When the World Wearies
And Society ceases to Please
There is always
The Garden.
Fish,Rain and Gertrude Jekyll 17:02






















Torrential rain this morning and at 6 am I had to get 19 fish out of pond as pump was broken and they had been gasping poor things. I looked a sorry sight when I finished at 6.45, soaked with rain and dirty pond water!

The roses are looking lovely in the very strong breeze today. Gertrude Jekyll has about 100 blooms and buds,and Madame Gregoire Stachelin is so gorgeous. Souvenir du Dr Jamain is out, only two lovely dark roses so far (which are much darker than the photo), as I moved this rose along with several others earlier in the year. Constance Spry is just beginning, but Max my german shepherd chased a fox over the fence last night and the fox broke two large stems off.


Two slow worms decided to have a rest in the shade yesterday (beautiful and hot yesterday, what a change from today) One, the male I assume, has the females neck in his mouth.
Planted my courgettes and cucumbers into the ground in the greenhouse and potted on tomatoes, aubergines and various peppers today. Cant wait to try out my own produce this year.








Anniversay of Mums death 23 May 16:56




On the morning of the anniversary of Mums death, her red oriental poppies flowered (which were seedlings from my ones) The year she died mine flowered on the day of her funeral June 16th and I placed one on her grave, so they are earlier this year.



22:24

It has been a very beautiful day today in my little part of the garden of England. Except that is for the 3 half eaten birds that fell from the sky courtesy of the peregrine or it might have been a sparrowhawk (where's Bill Oddie when you need him!) Well, it was the one that hovers. And I was attacked by unripe cherries that flew from the strimmer and went like bullets in my head.... Max my German Shepherd had left torn parts of his footballs over the lawn the last time I mowed, and the mower is now redundant in the shed, hence the strimmer.
Constance Spry has started to flower, and Madame Gregoire Stachelin has quite a few blooms hanging their heavy heads from under the wisteria, their scent wafting in the light breeze. Sweet rocket is quite luminous in the half dusk and is quite beautiful in shades of whites and pinks. My original old dark red peonies which me and mum dug up from old Victorian houses which were being demolished 30 odd years ago are in full bloom, and peony Sarah Bernhardt is not far behind. Rose de Rescht has had one solitary bloom and Gertrude Jekyll just gets better each year. I moved quite a few roses late last year so a few are taking their time to settle, and sadly lost the huge Pauls Scarlet Climber that mum had stuck in as a hardwood cutting for me years ago. I have replaced it but it wont be the same, as I lost mum as well, two years ago this Saturday 23rd May. I feel closest to mum in the garden as we used to sit on the hammock and bird watch.
I am growing quite a few fruit and veg this year - havent grown veg since my son Damon and I moved here 27 years ago, when we planted lots of potatoes and onions and not much else! In the greenhouse courgettes are already setting, and ive planted out minipop sweetcorns today. Lots of different tomatoes ready to flower and cucumbers,peppers and aubergines coming on slower.Red Onions, spring onions, lettuce, runner beans,broad beans and peas all coming along nicely. Strawberries, raspberries, thornless blackberries, a single tayberry and gooseberries all beginning to fruit. I moved my large grapevine and hoping it will fruit.... Well daughter Kate has just said it looks like i am writing a novel, so i will end my first blog here