Friday 8 September 2017

Flowers and Pumpkins

Ludwigsburg in itself does not have anything to do with pumpkins, but for the past 20 years or so, a pumpkin exhibition has been held every autumn at the palace grounds. I have posted pictures of it for the past few years; you can find them all if you simply put "pumpkins" in the search box at the top left corner of my blog.

Speaking of the top left corner of my blog - look a little further down, and you'll find a clickable picture that takes you straight to my Mum's Etsy Shop, where she sells her hand-knitted socks, mittens, woolly hats and other things. Now that the colder season is quickly approaching (and can already be felt here in the mornings and evenings), maybe you'll want to stock up on warm, cosy things  for yourself or as a present :-)

Back to topic! This year's pumpkin exhibition opened last Friday. On the Saturday, we went to have a look - not specifically for the pumpkins, but because we wanted to have a walk in the palace grounds. The flowers are still beautiful this time of year, but definitely look different now from what it was like only a few weeks ago:





Further on we walked, and arrived at that part of the park where the pumpkin exhibition is set up. This year's theme is "Rome".


This one is for Kay!






We continued our walk by crossing the busy road that separates the two parks (palace grounds and the deer park) and took the long, pleasant detour home through the deer park.

No deer was to be seen this time, but the mufflon sheep were enjoying the afternoon sun and green grass on the meadow in front of the game keeper's house.



It was a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon, and all within walking distance.

Tomorrow, I am travelling to O.K.'s. I will be away from home for two weeks and won't be as regular in reading and commenting on your blogs as usual, as I do not like to do much reading and typing on my mobile phone.

13 comments:

  1. A charming walk on the palace grounds! Fall is really here! I had to turn on the heat this morning. This weather is so unusual for early September. Enjoy your time with O.K. and I am enjoying waiting for two more pairs of socks from your Mom.

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    1. In my house, the heating is not yet active; the controls are in my upstairs neighbours' flat, and they are in Turkey for I don't know how many more months. I have emailed their son (who lives and works nearby) to please activate it, as I'd really appreciate some warmth now, especially in the mornings when I am in the bathroom.

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  2. What a great place to visit. No pumpkins displayed here yet - still very warm and doesn't feel like Autumn.
    Now we're awaiting the hurricane and praying it doesn't come to North Carolina - and of course don't want the other southeastern states to be devastated also. Prayers are needed, plus a lot of good luck that Hurricane Irma (and the other two following behind her) will change direction!
    Times are tough in more ways than one!!!!!
    Enjoy your weekend Meike.

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    1. Thank you, Mary!
      I do hope the damage by Irma & friends won't be much more - she has already taken too many lives and destroyed such a lot.

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  3. Gorgeous flowers and also some impressive pumpkin sculptures. Beginning to feel like autumn here and we've had some rain, but nowhere near as much as the southern and coastal areas of Sweden. We've also had sunny days in between.

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    1. Definitely autumn here now, even though it gets still around 20 Celsius during the day, and definitely more in a sunny corner not exposed to the wind.

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  4. I love the grounds at the palace! And I thank you for that special photo for me!!
    Now, just wondering though, and I could be wrong, is it a butterfly? It looks like it could be with the antenna.
    I have to giggle though, the one with the wolf made of pumpkins and Remus and Romulus at her teats...that would NEVER be allowed in Georgia! Why, the conservative folks here would be up in arms! You might think I am kidding, but I am not! Funny, isn't it?

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    1. I believe you, Kay, reg. the female wolf! I must say I don't always want to see the (mostly female) forms you get exposed to on an average day in town - on advertising posters and so on - but we are so used to it here that most people hardly think about it. It must be very different though for the millions of refugees who come from countries where women are forced to walk around like shapeless tents - the other extreme!
      You are right about the butterfly, but it has such a "hearty" shape that I immediately thought of you when I saw it :-)

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  5. The friend who has been staying with me is a very enthusiastic gardener and takes me around every garden that she can persuade me to visit (she doesn't have to try hard). She would love these gardens. I'm not quite sure that I understand the third of the pumpkin tableaux which strike me as being rather bizarre.

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    1. Which one do you mean, Graham? The she-wolf suckling Remulus and Romus? This year's topic of the exhibition is "Rome", so it makes sense... in a way.
      In my opinion, the gardens are beautiful in their own right and do not constantly need to be filled with events, but of course money is always an issue and management does what they can to attract paying visitors.

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    2. Yes,Meike, that’s the one I meant and now you’ve explained the theme of course it makes sense.

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    3. The theme was there all along, Graham - I put it on the post right above the first pumpkin picture ;-)

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    4. Oh dear. I thought I read everything very carefully. Put it down to my age (and being male of course).

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