I adore, he is an equally wonderful and kindly patient guide.
|
|
|
Post by bjd on Jun 8, 2017 9:29:03 GMT
Maybe Kerouac should spend more time at his computer looking at Houzz -- mid-century modern is so fashionable now and it's understandable. The clean lines and unfussiness is just perfect. Not all the furniture in the house is perfect, of course. I don't like orange for a start and the bathroom should be redone, but the general idea is just fine.
Actually, I think the brickwork on the outside of the house means that it probably aged better than it would have as bare concrete, which tends to get black and ugly quite quickly.
Thanks for your compliments about my tour guiding, Bixa. You are welcome anytime.
|
|