The Drottningholm Palace and Park, part 2

           Walking further through the Drottningholm park I found myself in green walls, narrow corridors and numerous arches. Sculptures appeared unexpectedly when I walked along the alleys.

The purpose of the statues was to surprise a visitor by their unexpected appearance in a green area or as a focal point for a vista. Many fountains also were in this part of the park.

Then I came to the English informal garden.

The English garden section of Drottningholm was laid to the north of the Baroque garden and consists of two ponds, bridges, large open sections of grass and trees in groups. 

 Many walkways were made in this large part of the park. Most of the antique marble statues throughout the gardens were purchased by Gustav III from Italy. 

Since the palace and the park is located on a small island, it is surrounded by the Baltic Sea bays. When I got to the shore, I was amazed by beautiful views.

 

Gulls, geese, ducks, pigeons were flying and floating on the water. In the distance white yachts were visible. Bright blue evening sky completed the picture of peace and tranquility.

Here is my video about this park:
 

 

What style of such park do you prefer: formal, baroque or informal, English style ?

The Drottningholm Royal Palace and Park

Late autumn, the weather is cold and rainy here, sometimes is sleet. At such moments I recollect the warm and sunny days of this year. These memories are always pleasant and especially nice to look at the photos.

Today I want to tell you about my visit to the Drottningholm Royal Park in Stockholm, Sweden. It was September warm afternoon. 

Despite of St. Petersburg and Stockholm are not so far away and nature is very similar.  There are a lot of cliffs and bays, small islands and lakes in Sweden. On one of the small islands the Drottningholm Royal palace and the park is located. The palace was originally built in the late 16th century, served as a residence of the Swedish royal court. Apart from being the private residence of the Swedish royal family, it's a popular tourist attraction.

The palace has been the permanent residence of the present Royal family since 1981. In 1991 Drottningholm was the first Swedish attraction put on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.

The oldest part of the gardens a Baroque garden flanked by thick tree avenues was created right outside the main palace at the end of the 17th century. There are many statues scattered throughout this area. Later the Baroque garden was neglected along with the rest of the grounds and was restored in the 1950s -60s.

 

A large terrace adjoins to the palace. I saw dahlias, asters, red leaved perennials planted at the other side of terrace wall. 

In the park a few urns of flowers were set, they were decorated with royal symbols.

There are many big and small fountains in the center of the front garden. All trees and bushes were pruned, they reminded me artificial installations.

Then I noticed other wall that completes a front part of the park, along which small waterfalls are set. I liked their design and a pool shape.

I think you're surprised that visitors of the park are not visible, it's because the palace and the park is the permanent residence of the present Royal family and the tourists may walk along certain paths of the park.

I've made the video about this park:

To be continued....

The Last Leaf

Fall is outside the window. Here in North it's cold and dark time of the year, but as wise people say: Nature has no bad weather'.

I've dug out Internet and found poems. Here are the poems that I liked and I added my pictures of autumn.

The Last Leaf
by Harry Behn

A few leaves stay for a while on the trees
After their color begins to turn,
And no other leaves seem as gold as these
Not even the ones our bonfires burn
With golden flames in piles on the ground.

A few leaves stay so long that I found

 

The one last leaf on a tree in the snow,
And when a galloping wind came round
The edge of our house and started to blow
Snow dust to sparkles floating free.
When the wind ran away, almost with me,

And sunshine settled quiet and cold.
There, like a bird, still on the tree
Was that lonesome leaf, no longer gold
But curly and brown and dry and old.

Autumn

By Judith Viorst

One by one the petals drop
There's nothing that can make them stop.
You cannot beg a rose to stay.
Why does it have to be that way?

November

by John Updike

The stripped and shapely
Maple grieves
The ghosts of her
Departed leaves.

The ground is hard,
As hard as stone.
The year is old,
The birds are flown.

And yet the world,
In its distress,
Displays a certain
Loveliness---

What do you think and feel in fall season? Would you see the loveliness of these cold days?

Thank you!

The Royal Kew: Rock Garden and Plots

The Rock garden is large and impressive. Sure some of you who have been to  this garden remember it. The shapes of stones surprised me, I used to see round granite stones and there I saw big limestone plates. They were covered with greenness: trees, bushes, flowers grew everywhere. 

I've read that this Rock Garden is home to alpines and Mediterranean climate plants from around the world. Rock gardens show a variety of habitats of different plants.

The Kew Rock Garden, with its pools, streams and seven waterfalls is wonderful. The sound of falling water was heard everywhere.

 

A stream and waterfall is in the Asian Section and I think these conditions are perfect for moisture-loving plants.
I also liked nice pines and other conifers, light yellow and dark red leaved spireas, bright purple crocus.

Autumn crocus, allisum, herbs and red flowers grew within the limestone plates.

 

It's amazing that such a renowned Kew garden allocates plots for the students so that they can grow themselves and learn about plants. This part of the garden is not well known to tourists, so I wanted to see what the students grow in these vegetable plots.

 

I've learned that three-year Kew Diploma offers broad-based training in amenity and botanical horticulture. Every first year student is allocated a vegetable plot which they must maintain for one season. Soil must be dug, seeds be sown, and a whole variety of fruit and vegetables be grown to the highest of standards.

Each month, battling against the grey skies and army of pigeons, they produce the quality vegetables.

The plots are assessed every month on a variety of criteria including range of crops, crop protection, tidiness and overall health of the crops.

It was interesting to see the professional works in creating rock garden and the students' plots such well maintained with growing veggies. What do you think about students' plot in Kew Gardens?

Thank you for your comments I love to read and they are appreciated!