MARY, MARY . .

 

How does my garden grow - out of control, so much vegetation.

It is the day after tomorrow already, at least it feels like that time is passing so fast. I suppose it is an age thing so you who are young luxuriate in the slow passing of the days.

The turnips are bolting, the daisy bush, crambe and eremurus are over.

There is bindweed flowering in the hedges (and flowerbeds) and goosegrass everywhere.

One good thing is that we have had some rain, a long day's soak which means I can forgo watering the garden. However it makes the grass grow and when it is wet difficult to mow.

Went to an immaculate garden near Cartmel, Crumbles Cottage, makes mine look chaotic!

The creeping jenny is everywhere, campanulas spill over paths, and the Hydrangea Annabelle is thinking of changing from green to white.

One thing thriving is the rhubarb - a regular (!) harvest.

Elsewhere we have the scent of the phlox and privet.

And not all interest is in flowers, fruit and veg.

The seed heads of the white honesty, now back-lit by the sun are fascinating with their visible seeds - a bit like an X-ray.

We have a possible helper have a look at the garden, R wants all the paving repointed and soon I will be wanting a good man to strim.

Meanwhile R has cut back the catmint that was suffocating all around and I have done a bit of this but not a lot of that.

We finally have flying flowers, Small Tortoiseshells and red admirals, small whites and gatekeepers and the ragged comma.

The fruit has been very disappointing this year - ? something to do with the spring. We do have pears and a few plums (not ripe yet) but the apples and currants a feeble. And at least one greengage.

The damsons too are poor - there must have been frost on the blossom.

Sometimes I dream of living next door to a wonderful public garden where I can go and sit without the workload - R is laughing as I never do much in the garden - it does itself largely. I get away with it a bit by describing it as a wild garden. This is only because it is out of control most of the time and offends R's sense of order and tidiness. Me, I am really just a creature of the jungle, even am rather taken by sharing the place with all sorts of creatures - even rabbits? But not sheep!