Raindrops on roses

Actually, I'm not a huge fan of roses.  I prefer those which are simple, not too blousy.  But this almost perfect example caught my eye.

We were moving from one apartment to another today - only about an hour's drive apart. So we thought we would find somewhere for a nice walk en route.  Unfortunately, having parked up at Danbury Common and set off for a perambulate, it clouded over and started to rain.  Discretion being the better part of valour, we retreated to the car through ever increasing rain, and decided to look for an alternative. 

I Googled Maldon (the local town) and there was an advert for open garden at Beeleigh Abbey.  Still outdoors, but with a tea marquee, and less risk of being caught miles from anywhere when the heavens truly opened.

So we went there.  By the time we'd had a sandwich in the tea marquee it had stopped raining.  It's rather a nice garden, with frontage onto the river Chelmer, and some attractive herbaceous borders.  It surrounds a rather attractive house adapted from the monastery that fell prey to the dissolution in 1536.

We had seen most of it by the time it started to rain again, at which point we negotiated the plant sales area without spending any money, and decided to head to our new accommodation.  It's windy and intermittently rainy - I do hope the weather improves for L and L's wedding tomorrow.