In August, one day after lunch, we went back to the Packhorse Bridge Nature Reserve, a place I was apparently taken to a few times as a child, but couldn’t quite remember.
No matter. The scent on the air of the wild English orchids growing there freely on the embankments was delicately, quietly thrilling; marshmallow pink, lotus-like; surprisingly, more perfumed and sensuous than any of the perhaps more magnificent-looking flowers we saw in profusion just ten days earlier at the National Orchid Garden in Singapore.
My parents always encouraged my love of flowers as a child, and their garden, a little more overgrown than usual this year (and thus far more to my taste), was probably more beautiful than I have ever seen it. My mother may not be able to do the gardening quite as vigorously and meticulously as she used to but it is still her pride and joy. She is happiest just out in the sun, with her trowel, planting, pruning, bedding, rearranging and the organic whole is a pleasure to sit in and roam.
It was also nice to spend this gentle half hour or so together just walking in the outdoors on this unusually warm and sunny late summer afternoon as well, taking in nature with some intense emotions and nostalgic reverie; picking plants and flowers along the way from the hedgerows as we used to do as kids (both she and I collected things for our ‘nature tables’ as curious children). Fast forward five decades, with so much life passed in between, and here we all still were…
Happy 80th birthday mum xxx
What a lovely tribute!! My mom turned 80 a few weeks ago as well…
Leslie
It seems unbelievable !
A very moving piece – thank you!
(By the way, I love the idea of stumbling across clumps of orchids, especially in the UK, but the pink flowers in the photos are in fact Himalayan balsam, an invasive plant known for clogging up waterways. On the plus side, you can make jam out of it, apparently 🙂 )
Thanks for the botanical clarification !
I
Ooops.
I didn’t know there were orchids other than ladyslippers in the UK, turns out there are 52 native orchids in the UK.
I didn’t know Himalayan Balsam existed in the UK too. Do they have the same sweet grape soda scent as they do here in Nepal?
Oh well.
Hi Mom! Looking fabulous!
I am pretty sure I saw somewhere that these were English wild orchids but I of course defer to the expert opinions !
In any case, they smelled really gorgeous, balsamic and floaty indeed, like a perfume
Happiest of Birthdays to your beautiful Mum!
Thankyou
Beautiful photos and a beautiful family. You were so cute, but, then again, you still are!
Thank you Filomena x
I am only speaking the truth!
Lovely. Happy birthday to your mum!
Thankee x
Happy birthday to your mom! I love her dress. 😍
What a beautiful woman, your mum. I’m getting tantalizing glimpses of that splendid English garden of hers. My obsession with the UK countryside has been newly aroused. Summers must be glorious.
how lovely. Happy birthday to your mum. She’s beautiful. As are the orchids. (Mine too is 80 this month. We are lucky to still have them with us x)