green city

Although where we live looks very cottagey and remote we're actually less than ten minutes drive away from Sheffield City Centre. Something I'm very thankful for as although I love how quiet the lane we live on is, I wouldn't like to be completely out of the way.

We made a trip out to Sheffield last weekend (yes I know and I'm only just sharing the photos now, shame on me!). It's rare for me and Allsy to venture out, I tend to potter about in the garden most weekends and Allsy tends to get on with his own things so it felt good to be out of the house and actually spending time with each other, we even had some tea out together, which if you knew us that is even rarer.

I love Sheffield, it's such a friendly, laid-back and welcoming place. It's also apparently one of the greenest cities in Britain, something which is clear as you wander around the place and nature greets you at every turn.

The Winter Garden is a lush oasis all year round...

Full of all manner of exotic little numbers...

Sheffield is a cool mix of architecture, the old and the new sit happily together...

And the planting within the public spaces is the best I've seen in any town or city. The Peace Gardens is one of my favourite spaces for the plant combinations... 

Alliums seem to dominate the planting in Sheffield at this time of year but in the coming months the Scotch Thistle will be towering high over proceedings (in my opinion that's when this space looks at its absolute best)...

This little courtyard is probably my favourite space though (you can just see Allsy chilling on that bench there, no doubt fed up with me stopping to take pictures at every moment)...

Surrounded by buildings, they've chose some lovely shade loving plants such as bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)...

And geraniums(Geranium phaeum var. phaeum 'Samobor')...

I liked the look of this shrub like creature too but I'm afraid I'm not sure what it's called, if you do know please do tell...

I absolutely adore Magnolia's too and they're all over the city. Am so desperate to get one for the garden for next year, they're just in a league of their own aren't they...

I thought I'd also share with you all a few snaps that Allsy took when he manage to eventually tempt the camera away from me. As you can see he's more interested in the architecture than the planting but I really like these shots. It shows how big a part nature plays within the city too...