I had a magical few days in Ojai, California, last weekend – where we will be working on a beautiful 1920s house for a very old client of mine. We floated over the ocean and back and spent 2 long and fruitful days considering every last aspect of her wonderful new house. I’d never seen olive and orange groves before, and the incredible unspoiled landscape around Ojai, and this fantastic little town, with so many things to explore. Then it was time to come home. 
We landed at Heathrow and I caught a train to Dorset in time for Monday afternoon. It was so good to be home.
The magic hour…
Charlie’s irises are extraordinary this year. 
Scent of mock orange blossom. 
The view of the cottage garden from above….
Early the next morning I was on the train back to London, blinking slightly – but so, so happy to have made that final leg up and down. And on Thursday night, after three quite full on days back in the office, I was on the train again, home in time for sunset.
Summer is really here now.
Moon rising. 
On Saturday morning we took the dogs for an early walk.
It was the laziest day, we did nothing and went no-where. Evening light… 
Dogs flopping. 
The cottage garden has gone mad this year. 
Today we went to Wey,outh for fish and chips and a pint by the harbour. Regular readers of the blog know how much I LOVE Weymouth, with its incredible Georgian streets and buildings and so much flipping happy fun. 
Incredibly stylish canvases on the beach shelters, I always feel David Hicks could have designed these fabrics? 
The floral clock display in Greenhill Gardens is a wonderful work in progress. 
Good door/flower combo. 
And home.
It’s a perfect evening. Day after day, week after week of high atmospheric pressure and eternal sunshine seem to beckon. Summer days are here again.
10 comments
absolutely beautiful images, thank you for sharing!
Beautiful iris! Loved the avocado tree with fruit, never saw one in real life. Sweet old bowls with the mockorange, very nice. :) Your pictures inspire me!
The photo of the Weymouth beach hut (which I’m sure is not the proper name) with its red and white stripes just made my day! As always, the Old Parsonage is dreamland. Thank you so much, Ben.
That timeless image of the moon rising over “your” little church stopped me in my tracks, so beautiful.
Such a treat to see Summer days when we are going into Winter in NZ. Charlies irises are indeed to die for.
I so love your garden but have so many questions.Is that allowed?I know that our gardens are kindred spirits.If you would like to know about my garden you could refer to Guardian article ‘Order versus Disorder’.One of my questions is whether you know the name of the amazing huge yellow iris. I have it but never knew the name.Also I would like some of those ‘ Victorian’ cloches but am not very technically agile so do not know how to find them!Kind Regards,Marilyn.
Beautiful photos. Loved the orange grove trees and LA and the beautiful palm trees. Your garden is really flourishing this year, and I have never seen such beautiful Iris’s. Nice to see Weymouth and the fish and chips by the harbour would have been so nice. Gorgeous scenery.
Lovely pics Ben as usual.I spent a week near OJ a few years ago.Such a beautiful area.
The garden is pure bliss.
Beautiful and inspiring as always. The seagull sitting on George III’s head is funny.