What a week! (Part 4) — An Elegant Sufficiency

The fun, it just kept on coming!

There was one place that we knew would be a sure-fire hit with our Californian friends, so we’d scheduled a day at The Newt even before we knew the builders would be here.

It was a beautiful day so we were happy to potter around all morning, starting amongst the apples.

Each time I come here, I notice small details that I have previously overlooked. Isn’t this quotation so very true, especially this week when there seems to be quite a lot of “doing” around here (and fun people to do it all with too!)

Happy days then, lived under blue skies though feeling surprisingly chilly, so those of us who’d brought a jacket were glad they had and those who’d left one in the car decided to go back and get it!

Giving us time to read a few more quotes from walls here and there, extending our classical education in the process.

The red, white and blue gardens were flowering offering a chance for me to admire my favourite iris. I love those delicate markings on each petal and the complex shape of the flower.

Some pale ones reminded me of those I’d seen at Chelsea Flower Show earlier in the week, but for me, it was these fabulous blooms in the cottage garden that stole the show with their rich colours and frilly petals.

We’d booked lunch in the Garden Cafe, once again enjoying the delicious bread and hangop , a yummy kind of strained yoghurt with garlic, olive oil and herbs. We’ve always enjoyed this little treat and hoped to buy some to bring home from the shop later, but were out of luck. Maybe I’ll try and recreate it myself?

I was pleased with my choice of gin-smoked trout, asparagus and new potatoes too.

We’d hummed and hawwed about going over to the Gardening Story after lunch. My Hero felt he’d been there, done that enough already but we couldn’t let our friends miss out on the experience could we? So, we ambled over the hill, seeing some kind of commotion going on in the distance.

As we got closer, we noticed that the herd of deer were jumpy. Another group of people had been walking along the path and, whether the deer were in the process of relocating from one side of the park to the other and disturbed by people “getting in their way” or what, we had no idea. But every couple of minutes, a few of the herd would scamper over the path to the other side, then stand and wait for others to join them. When they didn’t, they scampered back to where they’d come from. I understand less about deer psychology now than I did before - heaven knows what was going on in their minds!

I’m pretty sure I know what this chap was thinking as he posed for a photograph: Yes, you are a fine creature!!

Whilst my Hero enjoyed forty winks in the shade outside (well, he did have to drive us home in a short time), we enjoyed a look around the Story of Gardening, appreciating several changes since we were last here. The staff confirmed that yes, there is an ongoing redesign - nothing stays the same for long!