In search of color...

Hi Everyone! I hope you are enjoying some sunshine!

I love playing with color and today I am looking for some inspiration.

Color inspiration is everywhere and a trip into the countryside can be a great resource.

Last weekend was glorious! So we headed off to one of our favorite spots. Kingston Lacy is a country mansion in Dorset, England surrounded by beautiful gardens and parkland.

Upon arriving, a corrugated mint colored caravan greets us at the entrance with chalk boards on the doors telling us what flowers and plants to look out for during our trek around the woodland, including a saddleback pig in the kitchen garden! 

We bypassed the grand house and headed straight for the gardens. Wouldn't this make a fabulous crochet retreat with cream teas and crochet lessons on the lawn! 

We headed down the steps across vast the lawns...

through the thatched gate...

and along the winding path between the grassy banks of sunshine yellow daffodils...

Sweet fresh primroses and other woodland flowers popped up from the grass along the way.

 around every bend was something magical and enchanting....

We came across a little den made from fallen branches and I stopped to imagine the happy excitement on the faces of the children that might have come here before...

along the path we went, stopping to take a photo of the rhododendrons in gorgeous shades of scarlet red .. 

A busy bee foraging for nectar appeared as I stooped down to get a close up shot of this pretty white Snowdrop ... I love it when spring turns to summer, when everything is so fresh and green and nature is beginning to wake from a long winter of hibernation. 

Magnolia trees in full bloom stole the show with their twiggy branches covered in hundreds of perfectly formed white, star shaped flowers, tinged with the palest shade of pink.

Cascading camellias branches, baring the weight of fresh blooms hung heavily along our path...

and just look at this beauty! I stood and stared and thought about how I could incorporate  these colors into my next crochet design, aren't they just lovely.

This was my favorite of all the camellias, the shape and color, just perfect. I thought this would make a lovely crochet flower and couldn't wait to get my hooks out when I got home...

Here is my version of the beautiful camellia flower I made later on that day, after many attempts, and trying different yarns and colors, I settled on a lovely light worsted cotton yarn. You can find the pattern too HERE

Our journey continued to the Japanese garden, with it's ornamental grasses standing tall...

the miniature magnolias, casting their delicate white petals to the ground like carpet of confetti around a bride on her wedding day.

Pink is one of my favorite colors and as we reached the open parkland we were met with a stunning display of the most beautiful purple pink Rhododendrons.

We carried on along the winding path and my attention was drawn to these crazy 'up side down' trees with their legs in the air!!! I know, I know, it's just the regrowth at the bottom. Quite bizarre!

As we were nearing the end of our walk I was beginning to think that perhaps we weren't going to see the saddleback pig, but...

there he was! Happily munching his way through the shrubbery, apparently the pigs are brought here to help clear the ground for the fresh summer planting. 

Well, I hope you have enjoyed seeing my photos as much as I have enjoyed sharing them with you, and I have brought a little sunshine and color into your day! Thank you for taking the time to visit me :-)

Lots of love, Kerry xxx