mellow yellow

I went through St Mary's Pleasance today in Haddington to see the laburnum tunnel.

This is in flower for a couple of weeks each year and is an absolute treasure, a slight breeze makes the racemes sway gently and the effect is lovely.

I love tunnels like this, especially those that grow in the Lake District (and the Loire valley in France), a green tunnel is made by the trees arching over the roads by the lakesides. I still have a childish glee when we drive through them.

This laburnum tunnel reminds me of the gardens at Villandry in France. D and I were charmed by the ornamental kitchen gardens, arranged to show the beauty of the vegetables by setting them in patterns in the box edged beds. A truly fabulous place.

I'll never be able to garden on a grand scale but I love to see different types of gardens and appreciate the artistry and planting schemes involved.

I love the word Pleasance too- used to describe pleasant place to relax, the most famous one being in Edinburgh and much livelier than this gem in Haddington.