WILD IN THE COUNTRY

A rose grows wild in the country . . . this is a dog rose and nothing to do with the man who has just left the room. (We oldies remember the song, well, some of us, The King lives on.) 

The sun is shining through the leaves, a gentle breeze is stirring the vegetation and I need a seat up at the top of the wood. R says so I can sit there in winter when the trees are bare and enjoy the view - Mmm! perhaps when it is very hot and I can enjoy the shade. (Not a lot of chance of that in this country.)

So, what has all this to do with a garden blog you may ask. Our garden has woodland as per where these grasses flourish (until they get strimmed)(and this might change because I have just ordered an Austrian Scythe - thanks Gary (well, we will see after I have removed my leg)).

But down in the boggy bottoms is an area, soon to be eradicated? by R's plans for the garden. (R stands for Rose an' all.)

Ragged Robin to the left, Yellow Rattle to the right - both thrive there by the stream - but the stream is to go and the area become lawn and pond. (I will have my wild boggy bit somewhere.)

So here is view up to the house from my soggy bottom bit, Ragged Robin in the foreground.

Behind from where this photo was taken is a field hedge full of things such as BRAMBLES and NETTLES and other nasties - but essentials in a wild area - up to a point. The hedge has blackthorn, hawthorn, hazel, ash, oak, sycamore, willow, sallow, holly, cherry, elder and wild plum growing in it so a cosmopolitan sort of place.

Behind the house the grassy banking has a few intruders - not wild plants, at least not in this country. These include a rampant geranium, white willow herb and these oriental poppies. They thrive here in very little soil and are a left over from the previous owner's garden - before we pulled his house down and built our own.

Green and red - what more can one ask for? (The black iris in front of the house are good too.)

So a wild garden is also full of creatures, frogs, newts, toads, fresh water shrimps, slugs and snails, woodlice, ants and wasps and bumble bees, cock chafers, greenfly, cutworm and time to shut up.

I mean I might disturb Luvvy and Duvvy on their beam. That mess to their right is supposed to be a nest!

I am waiting for a call about removing my willows (:-( and am ordering the white birches at the end of the week.

I musty hasten off to the kitchen where last year's blackcurrants are simmering away before I turn them into jam - Mrs Beeton's recipe is fine.

So is her recipe for Lakeland fingers - gingery and melt in the mouth.

Gotta be a cuppa time!