garden – Gardens. Travel. Life.

Posted on May 28, 2025May 28, 2025 by happyretiredblog · 2 Comments

Guess it’s over

Well here we are heading to the end of May. How did we get here. Only seemed like yesterday I was planting tulip bulbs. Panicking as I didn’t have all the ones I wanted. Wasn’t sure if I was planting them again in London pots. I didn’t. But here we are at the tail end of this year tulip display. Actually. They have all now been pulled.

Was I happy with the result. If you’d asked me early on I would have said no. Why? All a bit too pink for my liking ~ and the only person to blame. Me.

I realise I like hot colours. The oranges. Reds. Purples. But there were some lovely tulips in the first flush. Especially if you liked apricot. And pink.

But as the weeks went by more colours popped. More shapes were shaped and finally I was happy. Very happy. Told by a few it was the best year yet. Loved hearing that but it puts pressure on for next year !

Yet there were disappointments. The Brown sugar weren’t Brown sugar. To avoid the same happening this year I have already put my order in for them. Just so I don’t miss out.

This years brown sugar weren’t from Peter Nyssen. I was too late to order them from them ~ just to be clear! I am a huge fan of Peter Nyssen and in particular the relationship I have built up with Karen over the years.

For me Brown sugar has become a staple tulip. Gorgeous in colour with a light scent and much admired by Grandad who’s not my grandad. Who’s now also a great grandad. Though he’s always been a ‘great grandad, he’s now an actual one. If that makes sense.

A new one this year was World friendship. I’m not a fan of yellow tulips. Spring yellow flowers for me are daffodils. So I usually avoid them. World friendship however is a lovely tulip. Great colour. Great shape and lasted for ever. I’ve learnt that a bit of yellow can lift the palette. The other yellow I use is west Point. A bit more of a lily shape, and a favourite of Ian.

Another one that I like a lot is Go Go Red. A bit of a bonkers tulip but it’s the second year of growing it and it will be back.

This year I included a new white ~ Healthcare. not a great name but a great tulip. A bit like a white Go Go. But a bit more restrained.

Another returning tulip which I love < although the jury is out for 2026 on this one is La Courtine parrot. It’s been in the mix the last two years and it may be time to have a break. I’m not a huge lover of parrots in the pot mix. In London we had some window boxes and they always did well ~ I loved Rasta parrot. But they somehow get lost in the pots for me. except Courtine. .

A quiet start then it gets all big and blowsy.

I’ve said before it all starts again as soon as the tulips are lifted , even before if I’ll admit it. I see tulips at friends. At NGS open gardens. In magazines. Or encouraged by my partner in crime Siobhan. We visit each other at high season to see what we are both growing. Compare notes and plans for next year. That’s done for 2025. We have both started our orders. But I’ll change my mind constantly.

I wasn’t a huge fan of tulips. Yes I know. Unbelievable. But I think my visit to Ulting Wick garden for a NGS open garden swept me away. Philippa Burrough as well as being an awesome gardener is a great influence. First it was her tulips. Then it was her gaura path in the summer beds. I was hooked.

I had grown tulips. But not like the numbers I plant now. A local gardener asked me how I got so many flowers in my pots. The answer ~ it’s not technical. ‘ I stuff as many bulbs in as I can’ yes. They touch each other but they are only in for one season and then I replace.

The front of the cottage is right on the road and can be a bit dull. The tulips brighten it up and let’s be honest there’s a bit of a show off in me. Probably a throw back to the days when my parents never admitted to the competition between them and Den and Blem next door for the display of annuals.

One day I’ll recreate it.

I like the display to look good and I get huge pleasure from the compliments we get from people walking or driving through the village. It makes it worthwhile. So whilst I am able to do it I will! Despite this years back problems with planting and moving pots they will be back.

But it was more restrained back in previous years.

There were fewer smaller pots and fewer bulbs. and definetly less flamboyance!

A bit more adventurous in 2017 but with only two colours. I have been tempted to do one single colour in all the pots. But two things stop me. One is what If I get the wrong tulips. It’s happened this year. Ordered brown sugar which wasn’t delivered. Plus you don’t know until they flower ~ it said brown sugar on the packaging. But it wasn’t. Plus ~ what if it looked pants ? I’d be miserable for April and May. Ian says more miserable. That wouldn’t work !

Some previous year tulip planting

Another restrained year.

This year I ordered the same tulip numbers as in previous years. Not knowing if we would be in London or not. In the end I didn’t plant any. We moved at the beginning of February so my gamble paid off. But I also loved the window boxes and the path pots. I used to experiment with new colours in a few pots there.

I have had varying results with tulips in the Spanish garden. So much so that I no longer even try. They like a bit of a cold spell ~ suggestions have been to put them in a fridge for a month. That doesn’t appeal to Ian !! Plus it’s an effort which also means we may miss them if our schedules mean we won’t be there. ( schedules. What schedules!~ we are retired!)

So it’s all over for another year. Tulips pulled. Bedding plants in. Not so flamboyant but colourful !

Thankful for Jacks Shute opposite the house where we have a constant supply of water. I’ve only known it dry up once in 30 years but it’s already slow already.

Fingers crossed.

Posted on October 31, 2024 by happyretiredblog

Tick tok clocks go back

How have we got to the end of October already. The year has come and gone in fits and starts. Some months have dragged. Some have whizzed by. People are already been mentioning the C word.

Joseph doesn’t even know Mary’s pregnant yet.

It’s been a wet month. Our local farmer ~ Grandad who is not my grandad says the ground is like it’s February. So wet. Which isn’t a great start for the coming months.

The beginning of the months started wet so out came my impersonation of ‘Vera’ – I donned my Vera hat.

The month started in London. Colour was drained in the garden after a hot summer. The tree ferns were looking great and had done well with a bit of neglect. I’m an overwaterer at best. But restrictions on Spain have made me think about how much I use.

Views from the kitchen window with the blinds down into the small London garden ~ stripped right back this year.

A start on the tulip plan for London and Somerset began. I’d already made the decision that there would be no tulips for Spain. The timing of planting wouldn’t work this year and to be honest the results for me are patchy at best. I’ll stick to glorious freesia along the path in Spain. They do so well and the scent in the spring heat is fabulous.

I love the process of the planning for the Pitcombe pots. I say I don’t but secretly I do.

What I don’t like is the planting ! I have a plan of sorts. But this year the plan has gone a little haywire. I was told early on that there was a shortage of tulips due to poor crops in Holland. Of course I listened. Not ! So when I came to order, a number of my choices were not available. But I got there in the end. Now it’s planting. I’ve bought more pots again this year. Two to replace smaller ones and two additional. Not that I really needed more. But…….

Being in Somerset more this year has meant we have had time for growing veg. Both growing and eating. Ian has been more visible in the garden and has been instrumental in the veg decisions and has done much more of the heavy work ~ I’ve been suffering with sciatica for months so have been a bit of a wimp in the garden. No. It’s been agony.

The Somerset garden has been fun. Spending more summer time here has enabled us to make changes to the garden. Some new borders ~ some extended borders. Cutting back ~ cutting down. After over 30 years it’s still a work in progress. I have planted a sack of mixed daffodils by the river bank.

I rarely plant daffodils in the garden here. Winter and spring is quite wet and often bulbs will rot.

Dahlias were pretty much a disaster for me this year. I grew new tubers in the falling down greenhouse and they started well. When planted in both pots and the ground they were mostly ravaged. A few of the honka and two lovely octopus sparkle were the stars, and continue to flower, but not for much longer. Will I grow dahlia again next year. My head says no. My heart says yes. Surely it can’t be as bad as this years efforts. Can it?

The canna have done well. They are still in flower waiting for the first heavy frosts I can’t be bothered with the trouble of digging them up so as I did last year I will mulch like a mad man and wish for the best. A shout out to my friends Mark and Emma at Todd’s Botanics for the canna. Especially the canna annei which has been spectacular.

We have been road blockers for sheep ~

owned by grandad who is not our grandad and also for farmer Paul’s cattle. Farmer Paul who is not related to us but is to grandad. Don’t be confused. It’s village life. My goddaughter is granddad who’s not my grandad’s granddaughter.

We would never get a call in London ‘ Jonesy ~ what are you doing ‘ ‘ depends what you want ‘ ~ one day it’s cattle. Another day it’s sheep.

There have been trips to London. Hospital appointments. Hair cuts. Nothing like a message to confirm that your consultant has booked you an appointment at 6pm. On a Friday.

It wasn’t the 500ml of blood that they had taken off that scared me. That had been done. It was the young nurse who came over to check after the process and asked my name. I told her. She replied in a scary excited voice. ‘That’s my father’s name!’ Long lost family flashed past my eyes. ‘ what’s your middle name’ came next. I told her. That’s spooky she told the other nurses. That’s my dad’s name. You aren’t from Wales are you?

Stop !! You are scaring me. It’s like long lost family. She said I’ve been looking for you for ages. Not funny ~ though I have no idea why. There is not even the remotest chance.

The worst part. I was told this year the venesection was a one off. The bad bit is I have to go back next week for another 500ml drain. I hope she’s not on shift.

So back and forth to the temple of doom on a train that ran to time. Or when prices are good the posh line. Castle Cary to Paddington.

We haven’t been devoid of culture. The lovely parish church ~ St Leonard’s Pitcombe often has concerts. This months was a folk group ~ an accordion and cello which was excellent. I love the acoustics in a church and it was something very different to the norm. Plus the wine and nibbles are always a treat. We also get to see people we don’t run into often.

There have been walks around Bruton. Walks through the green lanes ~ as muddy as they are. But lots of stops and sit downs to alleviate pain.

We may or may not have had a few visits to The Kitchen at Kimbers ~ that’s always a given as is shopping in the farm shop. The joy of being here is that there are so many small independents to shop at ~ Kimbers. Lievito bakery ~ the best jam doughnuts. Super bread. ~ Gilcombe farm shop. Bill the butcher ~ who really is Phil. Bill was his father who was here when we arrived 30 years ago.

My goddaughter passed her driving test at her first attempt. It’s not surprising as you can find her behind the wheel of a tractor or a quad bike. We had every confidence in her ~ she may not be speaking to me though. Many years ago she had to spend the day with me ~ and she was in a mood. I took some photos of her which I remind her of often, as I do with her brother.

I included one of them on a congratulatory card. I’ve taken my life in my hands now. She will get her own back.

If you don’t see a blog in a while ~ send help.

The months not been without some sadness as we had to say goodbye to Bob the cat. Bob came to us from Battersea Dogs and cats 19 years ago a year after Fred.

We head into November which means bulb planting ~ some fresh compost. Fleecing the London tree ferns ~ and more trips up and down the A303 past Stonehenge. Guess what. It’s still not finished.

Posted on August 3, 2023August 3, 2023 by happyretiredblog · 2 Comments

Tod Garden Tours

Who said retirement would be boring. It certainly wasn’t me and like everything in life it’s what you make of it. After nearly eight years life is still not slowing down. Just me getting slower. And sometimes more selective in what, when and where.

Lockdown seems an age ago and is something we hope never to be repeated. But it did have some good things come out of it. People had the opportunity to sit and think about projects that they could do post Covid. Like on one grey December day the idea of garden tours was hatched. By two old duffers. No. Not us. But Michael Marriott and Rosie Irving. Now I’m not being rude about them. Never. It is their description. Two old gardening duffers.

Over lockdown I built up a great friendship online with them both. For those that know Rosie will know that she loves to talk. About plants. Gardens. Oh. And shopping. Michael is very generous in his advice and his knowledge. For those who don’t know Michael is the Rose expert, consultant , garden designer and with Rosie often goes live at five on instagram. An hour of garden chat. I’m saying an hour. But ….. it usually more. And always very entertaining.

So the concept of the garden tours was mooted and it came to fruition. TODS garden tours. Yep. Two old duffers. Safe to say it’s only taken me a few years to book with them but it was well worth the wait.

To be fair. We don’t usually do many guided tours. It’s just not our bag. But this was TOD. I had great expectations. I knew two other people on the tour. A great friend in Barbara Segall and a more recent friendship with Jacqui Cox ~ an introduction from Rosie. We had met once before when we both happened to be in Valencia at the same time. And got on. Well. Also having had years of conferences and meetings where you had to introduce yourself like a therapy group I was worried about not so much myself. But Ian. He would admit. He’s not a gardener. He has no social media presence at all. Unless you take in photographs of his back walking ten feet in front of me. But. Fear not. It was an easy process. The people on the tour travelled from all over the country for the tour. Many had been in the previous days visit to Great Dixter.

Our first stop was Gravetye Manor – built in 1598 it is a beautiful building and hotel with a Michelin star restaurant with gardens considered to be one of the most important in the UK. The gardens were created by William Robinson in 1885 one of the most influential gardeners with his introduction of the concept of mixed borders. He was an interesting man and his story can be found at Gravetye Manor The gardens are not open to the public but can be viewed as guests of the hotel or diners at the restaurant or on specialist garden tours.

The tour starts with morning tea and biscuits ( I’ll vouch that the chocolate biscuits are the best ) and an introductory talk from the head gardener Tom Coward. Tours can be made or broken dependant on the quality of the guide. But instantly you knew this was going to be good. Tom is a great and passionate gardener who draws you into the subject. Entertaining and informative with 9 years experience in this garden. We knew we were onto a winner.

Standing outside listening to Tom looking across the fields to a wonderful view. There is so much to take in. This wildflower meadow is fabulous and Tom explained the process of growing. The timing of the cutting having to fit in with the local farmer and the varieties of the flowers and of course the yellow rattle.

The garden was created by William Robinson in 1885 who created the concept of mixed borders and the gardens are considered one of the most important historic gardens in England. The history of Gravetye and the restoration of the gardens is worth a read in itself. I admit to knowing little about Gravetye before the visit ( except for the recommendations on its fine dining)!

The Gravetye website has a lot of information on both William Robinson and the history of the house and gardens.

The mixed borders do not disappoint and are full of shape variety and colour. This fabulous blue Salvia stood out in this bed and reminds me to check that my Salvia blue patens large is still where it should be. So many people have lost so many Salvia this year. Me included. Even the solid and sturdy Amistad.

I’m jealous of the lavender in the walled vegetable garden. When we bought our Casa in Spain it had a fabulous lavender path. But it was old and had little pruning and didn’t last long. I’ve had no luck in replanting it. It was replaced with rosemary both upright and creeping and these have done much better for me there.

I love this Salvia ~ Salvia confertifolia. A really tall lovely red spike. I’m on the hunt for them already. We have some great persicaria in the Somerset garden and this would fit right in with its height and colour into one of the mixed borders.

Another lovely colourful border. There are a few cannas in the borders but Tom said that he is looking to use less. I forgot to ask why bearing in mind my liking for them in my garden.

This rose was in the walled kitchen garden and took many peoples eye. It’s a really pretty apricot hybrid tea with a strong scent and another plant for the want list. Great to have tie rose expert Mr Marriot leading the tour who confirms that it was Mrs Oaskley Fisher. One for autumn planting for me.

I called it a circular walled garden but Ian corrected me. It’s not circular but it forms a perfect elipse, built in sandstone. I stand corrected as he was probably listening to Tom as I was wandering off. Whatever its shape it’s a hugely productive garden for the restaurant and hotel.

The garden is home to a great variety of insects. The lavender was full of bees and I managed to catch a photo of this large bee when it was still for long enough for the shutter to click. Obviously not on the lavender though.

I think the lovely dahlia is Dahlia merckii. A very pretty single flower lilac ~ pink. I say I think as I wasn’t as diligent in having a notebook like some on the tour. Goes well with my being rubbish at labelling in the garden. But it is really lovely dahlia and a great colour and looked great in the kitchen garden.

Both Rosie and Michael are so generous with their knowledge which is great with a group of people wanting to know more and are full of questions as was head gardener Tom. Whilst the makeup of the group is random ~ many of the people on this tour had been on a number of other tours with TOD tours. That’s a recommendation in itself. People had travelled from Scotland. From Suffolk. London. The north west and from Somerset. The Somerset one wasn’t just Ian or I but someone who lives about 20 miles away from the Somerset cottage in a village where my maternal ancestors originated.

I don’t know how many photos I took but there were many. Would I go back. Absolutely. I’m yet to persuade Ian that it needs a weekend stay.

Arriving at Gravetye Manor for coffee and biscuits before the tour to be greeted at the door.

Part two of the tour was to Knepp rewilding on the Knepp Estate. . . There has been so much dialogue about rewilding in garden magazines and on TV and at flower shows both good and bad. The first thing I would say is that we were both blown away by the visit. It’s hard to explain or describe the feeling and many of the photographs do not catch the beauty. The simplicity. The movement and the light of the walled garden or the kitchen garden.

Barbara Segall who was with us on the tour had brought a copy of the Summer edition of Gardens Illustrated when she came to stay which has an article on the Knepp rewilding project which is an interesting read and insight.

We were greeted by Charlie Harpur the head gardener who gave us a 20 minute introduction to the rewilding project. The land was originally farmed but in 2000 farming ceased and the land left to rewilding. Pigs, horses and beavers were brought in to help with the project. It wasn’t an overnight process and is one that is an ongoing process and continuing.

From Knepo website ~ ‘Professor Sir John Lawton, author of the 2010 Making Space for Nature report says:

‘“Knepp Estate is one of the most exciting wildlife conservation projects in the UK, and indeed in Europe. If we can bring back nature at this scale and pace just 16 miles from Gatwick airport we can do it anywhere. I’ve seen it. It’s truly wonderful, and it fills me with hope.” ‘

The bio diversity at Knepp is astonishing and the wildlife immense. Knepp rewilding operates a number of wildlife safaris during the seasons and covers species like bats, butterflies and moths and nightingales. A note on their website re nightingales says ‘ In 2022, we counted over 50 males singing from territories in Knepp’s billowing hedgerows and patches of scrub – a remarkable increase from only seven territories prior to rewilding, twenty or so years ago.

And another quote from Knepp rewilding website < The potential of our gardens to provide for wildlife and help reverse global biodiversity loss is enormous. At Knepp, our manicured lawns and weeded paths and borders were – ecologically speaking – similar to the groomed arable land that pre-dated our rewilding project on the rest of the Estate. As a result of rewilding, the wider landscape at Knepp is now a complex mosaic of habitats, teeming with wildlife. But can we achieve this in much smaller areas? Can we rewild an outdoor space that many of us consider an extension of our homes?’

The small tour group wandering through the walled garden.

I wished I’d taken a photo of the planting list that was available to read after we had done the tour. Or made notes during maybe.

In the corner of the kitchen garden is a hive for the wild bees which was humming. A lovely structure.

After the introductory talk from Charlie there was a wander through the gardens with a great discussion on the gardens the planting and the plants. Charlie is a great narrator and his enthusiasm for the project is inclusive.

The project certainly gave food for thought amongst us all with conversations with Rosie, Michael and with the other people in the group. But like everything good things must come to an end and it was time for tea and delicious cake. It’s a hands on tour ~ you even get the tour organiser pouring your tea.

Details of future Tod Garden Tours can be found in the link ~ worth taking a note of for any future tours that are added. My plan is for a future visit to the gardens in Ireland. I’ve yet to tell Ian.

Posted on February 22, 2023February 26, 2023 by happyretiredblog

Hello. Where are you?

I love it when photos pop up on one of your social media accounts as a memory of where you were this time last year ~ or in this case in 2020. Today was a reminder the last time we really dressed up and went out out. When we were invited to a fancy pants dinner ( no dancing) at the Mansion House in London. A dinner for the Worshipful Company of Gardeners. Guests of two fabulous gardeners. Good fronds and excellent company. They know who they are.

How time flies. At that time we were going out and about to travel to Mexico. Pre pandemic. There’s been a lot happened since. Three years. Three prime ministers. And three or is it four vaccinations.

I had a message at the end of last week. Where are you? I can’t keep up. The trouble is neither can I. We are here and there and over there. Answering in Spanish when we are in Somerset. We were in Somerset. Essentially A five day gardening trip with some appointments with builders. Supper with friends and tea and cake with others. Ian’s highlight of the week. The arrival of godson Bradley to take two mattresses to the tip. I kid you not. It’s been on the list for ever. Taking up room under the bed. I still can’t get my head around the little baby I once fed ( bottle} now drives tractors and a car big enough to help us out.

We have travelled the route from London to Somerset for more years than I care to remember. The good thing is that I can. I should have counted the number of times we’ve passed Stonehenge. The number of times we have been stuck in that Queue. But it’s always been worth the trip. This time to a garden that’s always neglected in the winter.

Despite the neglect there are some things that reappear year after year other than us. Like these crocus. I have no recollection of planting them. I’m not a great fan of planting small bulbs. Thankfully tulips are os a suitable size otherwise I’d be in a bit of a pickle. But these have multiplied over the years and obviously I have accidentally moved some as there are patches popping up elsewhere. If you see me ordering small bulbs stop me. You should have last year when I bought teeny tiny alliums. Never again. Big fat bulbs of Allium yes.

We as in the royal we have had a good old tidy up. There has been cutting back. Clearing. Emptying pots of compost where the plants have given up the ghost. I should have put them in the greenhouse but to be honest it’s probably warmer outside. I had planned to get a new greenhouse.p 8 years ago. I’ve been patching it up badly I might add. A new one is on the list. The never ending list of lists.

There is a large terrace at the back of the house with some nice paving. Well when it’s clean it may be nice and that’s a job for another day. Or week. Don’t look at the fence which at the height of sumner you can’t see. Don’t ask about it either. It’s a jointly owned fence. If it wasn’t then there would be a new one. I’ve uncovered the slime off the tops of the agapanthus pots to discover tulips popping through. I’m convinced I’ve lost the agapanthus but I’m not giving up yet. If I have then I’ll get some more. They light up the terrace in the summer and are drought friendly so ideal.

I watch in awe as friends post on social media of the snowdrop frenzy at this time of year whilst being thankful we don’t have any. Except we do. A small clump under the ancient and dead apple tree covered tightly by the rambling rector. There have been a few of those in this parish over the years. Rambling rectors whose sermons have rambled on. . This one has been in the garden for over 30. The rose. Not the rector.

I tried to get a decent Photo of the snowdrop in the garden. Give me the chance to photograph an agapanthus any day. There’s no getting down on one lneee or both to get ‘that shot’. Getting downs not usually too bad. Getting up is. I will stick to standing photos only. But this flower is rather lovely but I’m going to resist going down that rabbit hole of snowdrop desire. Well I will try anyway. Says the man who already has started his 2024 tulip list.

One benefit of the cutting back and a grand tidy up is that the primroses and the bluebells are getting some light. Primroses remind me of childhood walks along the Rusty line ~ an old disused railway line whose banks were littered with primroses. I bought some more last year to plant in a grassy area but also think I should plant some on the river bank. Or should it be wild garlic. Or lovely blue wild chicory. Or all of them. Where’s my list?

Blue bells. ~ but are they Spanish or English. Interestingly ~ well for me anyway. I have never seen a Spanish bluebell in Spain in fact I’ve never seen any bluebells in Spain. . A few years ago a neighbour whose garden I love and who is a proper gardener, indeed an expert said that I hadn’t asked her to come and see the garden. I know. For me it would be like asking Picasso to come and look at my paintings. Or Mario Testino to look at my photographs. But I said if she’d like to come and look then she was always welcome. Right she replied. I will be around on Sunday at 2pm. Cold sweats. Hot sweats. Weeds pulled. Nail scissors taken to the grass and she did come and have a look. But I always remember her saying. I hope they aren’t Spanish bluebellls. If they are you need to dig them up. Every year since I look.

Pulmonaria grows like a weed in this garden. I could cover the garden with this ground elder and bindweed. It’s now growing well on the river bank and is always a welcome colour splash at this time of year and with it dotted all around the garden and is a great attraction for early pollinators.

The garden is wet in the winter. Even with the rainfall this winter the ground is wet. Bulbs don’t do very well in the back garden as they generally rot. So there are not many of them. The dahlias I left in are useless. Some years they are ok but this winter has been at times both wet and very cold. So it’s no surprise really. I’ve lost the daffodils along the greenhouse as well ~ a few are through but don’t look promising. I get asked why I don’t plant the tulips in the garden when I empty the pots after they have died back. I’ve done it once and it wasn’t a success. Too much effort for little gain. Last year I bagged them up and people who wanted them for their garden took them. But I must remember to water the tulip pots. They benefit from a weekly watering if you want decent flowers.

Once the lawn dries out a bit it will have its first haircut. Not a short back and sides but a gentle trim. I hate how at this time of year there’s a well worn path compacting the grass on the walk to the bottom of the garden and the compost bin. That’s along with the cat walk ~ not us practising our model walk up and down the garden ~ but the local cats path through. That and then badger when he can get across the river.

Im trying to plan a few things differently this year. Where to plant the runner beans. I’ve got an ear worm of my dad telling me I have to dig a trench. Growing up one of my jobs in the garden was to dig the annual trench for two rows of runner beans. This would be filled with all the peelings from the veg and newspaper. My father was disappointed to find that I didn’t continue to do it in my own garden. But as I’m a creature of some habit I suspect the two rows I put in will be in the same place and the ideas for the dahlia bed will not materialise either. I will have dahlias as I love to pick them for the house.

But we have made one decision and that is a new log store. Ordered and a place identified for its position. It’s all part of a bigger plan but that’s for another day.

There’s still a lot to do. We put in this inexpensive arch decades ago and it’s now smothered with the scent of honeysuckle. Not now obviously. But at the height of summer it’s glorious. But it needs a bit of a haircut ~ like me. It’s in front of the pergola which was put up two decades ago when we bought no 4 to make the two terraces flow. My big mistake then was bad planning for growing over it. but I have a plan. There’s a theme in this blog. Plans. Garden. House. Cottage. Oh another arch is planned toward the bottom of the garden.

So the work will continue this week. Some digging. More tidying. Cake eating. But. I have a day planned in Bath on my own. Except for my camera. And dreaming of tulips. Like the ones at Columbia Road Flower Market today.

Posted on October 25, 2022October 25, 2022 by happyretiredblog · 5 Comments

Here. There. Over here.

So I’ve had a break. Yes I know I’m not long back from one. But this time it was solo. 7 nights at la casa. Alone. When we first had the cottage I’d occasionally go there on my own. My mother, who rarely went anywhere on her own in the nearly 70 years that my parents were married, would say. ‘ But won’t you be lonely.’ My reply ‘ No mum. I’ll be alone. That’s a totally different thing. To be fair Ian and I haven’t been together for 32 years by spending 247 together. Ask him how we have got this far he will say ‘ at first different counties. These days different countries. To be fair. He’s right.

It was an eventful flight over. The flight was full. Totally full. I found myself getting cross at some of the passengers. Then realising I was probably older than the ones I was getting cross with. The flight was 65% Saga and 20% 16-18 ye olds on a school trip. The first group was a Saga group which I was reminded that I am old enough by a long way to be a member. I’m a ditherer whenever flying. Checking the whereabouts of my phone. My passport. Ian. But multiply that by trillions and it was this flight. Not helped on arrival where we had to board the bus. Sadly I remember travel where you had to stand alongside the plane as the luggage was offloaded and you had to pick yours out. These days I rarely put luggage in the hold. It’s amazing just how light you can travel.

As usual I digress. But a quick run to pick up the car hire bus. Not pick up a bus. That would be silly. But the bus to take me to pick up the car and I was away up the mountain. Up the wiggly road whilst continually thinking just how dry everything was. Crisp I think was the word that went through my head. Still no significant rain. And still no sign of it coming. Oh and still we don’t have mains water permanently. This trip I gave up trying to work out what day we got it and what days we didn’t. Or even what times of the day.

I still get that feeling as I pull into the drive at the house. Usually the feeling after the drive up the wiggly road of needing the loo but always the joy of arriving to the gate. No. It wasn’t open for me ~ this was taken after the toilet stop.

When we first bought the house I had arranged to have a lock put on the gate. We completed and had a flight booked for two weeks later. Did I wait? No. Two days after completion I was here. No lock on the gate. I woke the next morning to find the gates being put into a pick up and about to be driven off. I went to the gate and realised they were going off to have the lock fitted. I asked in my Spanglish when they were coming back. How rude when the driver stuck up two fingers. Until I realised he knew my Spanish was pants and was trying to tell me that they’d be back at 2. They did come back. Not at 2. I realised at that time the meaning of the word manana.

The name of the house has this this year been accurate. Casa Verano Eterno. The house of Eternal Summer. This years summer has and still goes on. And on. And on. A bit like me to be fair but at some point the weather has to turn. Speaking of turning. Years ago I was having Accupuncture. My mother knew I hated needles. ‘What are you having that for? ‘ she asked. ‘To make me a nice person’. Really? She replied. ‘Does she have enough needles’ Apparentlyq not!!

The garden is so dry and it’s amazing what does and doesn’t survive. It’s such a huge learning curve for me. I keep saying it. There are drought tolerant and there are drought tolerant plants. I’ve lost things like gaura which have burnt to a crisp. The leaves on the agapanthus are scorched. Some salvias have survived. No flowers. But still alive. At this time of year there would normally be rain and there would be a further flush of colour. But there’s no rain forecast for at least another month. We are still on a day on few days off mains water cycle. But it is getting easier now the summer demand for water is reducing.

I’m always staggered at these ferns. They get some water but not a lot. They are in bright hot sunlight. Yet they are pretty magnificent. I’d never be able to replant them in new pots ~ one I’d never move them and two they are big enough. Three. I can’t actually be bothered. There are other things on the agenda. On Ian’s lists. Yes. They still appear.

The one thing about the heat is the slight whiff of the curry plant as you walk past on the heat of the day. I hacked these back pretty hard in Spring on the basis if they died they died. But they haven’t and have become more bushy. . Very few yellow flowers this year but I can live with that. They are under the large olive tree and the soil here is pretty rubbish too. But they do well. I did consider a curry path. But….. it’s not really the scented path I imagine.

There were very few grapes on the vine this year but the little there have been were eaten by the birds. I’ve realised I have the last two years vine prunings in the garage. They are great for lighting the wood burner. I’ve you bought any kindling this year. Is nearly doubled in price. Sadly we sing have grape vines in Camberwell.. I know nothing about vines and we had the Gardner from Vivero Fkorenas to prune for us. He’s Spanish and knows his stuff. We said we didn’t think it had been pruned for two years. He looked and counted. He said 5. He was right.

I spent most of the week in the garden. Weeding. Dodging the mozzies. Driving back and forth to the garden centre to collect compost feed to add to the soil. The soil on the garden is pants and needs work. I think I carried 21 bags back. Not literally. But in the boot of the car in a couple of trips. On Saturday I realised that I needed to go and get some more as the garden centre is closed Sunday and Monday. I had one bag left on the path. I thought I’d worked really hard lugging the bags around. So I headed off. Bought 4 more bags. Two more Clivia. And said to Lorraine ‘don’t worry. The car is down the ramp I’ll put them in the boot.’ I opened the boot and there were 4 bags. I hadn’t even taken the last lot out! Anyway. All bar one has been scattered on the garden. But look at the bags. To be honest I didn’t know whether to smoke it or scatter it. I’ve cautious. So I scattered it.

I did manage a short sit on the chair in the sun but I’m not one for sitting and getting burnt!

The view looking up the curvy path. I’ve lost the lavender again this year. So I’m giving up for now. It had two chances. And used them.

The creeping rosemary is doing so much better so I will continue to replant that. I have lost two very large rosemary bushes but I suspect they were pretty ancient. This path had some gaura. All gone. The agapanthus. The Clivia. The birds of paradise all doing ok. I have planted a new sesbania ~ an ornamental shrub with reddish-orange flowers. It has deciduous leaves and grows to a height of 15 feet. It says it likes water but the one we have already gets some but not a lot. The garden centre had some of the seeds from me and have grown them for me. Fingers crossed.

I make no excuse in including yet another photo like this. Growing in pots. With a fabulous view to the coast. As long as you don’t look at the dodgy hedge. I think we need some more for the bank. Not a cactus. A euphorbia.

Have you ever tried stripping the leaves off these yuccas. Well not these ones in particular but to be honest I’m very happy for you to. A bit of a nightmare especially without gloves ~ which were sitting on the shelf in the garage. But it cleans them up and I officially love the variegated yuccas.

There is always time for a cuppa and a piece of cake. The only trouble is that once I sit down it’s an effort to get back up. Sometimes I just don’t bother and stay there until I can. Watching crap tv. Or just loving the view. From the sofa. Especially on a solo trip.

A reminder of my years living with my parents. Except this plant is in the garden. Not in a pot in the house with the obligatory rubber plant and the spider plants. There are swathes of these monstera ~ Swiss cheese plants in the Botanical gardens in Malaga. And they look fabulous there. I’m not keen in the garden. In Malaga they are magnificent. But as long as it survives it stays. So far it’s done 5 years.

To be fair. Don’t feel sorry for all the hard work. All work and no play and all that. I did venture into Cómpeta. A few evenings at favourite restaurants. A walk around town.

Early morning light over the roundabout that’s not a roundabout. It was all cut back at the end of the summer and I’m hoping it will be awash with the wildflowers again next year. There are still wild fires happening around Spain which are worrying. That’s why I have the roundabout cut back. It worries me.

There are few flowers in the garden at the moment. I must ask what the first one is. It’s written down somewhere. UPDATE ~ you know when the owner of the local garden centre qheee i but my plants in Spain has read the blog. You get a message. ‘And the Red flower is jatropha integerrima’ Thanks Lorraine.!

Whilst there is little colour in the garden there are plenty of interesting leaves. Colour. Shape and texture. The large leaves of the black and white bird of paradise. Strelitzi Nicolai The gorgeous texture of the Colocasia mojito.

No garden post would be a Cómpeta post without the fabulous foxtail agave. I have replanted two and this pot contains a few more that need moving.

When we were in Cómpeta the last time we went on the fabulous Cómpeta Art Walk and Ian purchased these great black and white prints from our friend Dave at Cómpeta Portraits. These aren’t in their final place ~ maybe they are but Ian will need to decide. Along with two more that Dave has just framed for us.

So the week is over. A glorious last night view from the terrace down the mountain to the coast. An early night and an even earlier morning.

What idiot books a flight for 8.10 from Malaga for a Tuesday morning. Yep Ian. But for me. To be honest I don’t mind. I was up and out 4.45 to drive down the mountain and I met two cars untilI I got to the main road.

Back to the UK where a young boy with his father was at passport control and his father was joking with his son about the lady behind the desk saying she knew everything as she was friends with Father Xmas. ( sorry. Mentioning Xmas when Joseph doesn’t even know Mary is pregnant yet)

I couldn’t help myself. When it was my turn I said I couldn’t help overhearing that you are friends with Father Christmas. Could you do me a favour. I’ve been a good boy too so can you ask him to sort my b***y passport out. It never works on the E gates and I’m always sent to this naughty step! She laughed. ‘ sorry. I’m border control. If I was from passport office I’d love to help!

As I arrives back I get an email to say a parcel has arrived for me at the shop where all our mail is delivered. That will be my Peter Nyssen bulbs. I have returned home to boxes upon boxes of tulip bulbs. I may be quiet for a while. ( No chance).

Posted on October 10, 2022October 10, 2022 by happyretiredblog · 4 Comments

Did I say I like Tulips

So how hard can it be? Choosing bulbs for planting before Xmas to flower in April/May the following year. Let me be honest. Very. I started in June and had my list. I lost it. I did a series of photos. Like Pinterest. But I hate Pinterest so it was just a series of photos. I was kind of happy. Then life took over and I just didn’t get around to it. Tragedy. Some that I wanted were out of stock. So back to the drawing board. Sort of.

I’d like to give the impression of being organised. Planning the colours. The pots. The window boxes. Here there and over there. Yes. I do have some tulips in Spain as well. That’s the impression I like to give but the reality is that I end up in a rush as I leave it to do tomorrow. There’s a touch of mañana about me. Not just to order but to plant. Then all the planning goes to pot. Literally. I end up with what the lovely Karen at Peter Nyssen calls it. A dolly mixture of colours. A great description of the 2022 planting.

It started really in 2015. Pretty simple. Understated. Colour blocks. I liked it. Very understated. I wasn’t always a tulip fan. When people mentioned them all I heard in my head was Tiny Tim’s voice. You know. That squeaky song. ‘Tiptoe through the Tulips’ NO? Shame on you. Go listen. It will be a hideous ear worm for weeks. And every time you look at a bed of tulips. (Oh. And for this blogs useless note. Apparently the song is mentioned in the ‘Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone’ book. Vernon Dursley hums the song. Who knew. I didn’t.)

But then again I wasn’t always a fan of dahlias. It’s ok to change your minds. Not just because things become fashionable again. God help me if flares return. Or platform shoes.

A change of palate for 2016 but I hadn’t got the hang of stuffing the pots with tulips. I thought maybe less is more. More or less.

Move onto 2017. A bit more adventurous. Pots packed a bit more. Another year of different colours. Some new ones. But still some white. At some point I may go back to a two or three colour planting.

Now don’t ask me what happened in 2018 or 2019. I just can’t find any photos. Which is strange for me. I do like a photo or 2ooo.

Whizz onto 2020~ the start of lockdown. I don’t think I saw tulips in the following two years. Other than in photos sent by friends and neighbours. I’d planted the tulips in December 2019. We returned from a trip to Mexico in late March 2020 and that was it. They came and went.

I’m getting bolder. Shoving a few more bulbs into the pots. I see that in 2020 I had El Niño. It’s on the list again this year. I must have liked it. It’s a glorious bonkers tulip first seen at Ulting Wick where I have gained so much inspiration in tulip choices.

In London the window boxes were bolder in colour. More coordinated as all were peony type tulips. Belle Epoque is one of my favourites but sells out before I remember to order it usually. I think it’s Uncle Tom in there too. But I always say I’ll keep a book. What I plant and when. But I’m rubbish. Just like labelling. One day I’ll get it but by then I will be unable to bend that far down to attach the label.

2021 saw my love affair start with Brown sugar. This year I didn’t see the tulips at all until they were over and the pots needed emptying. Lockdown meant we didn’t travel to the cottage for months on end. I relied all tulip season on photographs sent to me. Good neighbours and local friends are great. Ones with cameras and willing to take photos of tulips is awesome. Good friends who are neighbours are brilliant. And a goddaughter who would water them when it was a big dry extra special. I heard it was a good year.

So. 2022. I was determined to make up for the previous two years. I was optimistic that I’d be able to see them in full bloom. At least at some point. If I was I was going to go over the top this was the year. I think I did. Subtle it was not. Colourful yes. Not subtle. But I liked it and the feedback was good. Grandad Martin wasn’t too sure at first. Not as colourful as last year he said. ‘Give it a chance Grandad.’ It hasn’t started going yet. You wait. He did and agreed. It was colourful.

To say I was happy would be an understatement. I started the planting with a plan. I always do. It starts off well. There are 15 large pots to be planted. After the first few pots I get bored. Or rather I’ve left it so late that I have to just get it done. So my well laid out plan. On paper. With numbers. Colours. Just all goes into the melting pot and it’s pot luck. Thankfully in my mind it worked. It was a good year and we were there often enough to be able to enjoy it.

It was also good year for tulip pots in London. I’d collected a load of pots in lockdown. Let’s be honest. There was little else to do. Lockdown walks. Lockdown garden in a tiny garden in London. Lockdown shopping. Lockdown deliveries. Lockdown bread. Everything in London is in pots so I took advantage of having so many. When we changed the front and tiled the path. ~ not us obviously. I have neither the skill or the patience. ~ I said ‘no more pots’ The window cleaner reminds me of that every time he had to manoeuvre his ladder around them.

It’s just that there is so much choice. Isn’t there? I choose the colours. The types. Then I see something else. Or Ian asks. Have you bought that one I really like? ( b****r ~ I’ve just remembered he’s asked me to remember to include Helmar) !!! And change my mind. How difficult can it be. I’ve said. Very. Until it’s too late and the one I want. That I really really want is out of stock. I use the same supplier year in year out. I don’t like change. I only go to a different bulb supplier if I can’t get them. My bulb supplier of choice. Peter Nyssen. Karen is amazing and the customer service is brilliant. Helpful. Informative. Comes up with tulips I may like. I don’t change doctors dentists hairdresser. Banks. Or bulb suppliers.

Like most gardening everything is a set timeframe. First to order. Second for delivery. And finally. To plant. Time for all three is running out so I’ve had to bite the bullet and order. And then remember I wanted x. And order some more.

And then. I had a tulip book for my birthday from friends in Spain which is beautiful and see some I really like. Like really really like. And order them. But I’ve stopped. No more. Definitely . Possibly.

So. These may be some of this years planting.

And these. …….and a host of others. Oh. And I’ve just ordered this one.

And that is. All bought and paid for. All to be delivered. I had thought that I would be emptying the pots of the summer bedding this weekend. But. We arrived to pots that had gone bonkers.

Geraniums bought at Columbia road flower market are still flowering. With a bit of dead heading they have another month in them. I hadn’t previously grown lobelia for decades had decided to have a growth spurt. So the summer pots have had a reprieve . For now. But there again so have I. I’m off to Spain for a week. Guess what’s arriving. A parcel from Peter Nyssen. But that order was easy.

Posted on September 30, 2022October 1, 2022 by happyretiredblog · 1 Comment

Hello Andalucia.

Well it’s been a while since we have been to Spain. We were due to go in July but it was too hot. Yes. I know it’s Spain. I know it’s the med. Whilst I like the heat when it’s so hot it’s unpleasant. We always avoid August but this year July was a no no too. I was there in a lockdown two years ago unable to travel back because of quarantine in August. I spent most of the time indoors in my pants watching Netflix with the aircon on. Too hot. Too expensive and not attractive.

The journey started badly. Half way to the airport our flight is cancelled and we are rebooked on a flight the next day. Generally not a disaster but we were travelling with a friend. She had been put on a flight that evening. The disaster was they had also changed our airport. Not hers and her car was already in Heathrow. We also live an hour up the mountain. The car was in my name. I’ve praised our neighbours before and I’ve always valued good neighbours. He’s the best. Drove down the mountain at 11pm. Drove her home. Made sure she was in safely and we arrived the next day. A new flight and delay compensation. Not a great start to the trip but it didn’t matter. Friends for 35 years and she bypasses the house rule. Ian says guests are like fish. They go off after 4 days. Mary stayed for 12.

It’s been dry in Spain. Very dry. There has been little rain. A local reservoir supplying Malaga has been declared dead. I feared the worst of the garden. We hadn’t been in two months and driving up the mountain it was clear just how dry it was. Parched landscape. The campo had been on water restrictions. One day on. One day off. In Spain that could mean anything. We are lucky to have a large deposito which fills when we do get water and we then have to pump it into the house. The garden had been watered but not as much as usual. It really hits home just how precious a resource water is. Washing up water has been used to water pots. The washing machine only used when full. The roundabout that’s not a roundabout had worried me all summer. The wildflowers had died back. The grasses were tinder dry and there had been wild fires around the edges of the village so we had arranged for it to be ‘cleaned’. Arranged two months ago I wasn’t sure if it had been done. Of course it had. The water position has changed. We now get mains water. Every three days. If we are lucky. I’m not moaning again about hosepipe bans in the Uk.

The planting is pretty drought tolerant. But I’ll be honest. Even drought tolerant plants need some water when the temperatures get into the 40’s. Every day. The garden path plants looked ok. A bit sad in parts but when and if we get some rain and cooler days they will come back. Some have died or won’t recover. I’m giving up on lavender. Planting number 3 was doing so well up to July. Now it’s very patchy. Most gone over and won’t recover. The creeping Rosemary has fared much better. One or two lost. But a massive Rosemary at the rear of the house Is dead. I must have anticipated as I’d planted two more smaller ones to take over in Spring. Looks like they will survive.

The curry plant ( Helichrysum italicum) which is in poor thin soil has fared better and I was tempted to plant the whole path with it. Not the path ~ the borders along the path. But it does give off a whiff of curry in the heat of the day and I’m not sure, as much as I like curry I want to be sat on a sun lounger at two in the afternoon smelling curry. It’s not quite the effect I want.

Thankfully the foxtail agaves ( agave attenuate) seem to be doing well. There are some to split in one of the pots and these will go on the dry bank once I don’t need a pick axe to dig them in. Seriously. A pick axe. I was surprised to see the colocasia mojito. It’s in a pot and is looking good. I love the silky leaves and it’s colour. But to be honest I never expected it to be alive. We have quince on the one tree we have. A plentiful crop but very small. I’m hoping enough for quince jelly. The gorgeous aeonium also in a pot has survived. Another plant that has surprised me is the canna. There are two large ones in pots. Despite the heat and the intermittent watering one was still in flower. And the leaves were huge.

The agapanthus have done well and I plan to plant even more. I’m lucky that they self seed although it takes a while to get to flowering. I can wait. I’ve cut some of the flower heads and left others if the seeds are about to be scattered.

I love this time of year in Andalucia. Cooler days and spectacular sunsets. Clear nights where you can see the coast of Malaga from 2000ft up the mountain and also the mountains of Morroco. When stars are clear in the sky. And hopefully the mosquitos are dying.

The two cactus which aren’t cactus but euphorbia candelabrum are in pots and are tied to the railings to stop them getting toppled over by the wing. Needless to say they are drought tolerant. Needless to,say they are still Ian’s favourite plants in the garden.

Whilst I spent time in the garden it wasn’t all about the plants. It can’t be otherwise I’d drive Ian mad. There was cake of course. Lots of cake. Cake for us. Cake for the neighbours. Cake for our friends Ruth & Dave. Whenever I use this cake stand it reminds me that a lot of these things came over in a suitcase. Usually Ian’s when he travelled without me as he knew I wouldn’t risk the breakages, but he happily tells the tale of when he was past Airport security and was called back to check in. Escorted down the stairs by security he was asked to explain what was in his case. “ That” he said “is a large solid glass vase. Alongside it is solar lights for the garden.” “And that” he was asked ~ “the organic matter alongside it all”. “OH Barry’s tea bags” . They suggested next time he checked in anything like that he may want to explain at check in exactly what it was. They saw the contents as a security risk. Looking at it I can see what they mean but it’s good to know that the system works.

There was eating out. We are fortunate to have so many good restaurants locally and we visited our favourites more than once. We also had the annual art walk over the weekend ~ local artists; photographers and all very talented folk exhibiting. We came away with some great black and white prints of local people scenes from our friend Dave and some amazing cards. The prints are being framed and will be hung when we get back. The cards are a mix of cards for the dreaded C word and birthdays. If I can let them go. They are beautiful.

I’m nothing but predictable at the local restaurants. They know what I’ll order before I do. This is one of my favourite starters from the amazing Cortijo Paco. Beetroot & avacado timbale. Beautifully presented and delicious.

Lunch on the coast at El Camarote overlooking the marina is another favourite just down the mountain at Caletta de Velez.

Lunch on the beach at Chambao de Vicente
La Herrudura

It wouldn’t be a trip if we didn’t go to Nerja at least once. Or three times. Lunch overlooking the small beach and a wander through the small streets. With a visit to the bank for a small withdrawal.

It was a busy few weeks. We had a holiday within a holiday ~ a weekend trip to Cordoba to have supper with friends visiting from the Uk. The visit is worth a blog of its own and guess what. There will be one. In Competa there was the Dia del tourists y del residente where our friends NIcky and Paul received an award ~ Residente del Ano ~ from the Ayuntamiento. Nicky and Paul have three holiday rental properties in Competa ~ Competa Escapes and they work tirelessly to promote the pueblo Blanco on social media and within the community supporting the events that happen regularly. A well deserved award.

I’m hoping for a drop of rain and a topping up of the deposito before I’m back. I have a week on my own booked which will give me a chance to get a few things done in the garden. We are lucky to have help looking after the garden when we aren’t there which I’m eternally grateful for.There will be logs delivered for the winter. Chimney sorted. Some wine to be brought back to the Uk. And the inevitable watching of Netflix. But as it’s not August I will be well wrapped up with a nice fire.

Posted on August 4, 2022August 8, 2022 by happyretiredblog · 2 Comments

Have House guests will travel

Back to the cottage for a while and we have a guest staying. I love it when we do as it makes us get off our backside and do things. Ian has a saying about house guests.

He says they are like fish and go off after 4 days. He has a general but not a hard and fast rule that guests usually only stay that time. This guest can and does stay longer. She fits into the great house guest category. And is a regular visitor to Somerset and Spain. And reads the blog.

There was a list of things to do. Garden visits. Lunch out. Supper with friends. The other good things about great house guests is that there is no hard and fast rule of what where and when. Let’s leave the structured days to organised trips which indeed have their own value. But not from one’s home. The weeks list was varied and a great distraction from the gardening I would have otherwise done or not done had we been on our own.

I always think the strength of my likes for a garden visit are the number of photos I take. There are two clear favourites from this week. I’ll let you see what you think. But over two blogs.

Hestercombe House and gardens

We hadn’t been to Hestercombe House. Despite livig in the county for nearly 30 years. When we were both working we would travel to the cottage on a Friday and back on a Sunday or Monday so most time was spent locally with friends. Local friends made over the years and/or visiting godchildren family and parents. There weren’t enough days in a weekend. But hey. What’s retirement for if not enjoying your self. I have to pinch myself that I’m coming up to my 7 year anniversary of early retirement. I still laugh at the comments that were thrown at me. Won’t you be bored was the most asked question. The answer then was NO. 7 years later it’s still no and as I approach a milestone birthday there is still plenty I want to do whilst I’m still able. A milestone birthday. And it’s not 21.

Hestercombe gardens is a fine example of the partnership between Gertrude Jekyll and Sir Edward Lutyens. In 1944 the estate except for the House and the formal gardens were sold with the latter two sold to Somerset County council in 1978. The house and gardens are now managed by a garden trust.

With the current heatwave many gardens are not at their best. At bit like me to be fair. Needing plenty of water and feed. The layout and planting are great but when we visited there was not as much colour as you would have expected. I found the planting not as interesting as I had hoped for but there were pockets of beauty. I’m not quite sure what the gypsophylia was but it was stunning. I must ask as it was like a fluffy white cloud of very small flowers.

There were some swathes of colour like this purple around some very lovely urns.

Hsnshehehe

Ia greaarden fro

The echinop were a plenty in the garden and the great swathes of them were full of bees. Some covered in pollen like they had been dusted with icing sugar. It’s a great garden for pollinators ~ it’s been a long time since I have seen so many bees in one place.

What I would say about Hestercombe is that for the garden visits it came up as number one for the garden cafe. Both for menu and service. An excellent three course set menu ~ with an excellent main menu available. The staff were brilliant. Friendly and personable. Helpful and charming. I would go back just to eat at the cafe if I was in the area. Also the garden cafe isn’t behind thenAye all so,you can go and visit the cafe without having to go into the garden. That’s a bonus in my view. We will be back.

Forde Abbey

Another day another garden. We visited Forde Abbey on our guests previous visit but at a different time of year. It rained then and we watched the fountain erupt in the rain. This time the sun was shining and to be honest we did t know what to expect. Oh and the fountain didn’t erupt the whole time we were there. Maybe saving water ?

It’s a large garden with different areas. Can I just say one word. Fabulous. Another. Colourful. The planting is just up my street. Gorgeous planting. Zingy colours. Delightful borders. The gardens are listed as Grade II in the National Heritage list for England as a historically important garden. On my list as ‘ a bloody lovely garden’. And a big one. Covering over 30 acres. This time we didn’t manage to get to the bog garden. Not that I need an excuse to go back.

Wonderful wide borders against the wall were a delight with views across to the house. The combination of planting was astonishing given the current weather and the gardens are so beautifully maintained.

A highlight was the wonderful wildflowers. Planted to form a maze like feature it was stunning. I’m told they do the same with tulips for the spring so we will be back. Not that I need the excuse of spring but the tulips will beckon. There is a lovely Sitting spiritually rocking bench just overlooking the wildflowers. A company I first saw at RHS Chelsea decades ago. One of three of their swings at Forde Abbey. To add to the collection of ones seen here there was another at the Seaside boarding house. More if that in the next blog. Don’t hold your breath. It may or not be for a while.

The planting of the borders at the edge of the long pond are fabulous and can be seen from across the water and in front. Great planting to have views from both sides. . A word I know I’ve used a lot about this garden. Fabulous. But to be honest there are the colours. The plants. The combinations.

This is not a sitting spiritually swing . The third one in the garden was unavailable. The people on it refused to budge. This bench was a welcome seat on the middle part of the wander as I headed off ahead to take photographs. For once ahead of the game leaving the other two,to,sit and I suspect put the world to rights.

Who lives in a house like this.? A former Cistercian Abbey occupied as a private house by the same family since 1905. Used as a film location for Far from the Madding Crowd, Restoration and Daniel Doranda we didn’t go inside the house. But we will. They open for Christmas. That is tempting.

There is a large walled vegetable garden as you enter the gardens from the car park area. An amazing array of vegetables. Amazing looking rows of onions. Of cabbages and cauliflowers. I meant to ask the gardeners what happens to the veg. The garden is too large to supply just the house and I suspect not big enough for,a commercial enterprise. But whoever gets it is lucky!

What would be great is for the garden produce to be used in the cafe. Especially the salads in the summer months. Hint hint. We will be back

There is nursery at Forde Abbey and we came away with a car filled with new plants. But. Disaster. I missed the dahlia section. That’s a big fail on my part and I can’t quite understand how I did it. . I have a nose for a dahlia sale, I suspect skullduggery on Ian’s part to get us away from buying anymore plants. Two more words I keep saying ‘Next time’

Posted on May 21, 2022May 22, 2022 by happyretiredblog · 5 Comments

Another tale of 3 gardens

Casa Verano is possibly the easiest and hardest at the same time to garden. Back in March when we were here it was wet. By wet I mean wet. And we had hideous Sahara dust. So wet and red. We had an unexpected week here in April and the weather was kinder. We even had tulips. Have I mentioned I like tulips. Hang on if I didn’t because you sure will by the end. If you get that far. We are back here now for 10 days and it is as hot as it was wet in March. Un seasonably so. The nighttime temperature tonight is tropical. Electricity may be cheaper after midnight but not cheap enough to put the aircon on. I’ve been gardening at 6am. Partly in the dark. I suspect these days I look better in the dark.

It’s been a busy few weeks. After two years of little or no travel and with better weather we have been here and there. There and here. We had a short trip to CasaVerano Eternno to get the house ready for the more frequent visits over the next few months. We have had a few weeks in Somerset. Weeding. Visitors in both Spain and somerset. A few weeks in London and are now back in Andalucia. It would be good to spend longer here. But. We have to count our days. And make the days count.

I planted only four pots of tulips here in Spain which was a late a late planting as planned trips at the end of 2021 didn’t happen so the bulbs weren’t planted until February. Oh. I also planted them in the white wall ~ Tulip Armani which did surprisingly well given how windy it can get 2000 ft up the mountain and the wall is exposed.

The majority did well. The wet March certainly helped with flower size and stem height. As we had a friend staying we didn’t spend all our time in the garden. There has to be a balance. There were cultural events thrown in. Lunch on the coast ~ that’s cultural isn’t it? A trip to Granada and for once not to the Alhambra. But to a secret garden with great views across to it.

A visit to the Botanical gardens in Malaga for the first time in a few years. There has been a lot of work carried out since we were last there. It’s not a manicured gardens but there are new beds and things look generally more cared for since we were last there.

I find it amazing to find plants growing here that we had as houseplants growing up. How many houses had a Swiss cheese plant indoors when growing up. We did. The botanical gardens have huge swathes of them. Huge in size as well as quantity. Clivia is another. I had one in my office for years and when I first came here five years ago and saw them planted outside in the shade I did the same. Not on the same scale obviously. But they have been great again this year. Beautiful orange flowers. I’m trying to find some yellow ones.

When in Granada we visited the Monasterio de San Jerónimo, ~ found originally when we parked in the underground car park close by. Well worth a visit. The monastery. Not the car park. Although it’s easy to find and easy to park. Ian rolled his eyes again when I asked if we should ring the bell and ask for Maria. It’s a closed order so I guess we wouldn’t get an answer. I know. Childish. Me. Not the closed order. Ian often wishes I had made a vow of silence.

It was a fly8mg visit in April. Literally. But we are back. As I said it’s hot. The rain in earlier months has definitely benefitted the wildflowers. The campo is a glorious swathe of colour and our roundabout which isn’t a roundabout has grown like crazy. Not the roundabout obviously but the growth on it. Strimmed to within an inch of it’s life in Autumn it is now full of grasses and wildflowers. More grasses than I’d like but it’s looking pretty. Looks like another hard strim will be needed later in the year. Why strim?. Wildfires. Whilst it’s away from the house it worries me. So strimmed it will be.

Area behind the house under the almond trees

This isn’t the roundabout but is the area at the back of the house where we have some almond trees. Thankfully it’s a poor year for almonds. I do pick them. Dry them. But have you tried cracking the things. I need a professional cracker. But. The wildflowers look good. Again it will be cut back late summer when things have dried to a crisp. There is no watering of this part of the garden.

It’s been a good year for the soap aloe ~ Aloe Maculata . We usually get some flowers but this year in one bed at the side of the house 15 are flowering. To be honest they may flower as well every year. But last year and 2020 we weren’t here at this time of year. This is our 6th May here having exchanged this week in May 2017. I digress as usual. The mix of some rain ~ too wet and they rot ~ and the recent heat has brought them all out. By the time we are next here they will be over.

The strelitzia Reginae are out. In force this year. One of my favourite plants in the garden with about a trillion other favourites. Sadly the strelitzia Nicolai hasn’t appeared so I stand and admire next doors. They are such beauties and I have planted two more to go with the two we already have. Only one of the four is large enough to flower and it has a mind of its own when it does. They are popular along the coast here. so we get to see them a lot. When we first had the house I thought we had banana plants. I was shocked when one day these flowers appeared.

This agave is still growing strong and I continue to hope it doesn’t flower. The foxtail agave which once flowers dies. For once I’m happy to have something that’s not flowering. There are a number of baby plants to pot on. Which I must do soon. I planted one in a pot two years ago and that has done well and it needs to be transferred to the dry bank Oh. It’s another one of my favourites. There are three dotted around the garden. This is the largest.

The Rosemary and lavender I replanted along the path is doing really well with the lavender about to flower. Ignore the hose pipe. If I was a proper blogger and Instagrammer I would have moved it out of shot. It’s a nice shady path but boy the mozzies love it. I have planted scented pelargoniums as well here so will see if that helps. The Rosemary should too. A.one with the society garlic and the chopped garlic I have strewn along the bed. Thankfully the scent of the honeysuckle in the tree will mask it at face level !

The planting is pretty eclectic here. A lot of what is here ie the more established plants like the agave the aloe and the oleander do well. I’ve added to the agapanthus which to those that know me well isn’t a surprise. The large ferns continue to surprise me. Placed where I want them and not in what I think would be ideal conditions they have more than flourished. They have become huge. It’s such a different garden to what I am used to in the Uk. It’s dry. It’s Hot. Water is used sparingly. Well I am trying to use less. If it needs a lot of water it’s not planted. But to be honest there is little that is totally drought tolerant. I can be a serious over waterer but the cost and the lack of it here has reined me in.

I have removed the tulips from the white wall and bought geraniums to,replace them. But then as you do changed my mind and decided a few geranium pots on the terrace would give some colour before the large pot of canna appears and the scented cerise pelargonium flowers I found Sanvitalia procumbems _ a creeping Zinnia. Who knew. I didn’t. It has a dainty trailing habit with yellow flowers. Apparently drought, humidity and heat tolerant. We shall see ! They are annuals so if they don’t work this year they don’t work and will be replaced. Need deadheading. My mother was a serial deadheader. She couldn’t help but walk up a path and dead head the flowers even if it wasn’t her own garden. I think I have inherited that gene but only for my own garden thankfully.

We have three pomegranate trees in the garden. More bushes than trees really and they were heavily pruned earlier this year. Very heavily. We get flowers if we are lucky. Last year when we returned after a year away there were two pomegranates high up on the bush. Both split. Both half eaten but after 4 years of having none we now know they are not ornamental. They have a mind of their own and do fruit. That’s the downside of not being here full time in that we can and often do miss things. Buts how it is for now.

There are two Pineapple guava which were also cut back as I hadn’t been able to,do anything to them for two years. I suspect now that my timing was wrong as there are fewer flowers than normal. Which is a shame as they are so beautiful. The fruit is an acquired taste. A visiting friend tasted one and said it tasted like germolene. I get where she is coming from but the two childhood smells I hated were germolene and TCP . I worked with someone many years ago who used it as after shave. Or bathed in it.

The cactus. Or to be correct the euphorbia candelabrum. But it’s a cactus to us in this garden. One of Ian’s choices as he likes structural plants. Both in pots. Both tied to the railings so they don’t get blown over and they will at some point go in the ground. But as they are doing so well not yet although the pots are cracking. As in splitting.

Then there is the quince. Not something I expected to,find in the garden but there are a lot of them about in the area. There is one not far from us where the quince are left to drop. I just may go and ask this year if I can have them. But this year we have quince again which means that I will be making quince jelly . It’s a favourite of mine along with a bit of gorgeous Spanish cheese.

Pomegranate. Pineapple guava. Euphorbia candelabrum and Quince

The weather is due to get cooler mid week. Then I can cut the hedge. Check the irrigation system. Tie in the grape vine. Oh and lunch with friends. Before we return for Jubilee celebrations. Until the next time when it all stars over again. Oh. I mentioned tulips. But that’s for another day.

Posted on March 14, 2022March 14, 2022 by happyretiredblog

Up the garden path ~ again

Well we are back. But it looked a bit shaky when we were waiting to board the plane in London. Booked well in advance like most of our flights for the year to get a decent price or moved from the last two years supply of vouchers. A packed flight checked in and waiting to board only to be asked for volunteers to not take the flight. Weather was going to be bad. The plane was too heavy. Not with our luggage ~ we had the smallest bags imaginable but they needed 22 people to volunteer.

Guess how many they got. Yep. None. So there was a roll call of names. They decided and the luggage had already been removed. We’d escaped the roll call. But to be honest I was tempted. The compensation was generous.

We had a car to pick up. Oh. And the fire had been lit ready for our arrival. Hot water was on and there was the essentials in the fridge. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Good neighbours are worth their weight in gold.

It is 5 years to the weekend we first viewed this house. 5 years and I can’t quite believe how fast the time has gone. Even with the two lost years when travel was sparse.

I still get the joy of arriving at the gate and opening it into the garden. Ian will tell you that I didn’t want to see the house. It had everything I didn’t want. 10 mins from town . A decent sized garden. A pool. But he will also tell you that I only walked through the gate and I’d made up my mind.

The garden has changed a bit over the years we have been here. We have had to adapt to the fact that we aren’t here all the time and that we need to plant even more drought tolerant plants. Rain this last year has been especially scarce although it’s chucking down a storm right now and rain is forecast for the next week. By chucking it down I mean chucking it down. Apparently it’s Celia’s fault. Storm Celia hitting the Costa del Sol. The next few days are forecast between 10-20 mm. each day. But even that will only have a marginal effect on the reservoirs. To the west of Malaga water restrictions start this week.

We arrived later than planned. Late departure and arrival. A massive queue at border control. Gone are the days of a cursory glance at your British passport and a wave through. Now every British passport is scanned by the two people on duty. And stamped. Don’t forget it needs stamping in and out for recording of your 90/180 day limit.

Despite being late. Despite being tired I always have to have that walk around the garden to have the cursory check even though it’s dark. For a minute the concerns over electricity prices are thrown to the wind and as my mother would say ‘ with all these lights on it’s like Blackpool illuminations’ I’m still getting my head around the price timings here. There are three time bands at various times of the day. The whole of Spains washing machines are either on at weekends or between midnight and eight am.

I can see that despite the late planting of tulips at the end of January that they have pushed through and the pots are all showing a good success. Hopefully we can time our trips to be here when they are out. I can look closer tomorrow when there is a break in the rain. If there is one.

Well there was a break in the rain. The tulips in the white wall planter are doing well. Not much further behind the ones I planted in London. I’d tell you what I’ve planted. If I could remember. It was a mad dash to,plant and I can’t find my plan. ( Did I even have one). The other pots are also doing well and should make a good display.

I’ve planted a lot of Rosemary around the garden. The windey path has a creeping Rosemary edging on one side. It’s taken and it’s flowering but I think I should either add some ‘normal” Rosemary or rework the edging. Not a job for now. But the flowers on the plants are looking great and they do well with little water.

The clivia are out in full force. I’ve mentioned before that I first had these as houseplants. Bought in Somerset from a neighbour who had the most fabulous garden shop in Castle Cary. Clare introduced me to these and I always think of her when I see them now. But now planted outside in the Mediterranean garden rather than indoors.

I cut the cistus back quite hard as it hadn’t been touched for two years. I wasn’t expecting it to be flowering now. But it is. Gorgeous crepe paper like flowers though today battered by the rain. But a welcome sight of a bit of colour.

I first planted freesia here in 2019 or was it 2018. Whichever one they do well. I have added more each year all~ from Peter Nyssen. I didn’t see any last year as we didn’t come out when they were in flower but our neighbours enjoyed them. I told them to keep picking them. I have tried them in pots in London but they just didn’t work. These are a mixture of pots and in the ground and a mix of single and double flowers and give a fabulous display.

The dodonea is a spectacular colour at this time of the year but has really insignificant flowers. I need to get some more plants as they are great drought tolerant plants and the colour is vibrant. I must pick some for indoors.

I’m not sure where this came from. I haven’t planted any in over two years. Must be a self seeder which has appeared in a pot. Just the one though. It’s a very welcome addition and I hope it will self seed again. It reminds me of my parents garden as they always had some in the bk garden.

The yellow banksia rose climbing through the jacaranda is a bit straggly this year. A reminder I need to do a tidy up for next year. It’s such a lovely little rose and another welcome sight so early in the season. We had a rose arch made for the side gate and I’m off to pick up the climbing rose tomorrow. No doubt there may be more than just one rose purchased. I’ll make a list this evening.

The bathroom bed is a bit of a hotch potch of a bed. A real mixture of plants. Two large pomegranates dominate , well they did until we had them severely cut back. There are succulents. Some canna. Agapanthus. The lovely dodonea. A large lemon grass and like everywhere else lots of Rosemary. Oh and some drumstick alliums ( I’m never planting them again). Oh. I forgot. The large leaves of the strelitzia Reginae and the Swiss cheese plant.

There are three of the bird of paradise out with three more flower spikes to open. I’m more worried that I can’t see any sign of movement on the strelitzia Nicolai ~ the lovely black/blue and white variety. I’ve planted three more as I love the size and the flowers. Fingers crossed. No doubt I’ll tell you when and if there are flowers.

Meanwhile on the bank by the front gate the mimosa is about to open fully. Not bad considering the original tree had died and the new shoots are now a 10ft tree. If open fully this visit I’ll be picking for vases indoors.

Above the mimosa are the Pines which are looking the best they have since we have been here. I love the colours.

I’ve seen a window in the rain for tomorrow which means a bit of a feed. The plants not me and a bit of a tidy of the agapanthus and a look at the other parts of the garden and the pots. In between seeing friends. A visit to the bank and shopping. But. I’ll be back.