Northumberland at its best!

Before the rain came today we were lucky to have caught the best weather in Northumberland at the weekend, and I had the most inspirational visit to Howick Hall Gardens.  And the tea rooms in the old ballroom are amazing too - I had some wonderful local smoked salmon and earl grey tea of course (after all Howick Hall is the ancestral home of Earl Grey who invented the tea!).  I think the end of May takes a lot of beating to see the very best of British flora and fauna.  And yes, we made it onto the beach (lots), got tanned faces (yes indeed!) and loads of sea air.  Take a look...

Beautiful wild meadow flowers and grasses

I've no idea what this is, but I love it!

One of my favourite flowers, the poppy.

Couldn't believe what a beautiful soft pink these were

I grew these successfully at my old house in Yorkshire (not these actual ones!).  Himalayan poppies, such an amazing blue!

The rhododendrons and azaleas were truly inspiring.  The fallen petals had created a huge pink carpet.

Unfurling ferns