I'm a country girl at heart.I grew up surrounded by the tame but nonetheless beautiful fields and forests of Surrey and Sussex.
Little wonder, then, that no matter where I go or what I do, there is little that can lift my spirits more than a nice bit of greenery.
And if it is the sight of the glorious countryside in the spring sunshine, burgeoning and bubbling with new growth, so much the better.
I used to think I didn't like the colour green - until one day when I tried to paint a picture in my High School art class without using any shade, tone or hint of it.
The results were interesting for sure - but somehow dead and unnatural.
Since I got more and more into snapping away with my camera, I have discovered a whole rainbow of greens: from the deepest midnight green of a pine forest in the black of the night, to the electric zazzy lime shot of new leaves or a bowl of pea and mint soup.
Just drinking in the greens of springtime feels like letting out a breath that I've been holding all winter, waiting for the fresh shoots of hope to appear, and inhaling a lungful of clean air.
Since I was a youngster, I have loved the feel of new grass between my toes, and and sniffing the scents of the herbs growing round the edge of my parent's vegetable garden.
And then there was my Dad's beloved tomatoes and runner beans - gloriously luxurious leaves that smell like heaven itself and give us the absolute BEST in fresh summer food come June.
The tomatoes and beans are still going strong, thanks to the loving care of my brillant (and slightly hyperactive) mother. Sadly, however, Dad is no longer around to enjoy them.
Dad loved the country - so every time I go for a long walk on my own through the leafy lanes, it's almost as if I can feel him strolling silently along next to me, pointing out tiny little details in the undergrowth that make this big old world so much more magical - if only we'd take the trouble to look.
For more Glorious Greenness, check out this week's Gallery over at http://stickyfingers1.blogspot.com/
True words - lovely tribute you your dad. Love both photots.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love the description of your dad walking beside you pointing out the greenery. Just lovely x
ReplyDeleteLovely words. I was trying to find lovely descriptive words yesterday but failed miserably!
ReplyDeleteI am sure your Dad is there with you, you know.
Great post... lovely pics too! Emma :)
ReplyDeleteI love how you've captured this photo of your dad. Like you, I really love spring and all the colours :)
ReplyDeleteLovely post and photos. There is nothing nicer than feeling grass between your toes. x
ReplyDeleteThat first photograph is stunning, really vibrant. The second is heartwarming and endearing; it remind me of my Bampi who was a gardener by profession and adored growing tomatoes. I can smell them now just as they break off the vine, they smell what I think of as 'green'.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your memory, and for prompting one of mine.
love the pic of you Dad! He looked like a fun man!
ReplyDeleteaww that was lovely. Glad the tomatoes are still going. I Love tomatoes from a greenhouse.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post!
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ReplyDeleteThanks for so many lovely comments folks.
ReplyDeleteDad was indeed a fun man - one in a million - but quite a complicated one too. As I said in his eulogy, he was "a complex man with simple needs". Nature - whether in the country or his greenhouse - had a real calming effect on him. I guess some of that has been passed on to me.
And as for the smell of tomato plants in the greenhouse, there is indeed NOTHING like it!
What lovely photo's and a great story. As you say, the tomato smell is a very unique one!
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