Tuesday 16 July 2013

Banff to Lake Louise

 
Who would imagine that a drive could be so breath-taking?  We set off from Banff towards what is probably one of the most photographed areas of Banff National Park.

 
The mountains with their snowy peaks reminded me of Nigella's Spruced-Up Vanilla Cake.

 
We made frequent stops to look at the scenery.

 
I tried to imagine how these mountains would look in winter.

 
And all the time I marvelled at Mother Nature's perfection.
 
 

Saturday 13 July 2013

Garden Ramblings

 
I cheated a bit with this post, as some of the photographs were from a recent visit to our local nursery and a couple of them were taken last year, so the eagle-eyed amongst you may notice that the flowers outside the shop are different.
 


 
Doesn't this little corner look inviting?  I could quite happily sit on this bench, shaded by a large tree, and watch the world go by.
 
 
I've been trying to grow Sweet William from seed during the past couple of summers, but without success.  I would have bought some, but the plants did not look that great, though they were blooming well.

 
I could spend hours here, browsing through the large selection of plants and dreaming of the perfect garden.
 
 
There is also a sweet little pond with goldfish.  I love a water feature in a garden.


No purchases on our latest visit, but a wealth of ideas.  I've had a few disappointments in the garden this year, with my David Austin rose 'Graham Thomas' failing to survive the winter and other plants struggling to survive after a particularly wet spring.  The main problem now are the bugs, mostly of the biting variety!

Friday 12 July 2013

Snow In Summer

 
 
Banff, Alberta is located in Canada's first National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  I had wanted to visit Banff for years and the opportunity presented itself when we added a few extra days to our trip at the end of the conference.

 
There are glimpses of mountain peaks around every corner.  I found the place quite charming, but crowded with tourists from around the world. 

 
I had a chance to take these photographs by going out for an early morning walk before most of the tourists were about.

 
The snow-capped Rocky Mountains are seen in the distance of this picture.  The perfect start to a perfect day.