Ohh Mike, what an elegant flower, and a lovely photo - it looks like a painting. I'd be interested to know its name too. Maybe Christina knows?

From the photo, which is gorgeous, and Mike's description of size and perfume I'm guessing it's a pink variety of "Stargazer". They're Asiatic lilies and always have a lovely perfume and those long stamens. Mike, watch the pollen, it stains things and they absolutely drip with it.

You can grow those yourself, bulbs are obtainable any good garden centre or mail order. They need good drainage, so put some grit or something in the planting hole and they'll come up year after year. Unless you disbud you won't get flowers quite that size, but still a good size, about 4 inch diameter.

This is my orange "Stargazer", which has been growing happily in the garden for about four years now. Some have speckled inside, some don't. I've got a white one which isn't but has a pink outer and a white inner.

wow - beautiful.
And *shudder* at the bungee jump!

Big sky country

This is another statue I spotted in London. It's a Lioness chasing a Lesser Kudu and can be
found in Lower Grosvenor Gardens near Victoria Station. An interesting piece which doesn't
look completely out of place, especially with a little foliage in the foreground I thought.

A field near Crowborough

Another thing, Mike, do not let the cat near that lily, the pollen can be fatal to pets, so I am told.

Martin, that's really a great photo with all the foliage & I like the statue but...what is it doing there? I've tried to google but other people seem as baffled as me.

Perhaps it's a bit of feminism what with all the male lions lolling about the rest of the city!

Christina, I knew we could count on you and your lovely garden.

Wow, Ren, I didn't know that. Thanks so much for alerting us to that. The flowers have now been relegated to the sealed rubbish bin (outside). Twiggy (the cat) will be most grateful....

Many thanks too for the identification, Christinap!

Archery at Lords cricket ground.

Great pics! Love the 'lympics ones!

Here's another shot of that viaduct:

Great photo Dot - lucky you to have some tickets.

I shudder at the thought of that bungee jump. It just looks sooo high.

Did someone say Olympics? More from the women's cycling, my camera wouldn't focus any closer and I didn't manage to sort out the zoom to bring them closer myself as it was all so rushed (plus pouring with rain) but get a general idea.

It seems that it was commissioned by the Duke of Westminster for the centre of the Upper Gardens and was made by the sculptor Jonathan Kenworthy. I can't find out why he did it though it certainly makes the gardens special.

This is what is left of my old tree that came down after all the branches etc. have been sawn up and gone for firewood. I'm left with these bits of trunk, each around 2ft to 2ft 6in. high, which I am going to try and use somewhere in the garden as sone sort of feature. Haven't decided what yet though.

Martin, it's a great statue, and if you look round London there are some strange statues in various gardens and parks. Perhaps he just wanted a piece of art in the gardens, a sort of conversation piece but on a large scale.

July being over I am about to close this thread.
August thread is on its way.