Saturday, May 09, 2009

Wall flowers

My morning walk takes me along some pretty lanes and through a small estate of retirement bungalows. The contrast is striking and bewildering. One of the joys of country living is the generous abundance of nature - leave the tiniest crevice in a wall or a small patch of earth and Mother Nature will fill it with plants, costing us nothing in money or effort.

This wall will never play host to the treasures that brighten my mornings.
Luckily, plants cannot read ....

.... but I'm sure that pixies can and choose these wild corners to play in .....

... rather than these pristine patches .........

I am sure that breeze block walls are cheaper than dry stone walls but they look like breeze blocks forever, while traditional walls become a part of the landscape.
This is a relatively new house and it already looks as if it belongs .....
while this will always look as if it has been transplanted from a town.
These are the walls that make my morning walk a pleasure rather than a penance:


12 comments:

  1. I love walls with moss, ivy, things that poke out all over. I've done a couple on my blog, but things aren't in full swing round here yet. I suspect you get better weather. Love your pictures, but agree that the sterile blank surfaces leave a lot to be desired...

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  2. I must come and look at your pictures. We get ideal growing weather - lots of warm rain!

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  3. Hello Monix
    Lovely soft interesting yet inviting photos
    I really enjoyed walking your around your area and seeing the sights
    Take care
    Cathy

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  4. Hello again
    I forgot to say thank you for your encouraging words on my last post about clearing my Aunts house
    I tend to forget others go through the same trials and tribulations as me and have experiences and advice to share
    Thanks again
    Cathy

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  5. Cathy, The support and encouragement of others has been one of the unexpected benefits of blogging. It is like having an extended family or group of special friends.

    I'm glad you like my village walk. I must take my camera with me when I walk around the oldest section - there are some beautiful cottages and gardens.

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  6. That was incredibly interesting, Maureen. I had no idea. You've taught me something brand new. And I'm with you - I like the walls with spaces. I've never seen those tight walls where nothing could get through. At our house, the old stone walls are full of stuff. The nicest wall pictures remind me of our visit to Highgate in London in 1971. We saw aubretias peeking through and over the walls and were delighted. I tried getting seeds from Thompson & Morgan, but they just didn't make it, even as annuals. But I've never forgotten, and your photos were a nice visual reminder.

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  7. I'm glad you liked them, Nan. They make my 'constitutional' more inviting at this time of year.

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  8. What a lovely evocative series of photos, M. I could just smell those lovely walls tumbling with plants - made me suddenly desperate to rush to Devon and revisit some of the lovely places I visited on family holidays as a child (often in the Whitsun half-term, which is why your pics have had such a Proustian effect on me).

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  9. Juliet, if you make that long-awaited visit to Devon, I'll show you all those walls and more!

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  10. I confess; I find old stone walls, and hedgerows to be so beautiful, part of their beauty being that they shelter lots of tiny critters.
    I started reading your posts with the subject Devon, and am greatly enjoying these.
    My husband and I spent a few weeks many years ago in your area, and even happened upon the Hobby Horse event on May Day in Padstow.
    Forgive me if I got some facts wrong, it was quite a few years ago. The Hobby Horse event at that time was very un-touristy, which was wonderful.

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  11. Terra
    I am glad that you are enjoying wandering the lanes and coastal paths. Padstow is in Cornwall, not Devon but both counties are in the West Country. As I am actually a transplanted northern lass, I can easily forgive your confusion!

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I love to read your comments and promise that I will reply as soon as I can leave my garden, sewing room or kitchen!