Look away now if you never entertain a fanciful thought. Or just ignore the words and see what you make of this odd assortment of images.
For those who are still with me, this post was inspired by a smattering of comments left recently by people who sense the faerie world around them – you know who you are! Since then, I’ve thought of fairies when looking at some of my pictures.
The first two were taken at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, which is grand, classical and over 400 years old with all the right ingredients for a large scale fairy garden: grottos, follies, arches, hillsides, woodland, meadows, streams, a formal water cascade, and a rock garden unlike any I’ve seen with massive slabs of stone. Then there’s a kitchen garden full of things to gather and eat with slender paths surely too narrow for human feet, and a pool, bright with candelabra primulas if you’re there at the right time.
It might have stretched your imagination to see fairies dancing around the statue or skipping through the flowers after the visitors have gone home, but the last three will be easier.
This one, for example – I’m sure the blur on some of those petals must have been caused by small wings.
And if you adjust your eyes from dappled shade to something more dimly lit…
Some of my pictures take a distinctly fairy-style viewpoint, like this one:
Do you see what I mean?
Shared as part of my pictures for dreaming series.
Susan Rushton 
Really magical places! Thank you so much for this poetry, Susan!
I’m glad you entered into the spirit of it, Rita!
I love your photos. The viewpoints do indeed make me feel I am very small, which I love. I was weeding behind some huge roses the other day, and felt like I was in a den, which reminded me that I was always making dens as a child. I made a mental note that if I need a private space, I can take a blanket and a picnic, and maybe a book, and have a den again.
You perhaps ought to promise yourself you’ll do it, just for fun, if you find you don’t turn to it out of need. I found myself trying to locate an old den a few days ago – it was up a tree on an area of wild land I haven’t been to for ages, even though it is quite close at hand.
I do believe in fairies! And now I long for my own statue of a cherub riding on the back of a lion, to go with my tiny vegetable garden of 36 sq. ft. plus pots.
That would be lovely. 🙂
I tried to search for the story to share but Chatsworth lion and child, boy, cherub, cupid etc came up with a blank. Or, more accurately, with hundreds of sleeping lions that are copies of a pair they have.
Delightful photos. I think I saw a fairy or two flicker by.
I thought you might!
They all look like they should have fairies dancing in them somewhere. Very atmospheric. x
We need that old Victorian camera that was supposed to be able to catch them.
Just delightful Susan, what a wonderful way to experience the world, must go and see what is happening at the moment of my garden!
Let me know if you find any!
Gardens are magical places! 🙂 And these are lovely too. 🙂
Thanks, Ann.
Lovely scenes, Susan!! They have a magical look indeed!
The more we leave the outside world alone, the more magical it seems.
That last one makes me think of a Frodo-eye view, creeping through the undergrowth.
The path is quite hidden, although it is well trodden, so much so that the trees roots stand proud from the soil.