It's Finally Autumn

It's finally here, my favorite season, glorious Autumn.  The crisp cooler mornings make our walks more pleasant as we continue to enjoy all that Autumn brings by the river.  The butterflies are still lighting our patio with their lovely presence.

 Soon October will be here and the flowers will fade with frost.  Plants that vacation in our basement for the winter will be brought inside. 

 

"By all these lovely tokens September days are here, With summer's best of weather And autumn's best of cheer. " 

Helen Hunt Jackson

The Autumn Crocus (Colchicum) have been blooming in the garden. 

I really like to plant white flowers in the back of our yard.  The white begonia always lights up the dark areas.  I see we have a crack in this large pot.  I've had it for years and will miss its presence in my garden.  I save shards to fill other large pots in the Spring.  I also fill large pots with plastic pots that annuals come in so I don't have to use so much of my precious compost.  I use compost that we make in all of our pots.  My flowers love it.

Come inside with me and I'll show a few of my Autumn decorations.  Please use the side door, my friends.

I don't use a lot of orange in my Autumn decorations as our walls here are crimson.  I don't mind this wreath on this door on the inside because the orange is softened by the white door.

I put away my Old Britain Castle dishes and bring out Friendly Village for Autumn.  The cut glass piece belonged to my Mama and always stayed on her buffet.  I filled it with dried fruit and a battery operated candle.  It has a timer and comes on when it gets dark, which is by 7:30 these days.

This arrangement is in the living room on the coffee table.  It is also a battery operated candle.  

Though not exactly Autumn florals, I have lilies from Lidl ($2.99) on the dining table.  Grayden buys these for me and we enjoy them so much when there are no blossoms from the garden.

I collect salt and pepper shakers and bring out the owls in Autumn.  We also enjoy real candles.

In the Florida Room on the sewing machine I placed some of my Jim Shore pieces.  

I've had this Autumn floral arrangement forever as most of my decor fits that category!

Another battery operated candle that I placed a wreath around.  

On the mantle in the Florida Room I just placed a Autumn wreath.  

This has been a difficult time for all of us.  I hope you are coping well.  I must admit I've been feeling a bit sorry for myself.  Knowing that Autumn is upon us has renewed my spirit somewhat.  Take care of yourselves, my friends.💓

Trerice in Cornwall, England

Today I'd like to share another National Trust property that Grayden and I visited while we were in Great Britain for our Golden Anniversary.

  

This is Trerice, a property that was owned by the Arundell family for 500 years.  The house was finished in 1573, incorporating an earlier farm house.  The grounds were so lush and green and well manicured.

The house was passed into the Acland family of Killerton in Devon when the Arundell family passed away in the mid-eighteenth century.

The Cornwall County Council bought the estate in 1919 for war veterans after dividing the land into small farms.  The National Trust purchased the property in 1953.  One of the tenants, Mr J F Elton generously enabled the north wing to be restored.

The walled garden was expertly cared for with flowers and espaliered trees and vines that are so British and oh so lovely.

Let's go inside and view the Great Hall that was part of the medieval farmhouse that was rebuilt in 1570 by John Arundell V. 

The plastered ceiling dates to the early 17th century.  Much of it was restored by the Acland family in the 19th century.  It is gorgeous!

When the medieval farmhouse was restored, the 576 pane mullioned window was put into place.  Some of the original glass remains.  Can you fathom that?  From 1570--amazing to say the least. 

This old print of Trerice shows it in a different light than the way it is landscaped today. 

Upstairs we enter Madam Arundell's Chamber, based on an inventory from 1698.  The barrel ceiling was one of the reasons the National Trust bought Trerice. 

This ceiling has much of its original plaster work.

It's quite impressive to view the canopy bed coverings with the lovely pleated rosette.

This handsome chest with its burled wood caught our attention.

Don't you love looking out the leaded window and seeing the knot garden?  Even through the old glass it warms my heart.

Madam Arundell's bed chamber was full of interesting furniture. 

From her bed chamber we enter the Long gallery.

Around the Long gallery we see the plaster work in the Great Hall that leads us to the Musicians' gallery.  The openings allowed music into the rooms without seeing the musicians.

I always stop to view the lovely china on display. 

Stepping into the Court chamber we enter the area of the house that was rebuilt in the 1950's by the Elton family.  In the 1860's this part of the house collapsed during  a violent storm.  The large chest on chest looks quite lovely in this new addition.

Leaving the home we always love viewing the gardens a little closer.

The Elizabethan knot garden and orchard are spread out before us.  Such a lovely spot to rest.

The perfect Autumn colors climbing up the back of Trerice along with the walled garden ended our visit on a lovely note. 

The convolutions of this old tree trunk made me wonder how many eyes looked upon its beauty throughout the times folks lived here at Trerice.