Potty about plants 4

Shipley Open Gardens - There were some interesting features in some of the gardens, like the round mirror (above) in a shady corner that reflected a glorious tangle of bright green sunlit foliage.

I was drawn too, to this wooden box filled with pine cones, all lovely textures and muted colours. It has made quite a journey from Salcombe in Devon, to Yorkshire!

Then of course there were the garden residents. Most of the cats appeared to have sensibly wandered off to calmer places but a tortoise was nimbly crawling around in search of adventure and tasty treats. It moved surprisingly fast! I used to have one as a pet when I was a child. They sometimes live a long time, and are not that common these days. I think there are certain restrictions, though I believe you can still buy them from breeders here.

Some of the gardens have vegetable patches as well as flowers and shrubs, though I didn't take photos of them. I did spot some hens in a run in one garden. That reminded me of my grandparents, who used to keep chickens in their large garden.