Daffodils at Rydal

The weather has turned rather wintery again this weekend.  However, that wasn’t going to stop us visiting Rydal today for the daffodil open gardens.  They are open again next weekend, but we will be away then.

It was a great chance to wear my vintage overcoat that I found at the Swap Meet several years ago.  I just love it, but it isn’t very often that I need to wear an overcoat, as we usually just go from one heated place to the car to another heated place.  It is so snuggly and warm.

We try to visit the gardens most years, and I’m surprised to see that I haven’t shared them before.

The first country garden we visited was “Karingal”.

Until recently it was owned by friends of ours and it was wonderful to see that the new owners are taking great care of the garden.

I just love the  magnificent old oak trees with the daffodils underneath.

Rydal itself is an old railway village just west of Lithgow and there is now a wonderful park beside the track and old station.  The progress association have really spruced up the place in the last ten years or so.

The Union Church is always decorated beautifully.

The yellow really highlights the lace in the altar cloth.

This sprawling garden is only about five years old and incorporates lovely old mature gum trees.

 

I still think the King Alfreds are my favourites.

St Matthews Church – a typical country church. Yes, it has daffodils too, they are just out of sight in this shot.

 

My favourite garden  is “Rose Cottage”.  Behind this old tin cottage is the most gorgeous garden, which has been featured on the cover of “Country Style” and “Country Ideas” magazines.

The entrance to the garden makes you want to explore further.

The owner has a wonderful sense of style.

Each year there is something new to see.

I could spend quite a bit of time sitting here.

Lovely touches wherever you look.

Even the vege garden is beautiful.

This year we just wandered around the village rather than visiting the other country gardens.  There are three other country gardens, which are all gorgeous, but, as we have seen them several times before and it was cold, we decided to head elsewhere.

Our destination was Running Stream, which is a locality between Lithgow and Mudgee and somewhere that we never go near, as it is out of our way.  There is a cafe there that we had heard was good.  It was a great venue with nice hot soup.  Sorry, forgot to take a photo, too busy tucking in.  Then we took a rather long wander home up lots of back roads.  Rather a pleasant way to spend a cold, showery, wintery day.

No, we weren’t on the bike, we were in the nice warm car.