Park Life

Welcome to another BIG post, peeps.  For I was spoilt for choice on pics of my outing to Sheffield Park, East Sussex.  So you get loads.

I wore a blue stripey top bought recently from Magasin in Copenhagen.  It's linen-ey, it's light and it's long.  I'm loving it!

I teamed it with a long-line white camisole from Next.

And finished the little ensemble off with white Peacock crops and Birkenstocks as there was much walking ahead. I think the look is fresh and comfortable for a day of summery stuff.

So, OOTD done, now allow me introduce you to Sheffield Park and Gardens.

The First Earl of Sheffield bought the house and grounds in 1769 and appointed the renowned gardener Capability Brown to create the gardens, lakes, woodlands and park.

These chestnuts stumps are several hundred years old.  The trees were sadly damaged during The Great Storm of 1987, so were lopped off.

But much good news is found in nature and these chestnuts have started growing again from the base.

There are wonderful walks to enjoy in the park.

The house is not open to the public but the park and gardens are, fortunately - I wasn't trespassing, honest!

BTW, you do realise that I offer myself merely as a yardstick in these photos, an aid to determining the size of plants, trees etc ...

... and not because I think my clumsy, awkward poses add any other value to these shots.  You do get that, don't you?!

I have to own up to being a bit of a sucker for a good gunnera manicata.  What's not to like?

You can see from the trunks that some of these trees were planted hundreds of years ago.

This tree trunk slice has been marked with notable milestones since its birth several hundred years ago, like the reigns of kings and queens and significant events.

Brown made clearings to provide glimpses of the house from the gardens.

The ponds are covered with blooming water lilies.

The base of a giant Redwood.

Brown created clearings to tease the eye with so many beautiful views.

There are reflections to enjoy on the still waters.

Several small waterfalls were created to provide a feast for both eyes and ears.

It takes an army of experienced gardeners and volunteers to maintain the park at such a high standard.



The ducks live a very comfortably life here.



You just have to admire the substance of a well-established gunnera manicata.

These nodules are air supplies for water-embedded plants.

The walk through the park is a eye-feast of shades of green and copper brown.

Big trees abound!

Sculptures have been made from weathered wood.

And every trip to a National Trust property finishes with pop and a sarnie.  Here I'm enjoying a spunky ginger beer with a tasty chicken, bacon and spring onion sandwich.  Yum!

Later I visited my Sussex aunties and some cousins and had a super time chatting away.

I switched my stripey top for this khaki/green loose top from H&M, bought recently in Copenhagen.

It was beautifully cool for the hot late afternoon.

And later still, I slipped in to yet another outfit!  I wore my long print dress seen here, but I took no photos.  However, I can report that it was the perfect dress for early drinks on the terrace with some cousins and their hubbies and for a pretty darned tasty supper later on.  The evening ended with a silly card game (P.I.G., played it?) on the terrace, the air warmed by a nearby chimenea.  The game was so silly that I couldn't quite get the hang of it.  I wanted to apply brain power to it but it would seem to win you have to be, well, just very silly!

Isn't summer just the best?!  

What are you doing on these hot sunny days and warm evenings?  

Maybe changing outfits a bit more frequently, like me?  

Taking a lighter approach to every day life?  

Maybe behaving a tinsey winsey bit summer-silly?!

A la perchoine.