A walk in the park

Adam and Cookie

Lately, we've been going out on a night for a walk, usually about 5 or 6 miles. But, we haven't been alone- we have been taking Cookie- an ayredale who belongs to a relative who is no longer able to walk her such a distance. Asi'm sure you'll agree she is a beautiful dog and very full of life! Tonight we have done what we call our 'park walk'. Its a lovely walk which starts off through several housing estates and past several allotment sites which is always interesting to see what other people have been up to! A steep sloping grass bank then leads down to a large expanse of grassland bordered by a natural stream where cowslips, ramsons, fritillaries and celandines flourish.Moving on, we cross a sweet little bridge and onto the park itself, leading past yet another allotment site before returning back to Duck Pools. The smell of the ramsons (wild garlic) is overpowering on a damp day especially at this time of the year as it comes into flower:

Wild Garlic (Ramsons)

Passed a front garden on the way back and saw this beautiful wallflower which appeared to have self sown amongst the emerging sword-like leaves of crocosmia. What a colour! One thing we didn't grow here this year is wallflowers and we have missed them. We have Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve' in the jewel border and a dazzling little alpine erysimum in the rockery which, at this time of the year, is smothered in golden yellow flowers which are a magnet for the bees.

Wallflower

We have got some Erysimum 'Rysi Gold' cuttings on the go at the moment which will fit in well either in the Green man garden or the jewel border with their golden orange flowers which, like most perennial wallflowers, have a delicious yet subtle fragrance which becomes most noticable on a warm, damp evening. Gorgeous!