Posted on 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.

Dressed for Dinner.

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.

Warmer in than 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.

The only colour crocus in the garden

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.

A bit tidier

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.

Dirty terrace.

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.

The one clump

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.

Pretty pretty

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.

Primrose

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?

Spanish or English

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.

Riverside
Pulmonaria

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.

Down river

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.

Up 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.

Honeysuckle arch

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.

This weeks job
View from back door no 4

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.

Tip toe through the tulips

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Frosty Days. Cold nights.

Oh my. We are never happy are we. Too hot. Too cold. Too wet. Too dry. But I have to admit this last week or so has been Baltic. Been right brass monkey weather. The bonus against cold v wet is that at least you can layer up. Ok there are days when I looked like a Michelin man. But warmth over style rules when it’s freezing. But. A bit of frost. A bit of snow. Great for photos right?

This is the lane at the back of the cottage. The road to granny and grandads. Like the roundabout that’s not a roundabout Intalk about in Spain they aren’t my granny and grandad. But if you’ve read any of my blogs you’ll know that. Taken early one morning with a coffee in one hand and my iPhone in another. A morning chat with Farmer Paul on the bridge on his way to start the day with his cattle. To be fair I had gone into the lane as there was a water leak running down the hill. Don’t even get me started on trying to report the leak. Online report only. Wanted so many of my details before I could report. I nearly gave up the will to live

I usually creep over the old bridge. Not that I’d disturb the neighbours but you never know what’s on the river. That morning I could have kicked myself. Four. Yes four white egrets flew up as I passed. Try taking a photo quickly with coffee in one hand and the other hand in your coat pocket. Epic fail. But trust me. It was a sight.

There were some spectacular icicles hanging down from the viaduct. The ones hanging down our front door from an overflowing tank in the loft weren’t quite as spectacular but I nearly impaled myself on them as I opened the door. Thankfully quickly sorted. The leak. Not me.

It makes everything look so pretty. Not that I’m biased. I love the village and it is a bit picture perfect. But I love that it’s also still a working village. Cattle. Sheep. Hay. Straw and for my godchildren ( not the farming ones) ~ the DFL’s ~ the tractors and agricultural machinery.

I had the urge to recreate that scene from The Holiday where Cameron Díaz runs across the field back to the house. Two things stopped me. There wasn’t really enough snow. And the running. Oh. And Ian was still fast asleep back at the cottage. This field is Alders. Not the department store. But I suspect named after the line of alder trees along the river bank which are no longer. After the flood the line of trees on the bank were removed to allow the field to act as an overflow for the river.

Our decision to be at the cottage last week was to plant the tulip pots. I didn’t plan on the weather. I knew it was cold. I knew I was waiting for a cold spell. But I didn’t bargain on having to remove the top 4 inches of compost as it was frozen solid. I wanted to remove half of the compost anyway but not with a pick axe and a screwdriver.

But. I did it. Compost removed. New compost bought. But. Another but. The compost from the local gardening centre was frozen. I had no option. As well as warm my feet by the wood burner two bags of peat free compost were being de frosted,

And yes. I did it. Well. 12 of the 15 pots. The last two defeated me with more frost and snow.

These aren’t all the colours. As usual I started with the plan. And the weather and the cold got to me. So it will be a dolly mixture again this year. Plus. Three pots will be done in January.

Back to the views. The days and the light changes so quickly and as well as the frosty grey days the morning light can be magical. As long as you are up early enough. Wrapped up. And with a hot drink in your hand.

The same view on a different day. The day before the snow and frost pic. Look at that sky. No filter. iPhone 12 Pro. Right time. Right place.

Ifuvuvuvuvu

I haven’t cut anything back in the garden this autumn/winter. I’d like to say it has been planned. But in reality it’s either been too wet for this fair weather gardener or I just haven’t had the time. But it certainly makes for a pretty sight in the frost and the birds have been loving the seed heads. And one single frosted rose looked fabulous.

We both had to go back to London mid visit. The plan was to go by train and stay for two nights and head back for the weekend to attend a friends 60th. Best laid plans and all that. We had to be in London. So we had to drive. Being back we also had our usual walk through the park which was also looking good.

No sticking to the paths for us. I couldn’t walk on blocks of ice. No doubt I’d be flat on my back. But back to Somerset it was and a hideous journey with the A303 closed near Stonehenge and a diversion over Salisbury Plain. Great views. Slippery roads.

Just back in time for the carol service at St Leonard’s church Pitcombe. It’s been a while since I’ve been. Many years ago. Decades actually the parish priest called me a festival worshipper. Christmas. Easter. Harvest festival. Patronal festival. He didn’t say it as a bad thing. But he was right. I was there to sing the hymns & the carols. Oh. And for the mince pies and mulled wine.

I can’t remember seeing the stained glass looking so bright. Possibly as I was ambling along in the dark looking up for a change.

And no. I didn’t get the last three pots done. They had frosted again and I had lost the will to live. But I saw my godson who asked what I was doing later in the afternoon. Oh. I thought. He’s coming down with his girlfriend. No. Don’t be silly. I have my uses as does Ian. Any chance you can stand in the road. I’m bringing the sheep through from church ground and I need you both to stop them going up pitcombe Rock. How 20 years makes a difference. One day I’m feeding him his bottle. The next I’m watching him lead the sheep through the village.

That’s Somerset done until 2023. Strikes. Trains. Planes and weather permitting we head away for the Christmas and new year festivities. Some more tulip planting ~ I must take them out of the fridge before Ian realises that’s where they have been stored for the last month. I won’t need a pick axe to plant there. We have had the long awaited rain. And no. The rain in Spain doesn’t stay mainly on the plain.

There will be supper with friends. An overnight in Malaga to see the Christmas lights. A visit to the Botanical gardens to see the illuminations. Some gardening. Oh. And you know there will be the usual ramblings.

If not I’ll be planting those last three pots.

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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

Pollen coated bee

Ia greaarden fro

Hestercombe planting

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

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.

Time to sit and relax

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.

Forde Abbey

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.

Oh for a veg garden like this.

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’

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Hello Heatwave. Hello Somerset

Well it’s been a bit of a hot one. Ironic really as we cancelled a trip to Spain as the temperatures there were forecast to be too high for comfort. I spent 9 weeks there bordering July and August in in one of the lockdowns and I swore never again in August. Yes I know it’s July but it was already August in Spain in June. If you get my drift.

There is no point in getting to Spain only to spend 2/3rds of the day indoors in my pants watching Netflix with the air con on. I can do that in the Uk but without the air con. London was hideous this week when the thermostat hit 30. No air. No air con and no patience.

As soon as it cooled I headed down to Somerset pre the school holiday traffic and avoided the holiday route. I had driven past a roadside cafe that was kind of hidden and this time decided to stop. Oh joy. It was quiet. The pathway was dahlia filled. The omlette was delicious.

Somerset gardening beckoned. It had been over three weeks since we had been here and I had three days on my own to try and break the back of the weeding. Whilst breaking mine. As I drove into the village looking at the car temperature gauge I marvelled. how could the car temperature on Tuesday show 38 in the car park at Sainsbury’s and only 20* the next day in Somerset. It’s bonkers.

Cottage pots

We had a good spring display of Tulips again this year and it’s always a difficult one on what to plant for the summer. We are here a little more often as we don’t go away in August and early September but we are conscious of watering at the front of the house. geraniums are always a good bet. They can cope with the sporadic watering and I am lucky that my goddaughter is available and willing to do the watering for me.

I always try and get my geraniums from Columbia Road flower market as both quality and price are excellent. This year is no exception and the decision on going for one solid colour against the warm stone of the cottage is looking good. The only issue we now have is that Jacks Shute is running dead slow to virtual,stop making watering from the spring a tad difficult. I won’t mention the last year it dried up according to Grandad Martin. But it was 1976. A date that has been mentioned a lot this week.

Despite the lack of rain the garden is looking good. Even if I say so myself. It’s had very limited water whilst we have been away and some things were struggling. Largely against bindweed which is the most drought tolerant plant in the garden here. It’s impossible to dig it out at this time of the year. So I cheat and just get rid of what I can. Out of sight out of mind for now. But it’s the biggest single problem we have.

View down the garden

The grass was largely green but was in need of a haircut which is the first thing I always do. I can then do the edges which makes it all look better in my eye. My eyes head to the edges but avoids the weeds. Diversion tactics.

View down the garden

I must do better for Instagram. I should put the garden hose away before I take the photo. But it’s not perfect and it never will be. It will be better when we love here more but until then I’ll struggle to do more than I do. I have come to accept my limitations. Of which there are many. Not just in gardening.

View up the garden

The photo makes the grass look harsher than it is. But we have had a bit of a soaking and it will green up with a little more. I never water a lawn. I’ve never know for it not to jump back after some rain. This lawn needs levelling and redoing l. We have been here 30 years and it’s as is. Uneven. And not Wimbledon perfect. But I like it. It goes with the cottage.

Echinacea

I need to plant more echinacea. We have one and this year it’s looking fabulous. Adds to list.

Sanguisorba

I only planted these last year and they are a stunning addition. Sanguisorba. I’m not sure if it’s Squirell tails or pink elephant. I’d look in my book if I had written it down. But. I haven’t. So it’s a pretty Sanguisorba If you are asking.

Agapanthus

This came from some friends and is a particularly gorgeous dark agapanthus. It’s particularly stunning as the flowers open which I think is my favourite time of flowering. It’s dark and sultry.

Hemerocallis

Day lilies are gorgeous. This clump has been in the garden for over 30 years. And also seems to have been divided out before that time as it appears in at least 4 other gardens in the village. I have an issue with the plant. It takes up too much room for such a short flowering period. It’s a day Lily. And that what you get for each flower. A day. Very beautiful but the clump needs splitting. Makes a diary note. ( in my head) ~ but I suspect it will be another 30. Months not years before I get around to it.

Persicaria

This clump of persicaria has also been here since we moved in. Decades ago. This one has been split a few times and newer varieties brought in. I love them. Dull to start but with a great colour flower spike and great leaves. Great for picking with other flowers for the house too.

The persicaria polymorpha is very different in flower and leaf and a bit of a bully. In the right place it’s a great statement. Adds a note to split. There’s a lot of notes.

Persicaria polymorpha
Evening primrose and day Lily

This years biggest self seeder . Evening primrose. Followed very quickly by borage. I had planned to make a dahlia bed again this year. But time and energy ran out. So I left it. The gladioli in that bed have come up again. The borage has self seeded in that space so I’m happy. But. There’s always a but. I’d be happier if I had got myself together and had a lovely dahlia bed filled with big blousy dahlias. Next year it’s either a dahlia bed or a rose bed. Decisions. Decisions. Oh bugger. Both. But I got my dahlia fox this year on the TOdds Botanics stand at RHS Hampton Court.

Verbena bonariensis

Last year was the first year I’ve managed to keep the Verbena bonariensis going into a second season. A neighbours self seeds everywhere but she does have a gravel area which helps. Mine – Doesn’t. And the ground is so wet in the winter. Unlike now.

Acanthus

The acanthus is good but not as good or as many as the ones growing in a bit of guerrilla gardening along the road from us in London. But it is better this than last year. There need to be more to make a statement.

Honeysuckle at dusk

The honeysuckle on the arch goes on and on. And with a white jasmine on the fence which this year is flowering like crazy the scent in the garden on a warm day is delicious. Interestingly the Jasmine hasn’t flowered in years. Or maybe it had and I’ve ignored it. How rude of me.

Giant scabious

I remember planting one of these last year. So how come there are 4. The lovely yellow giant scabious. Would you believe me if I said I hadn’t realised it was there. I was sat at the table just gazing out and it was there. I’m sure it wasn’t there the day before. But it towers above everything. It’s like walking along LOndon streets. Always look up. The architecture of the buildings is great and you moss do much if you just look at street level.

There’s nothing like an incentive for rain like me putting up the sail. Which fills with water when it does rain. I did. And it did. I could have entered the wet t shirt competition when I went to let the water down. Hideously cold water and laughter from my godson who has called in after work as I misjudged where the water would go. I’ll get my own back on him.

Clearing the grape vine and tall roses

A door with a view. As long as you don’t look left where if you do you will see the calor Gas canister’s. Why they can’t make green ones is beyond me. I suspect it’s a health and safety issue. But there need to be an aesthetic issue too. There again why haven’t we built a cover or bought the green cover to go over them.

The grape vine had virtually grown over half of the door so it’s been lightly pruned. The vine. Not the door. Not only to expose the door but also to expose the grapes to get them to ripen. Not quite chateau Pitcombe vintage but they will be made into grape and rosemary jelly later in the year. If the birds don’t get them first. They have had most of the red and black currants and the gooseberries already. I dream of a fruit cage. Along with a weed free garden. A new greenhouse. Less arthritic fingers and a six pack. One can but dream. Some are achievable. Some can be bought. Others would be miracles.

One interesting fact. Maybe as a reminder to me but not to you. There was a vineyard in the next village when we moved in. Vintages were patchy but when it was good it was good. Sadly no longer there. Castle Cary vineyard. I remember drinking a decent bottle at a wedding reception of the couple from whom we bought no 4. That’s over 22 years ago. That’s scary.

Chateau Pitcombe

A black grape. Origin unknown.

Household chores continue

The reality of the house and garden. Normal household duties continue out of sight where possible. But I love the fresh smell of clothes dried outside ~ and let’s be honest it’s as cheap as chips.

Large border

The borders have filled up well. Not surprising with how much I stuff into that space. Too much really but it looks great. Great places for the slugs to hide and the birds to pop in and out of. I can’t stuff much more into there but I will try. Some of the roses need replacing. Some dividing needs to happen. A little better planting planning. Say that after a few glasses of summer rose. It’s not easy. Planting planning.

Large border

The perennials are doing their thing. As are the gladioli. I planted these two years ago and whilst I love the colours I won’t again. They are a faff with staking. The poppies are about to pop their seeds over the garden. Note that I need to get some Lauren’s grape to sow soon.

Apples and pears. We need to coordinate our time here to pick them. They are too good to miss and I hate waste in the garden. There’s a plan to plant more fruit trees and that’s for another day. There’s a fence to be sorted first.

We have looked at the bottom of the garden. Out of sight. Out of mind. It’s like closing the door to that spare room. Two parts are in a bit of a mess. Under the rambling rector and an area behind the greenhouse.

All in good time. For now I have tulips on my mind. I have made grids of ones that have taken my fancy. More than one grid I’ll add. This is one. If I told you how many grids ………

I may be some time.

The start of the choices.
Posted on by happyretiredblog

Here there and everywhere

It was an interesting trip to Spain this time. We had rain. More rain. And even more rain ~ add the hideous Sahara dust and you hay a bonus. So back to the Uk where everyone had been enjoying shorts weather. And then the weather changes. But back to a very different garden.

I always forget that I have these planted in the pots with the two bay trees. They flower and then disappear for the next ten months. I think they are Muscari peppermint. Maybe?

The tree ferns have come through the winter with nearly all of last years fronds. I have unwrapped them. Taken out the hay. Hay because I forgot to ask Farmer Martin for straw ~ out of the crowns and given them their first feed of Alpaca poo. Ian keeps reminding me that when we move they are coming with us. We will see.

So here there and everywhere. A trip to Somerset for a few days. Just me which is something I haven’t done much of theses last two years. Me time. My mother could never quite comprehend why I liked to have some time on my own. Won’t you be lonely she’d ask. No mother. I’ll be alone. That’s quite different. People ask how we have managed to be together for 30 years. Ian’s answer. At times different houses. Or in the last 5 years. Different countries. I don’t think either of us bargained for the last two years.

A bit of a different drive to the cottage compared to Spain. 5 mins away from the cottage is the drive past the grade 2* listed gates to what was Redlynch Park. Which was built probably to impress George III who was a frequent visitor there on his trips to Weymouth. It certainly impresses me as I dive past. Unlike our drive in Spain up and down the wiggly or windy road this drive is through beautifully cut hedges. Not actually through the hedges obviously. I love it when they are cut and can be seen from above.

Back in the Somerset garden which at this time of year is a little neglected. We had had a great week clearing last years die back in January. All but one patch cleared. We had planned another week but after two years and three Jabs I Covid got me and plans were put on hold. Thankfully very mild but it put me out of action for 10 days. Which threw all manner of plans out of kilter. The work on the revamped kitchen had to be moved. A trip to Spain held in abeyance. Gardening in LOndon was ok as I went in the front garden early and late and the tiny back garden whenever.

I managed to cut the grass on the one dry day I was there. It’s cut for us when we have a few weeks away but I do like to cut it. The Lidl lawnmower I bought after last years lockdown started first time. Was a bargain and did well in the Which trials.

It always looks better but I didn’t have time to do the edges. Or to weed. That’s for the next visit. The honeysuckle could do with a bit of a shaping. Looking at my self haircut I think I’ll get someone else to do it. I don’t usually put trimmer to my hair but as I’d been quarantined and didn’t have a chance to get a haircut I had to. Don’t worry. I won’t be taking it up professionally. Sheep shearers have more finesse.

The patch on the right along the dodgy fence is one bit we hadn’t cleared. Full of spreading asters it was hiding bluebells and primroses. Sadly the Spanish variety – bluebells obviously. . As a child we used to walk along what we called the Rusty Line – an old disused railway line and I remember collecting primroses. That was decades ago.

At this time of year there are swathes of Pulmonaria which the bees love. A great early pollinator and it’s spread like crazy under this old rose.

One of the reasons for the visit was to check the tulip pots. Did I ever say I like tulips? I needed to check them and water them if they were a bit dry. A reminder that even if it rains you should still check the pots and the tulips could do with a bit of water as they are about to flower. A top tip from Harriet Rycroft who is the queen of pots. I want to be more Harriet. Her pot displays are awesome.

I was really pleased to see such a strong display coming through. Another two weeks and it should be full tulip show. I hope they flower well and that the eclectic colours work. If it doesn’t there’s always next year. I’m already making a note of tulips I see on Instagram which could be 2023 contenders.

I found my tulip planting list but I’m not sure I stuck to it. What I do know is that there will be Brown sugar. Ballerina. Flaming spring green. Black hero. Dutch dancer. Helmar. Some oranges. Some reds. Oh. Two new ones. Sarah Raven. And Istanbul. There are a load of others. It will be interesting. As I’ve mentioned I’m already making a note of new ones I see this year. Ready for the off in August to order next years.

I planted this viburnum a good few years ago and it’s never been so lovely. It’s full of flowers which change colour as they open from soft pinks to white. Maybe my absence during lockdowns has allowed the garden to grow instead of my innappropriate pruning. I didn’t see it in 2020 or in 2021.

I can’t ever remember so many flowers on it. I must make sure it’s supported against the fence.

There is blossom in abundance in the garden. This ornamental cherry is heavy with blossom. It’s the only thing that saves the tree. It’s pretty useless than the the flowers but the branches which have bird feeders hanging on them. I am surprised that the frost hasn’t got more of the blossom to be honest. There have been some pretty hard frosts in Somerset

I pruned the gooseberries and the currants this year for the first time in years. It looks like I haven’t killed them and the red gooseberry in particular is showing good results. We had a spectacular harvest of redcurrants last year. But no matter how many you have you need more. I made redcurrant jelly. The amount of jelly v redcurrants is sad. The red gooseberries I just eat straight off the bush. They are sweet and delicious .the one above is the one above is a Rokula. A new German raised Mildew resistant with apparently high yield. I’ll let you know. That’s if the birds don’t strip them first.

Spring flowers. Pulmonoria or lungwort. which are great. Alkanet which I hate. It spreads like crazy. The hairy stems irritate and it’s as tough as old boots. Primroses and bluebells hiding in a bit of the garden which we hadn’t cleared. I did clear a fair bit so the bees at least could get in. The bluebells are Spanish. I like them but a proper real gardener who said she wanted to see the garden said if we had any Spanish bluebells we should rip them out. Thankfully none were out when she visited.

The top two tulips are previous years randoms in previously planted pots. I must have missed them when replanting the pots with agapanthus. The bottom two are this years pots.

I pruned the roses as well. On time. Last year I was late to the party. But a shout out on Instagram brought in advice. Which when it comes from a legend Rosarian it was advice I heeded. This year on time it looks as they have survived. Some great growth.

Spring has certainly spring. New growth on lots of trees. The apples. The pears and the plums. And on the Cornus which last year was spectacular. I tiedied up the shape after flowering and I’m glad to see new growth this year. I’m surprised at the plum blossom. We struggle with plums as they are usually hit badly by late frosts. Looks like this year the flowering is later. Fingers crossed though.

This mahonia has had a reprieve. It’s never really done anything and this was the year I was going to dig it out. Maybe it heard me saying just that but the flowers this year have been great. It’s at the bottom of the garden next to the river and is another area that needs a tidy. Behind it are some raspberry canes and the patch where we grow our runner beans. I might even be more like my father this year. Growing up it was my job to dig a trench for the beans. Which would be filled with newspaper and vegetable waste. To be fair they have done ok for the last 30 years without bit every year when I plant I hear his voice in my head.

Here and there. There and here. Back in London and the tulips here are ahead of somerset. Well some of them are. I don’t know why. These were planted later than somerset but this spot does get some good morning sun. This pot is tulip passionale. I think. It’s a new one for me and one I ordered from a different supplier this year as they had tulip Brown sugar which was one I wanted. But I saw this and thought I’d give it a try. Maybe a bit shorter than I like but I’d grow it again.

I’d forgotten how much I love Tulip Brown sugar. It’s a fabulous colour. Has a scent. Is tall. What more could you ask for.

A couple of pots of left over tulips for the front door. Maybe. Just maybe it will keep Frederick Fox away from the front door. There are plenty more to come out and they will but usually in their own time.

One thing is guaranteed. When they do you will know!

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Summer in the Country

When I retired (early before you ask) in 2015 the intention was to,spend more time in Somerset. To travel. We bought a house in Spain and spent time there. Our time in Somerset diminished. We were going to sell the cottage. Three places was excessive. Expensive and time consuming. One had to go and we decided on Somerset. Things were slow. The cottage didn’t move. So we kept it with a decision to review.

Along came the pandemic which changed plans even further. We arrived home from a trip to Mexico in March 2020 to lockdown. I escaped to Spain in late July for 3 weeks and ended up staying 9. More lockdowns. Quarantines. Plans were changed and we haven’t travelled anywhere in nearly a year. We’ve followed the lockdown rules and quarantined in London. Not venturing to Somerset until allowed.

Which has set us into a new pattern. Interestingly this last year has seen us receive a written note asking if we would sell the cottage. Contact through an acquaintance in the next village asking the same question and estate agents asking if we’d like to put it back on the market as they ‘ could sell it tomorrow’. The thing is. We’ve done a turnaround of sorts. The plan will be to spend more time here and Spain. Here and there. There and here.

The day after we were released from lockdown prison and could travel down. We did. Car packed with stuff as after 5 months absence we didn’t know what we had here. We had been lucky for the whole of the lockdown absences. The cottage was checked weekly. Cleaned. The grass cut, but the garden was untouched.

What was the most exciting thing about arriving here. Tulips.

In 2020 we didn’t get to see the tulips. At all. Planted in Nov 2019 we missed them through quarantine in London.. By the time we could come they had gone over. I’d hastily planted the tulips for 2021 on an in between lockdown visit and had to do it quickly. But to be honest. I wasn’t disappointed. All the planning I’d done on colours and numbers went out of the window and I threw them all together. No artistic thought at all. But it worked. We arrived to a glorious display. Even if I say so myself.

A bit of an eclectic mix. Glorious brown sugar. Dutch dancer. Ballerina. Queen of the night. Barcelona. Hocus Pocus. The white of Maureen. I have to try and beat the show for 2022. Quite how I will manage I don’t really know. I have some thoughts but I’d better get my act together before my choices become limited.

Well the tulips have gone. Some to a good home. It was an awesome season but I’m so over tulips. Till next time that is and I’m busy planning the tulip choices on another wet weekend.

For now replaced with geraniums and coleus. Not earth shattering inspiring but needs must and practicality has to ensue. Worries of more lockdown when we couldn’t get here and the summer weather. Two lovely salvia in pots along the front door. A gorgeous scent as you brush past. I haven’t grown coleus since the 80’s but I’m a fan once more.

The biggest problem with the geraniums has been the lashing rain. Once beautiful flower heads quickly rot and turn to mush. But there are more coming.

So it was onwards and upwards. Well not quite. More like downwards and weeding. The thing about being away for 5 months are the weeds. Here in Somerset we are plagued with ground elder and bindweed. Anything else I can cope with. Not these two. You turn your back and they are halfway up a rose tree. Leave it three days and it’s smothering the sweet peas. In Spain it’s just the heat. In London the snails. Wherever you garden there are challenges.

Project one was to revive one of the beds next to the terrace. It was full of yellow daisy and golden rod with a massive clump of day Lilly. Can I just say I loathe golden rod. I’d only kept it as it was something my parents grew in the garden as I grew up. But someone who helped in the garden used to divide it. Then plant it everywhere. We were overrun with it and not surprisingly I swore every time I passed what seemed to be a new bit.

The patch was tired. Overgrown. Some of the roses needed a good hatchet job on them. Which I did. We were late to the pruning party this year so after a shout out on Instagram for advice I did as I was told. Light prune and some later flowers. All in all it’s been a good rose season so far. Including the new roses I bought for the revived bed. The golden rod disposed of except for a small bit and the taller plants moved. But as usual I’ve over planted. I also overwater. Which bearing in mind the rain we have had that’s difficult.

I’d forgotten how many roses there are in the garden. With things cut back and tidied they have been given a new lease of life. So much so that I bought half a dozen more for the revived bed.

May
June.

I have planted a lot of new perennials. I suspect all too close and too tight. But you need to hide the weeds. Don’t you? Existing plants have been feed ~ or as I like to say I’ve poo”d my plants. Using alpaca poo from Lou Archer. They’ve had a really good feed and it’s showing in the results. The Astrantia are fabulous this year too.

Astrantia

There are two new dark red Astrantia. Hadspen”s Blood was one of the first I ever bought. We bought it at Hadspen gardens nursery when we first moved here over 25 years ago from Sandra and Norrie Pope Over the years it’s disappeared and I managed to get two this year. They are just coming into flower and I expect there may be a pic or six.

Added to that is another whose name escapes me and I’m too,lazy to go and look it up. But I will for next time when I can also get a good photo.

I’ve discovered a new nursery not far from us. Blooming wild Nusery owned and run by Will and Lauren. They have a great selection of plants and are really helpful and knowledgable. Added to that the quality of their plants is awesome. I have developed a bit of a thing. It’s dangerous and expensive. I’ve got a bit of a thing for Persicaria. Which is a good thing as Will at Blooming Wild likes them too and they have a great selection.

Work in progress June

We are getting into the swing of things here this summer. Up and down the A303 to london and back. But we are getting the benefit of the garden. We are also seeing things in the garden that we would normally miss. This year the Cornus is an example. It’s pretty glorious and we missed it totally last year. But I always struggle to get a good photo of it. This was taken from the bathroom window.

Make hay while the sun shines.

It wasn’t all weeding. We took some time to walk up the Lane to Rye Ash. Over the years I’ve got to know the names of the various fields. Rye Ash. Alders. Pump Ground. Big Ridge. My godson and Grandad were hay making and we went to sit on a hay bale and watch. Not the first time and Grandad ( not mine but I’ve called him that for years) reminded me that we sat in Rye ash over 15 years ago on hay bales and had a picnic lunch during a break. He remembers as I took a photo which he still has on his wall.

We were privileged to see a red kite hovering over the field. Such a magnificent bird. What a great place to sit and watch the farming traditions. Especially when you have the hay fever day from hell.

Red Kite

Things are moving. One of the things I like the least about the West Country is that when it’s wet. It’s wet. The the sun shines. Then it’s wet again. In June I grew webbed feet. Try wearing flip flops with webbed feet.

But the salvia have started to flower. Some I thought I’d lost through neglect have come through. Some that shouldn’t have minded the neglect have got the hump, and disappeared .

We also have fruit. And one type of veg~ runner beans. No. I didn’t dig a trench and I know that somewhere my father is appalled. But they are now at the top of the bean sticks and heavily flowering.

There are green & red gooseberries. The red so sweet you can eat straight off the bush. The raspberries don’t even get into the house.

I always check underneath before I pick the gooseberries . As a naive child I though that babies were found under a gooseberry bush. Imagine. What would I do if I found one? It was either a gooseberry bush or the stork. Thankfully we only have herons.

There are currants. Red and black. Some rhubarb. Apples. One plum ~ disaster and the pigeon will eat that I’m sure. A couple of pears.

Handy village post box

We’ve had a walk or two. Through the village mainly as my foot continues to be an issue. Plantar fasciitis is a pain. A pain in the heel and the sole literally. That’s my days of wearing heels and flip flops over.

Church path

A walk along church path. Something we hadn’t done for a while. Well we couldn’t really. We had either been in lockdown london or if here weeding.

Ian said . ‘Remember when we first walked along this path”. ‘ i was 25’. Thanks. That was decades ago. Someone said ‘ Ah. That’s romantic’. Really. You don’t know us very well. Romantic we are not. It’s scary. We have been in the village for nearly 30, so maybe now we are the village people and accepted.

St Leonard’s Pitcombe
Stonehenge. Again.

And so it’s back to old London town for a few days. a few appointments for me. Another trip past Stonehenge. Another time I say to Ian. “Will be nice when it’s finished” and another time he says “when will you stop saying that” . Me. Never.

Back to a very different garden. No ground elder. No bindweed. Just snails. Tree ferns and agapanthus and the two old boys. Not us. The 16 & 17 year old cats.

The tree ferns have gone bonkers. The feeding Friday regime is working as well as a handful of alpaca beans in the crown at the start of the growing season. With a weekly liquid feed. Another line to wind up Ian. I’m off to poo my plants.

The front gardens looking good. All but one of the agapanthus are flowering. The one that’s not just happens to be my favourite. A tall fat white flowering one. Except it’s not. Why? Who knows. Maybe like me it’s a sulker.

From September there will be garden number three to contend with after an absence of 12 months. Well. Maybe. Dependent on the Delta variant. Or as some radio presenters are calling it. The Johnson.

Who knows. At the moment it’s just one day at a time. We are healthy. Double jabbed and at least have the luxury of being able to get out into a garden. Or two. And to deal with the humongous number of airline vouchers we have for cancelled flights. Enough to paper the sitting room.

What will be will be.

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Release from Lockdown prison

We weren’t quick out of the blocks on 12 April when the rules were relaxed. We couldn’t. We had hair cuts booked. Six months of cutting my own hair. It wasn’t my head that was lopsided. It was the hair.

But the day after at the crack of dawn we were off. It was strange. Packing the car. Actually driving over 20mph. Driving out of the Borough of Southwark. A motorway. A service station. Past Stonehenge ~ will be nice when it’s finished.

Finally singing the good old Peters & Lee song. “Welcome Home’

Welcome Tulip pots

We had been away for nearly 5 months. Lockdowned in London. I’d planted tulips in haste in late November and crossed fingers that they would pop up. Crossed fingers that this year we may just get to see them. Unlike last where we relied on the generosity of friends and neighbours sending photographs. Watering the pots. By the time we arrived after lockdown 2 they had gone. The tulips. Not the friends and neighbours.

Ten days later

It’s amazing the difference ten days makes. Well. Ten days and sunshine. Cold nights. Some frosts. No rain. Georgie from Common Farm Flowers down the road said there had been no rain since 16 March. You can tell. Talk about dry. We are lucky to have a spring opposite the cottage ~ Jack’s shute. Don’t ask who Jack is/was. I haven’t a clue. But the water gushes unless it’s the end of a dry summer and then it’s a dribble. But the water is cool. Drinkable. And free. And great for watering the pots. I leave a watering can by the pots and kind people water them when we aren’t there!

Chop chop

Now I know that people say a weed is just a flower in the wrong place. Yes. The wrong place is in my garden. The weed. Mainly ground elder of which I must have the National Collection. Imagine. 5 months of the stuff. Romping away in the garden. No control. That question. Why don’t slugs munch on it. Or the rogue badger digging up the lawn.

We had dug out the ground elder from two beds during the period between lock down 2 and lockdown 3. Had planted up. Had put a cover over part of another border. Turned the key and left. The two beds weren’t bad. Anyway I had to clear one bed of the perennials. Well it wasn’t had to ~ I wanted to plant a bed of roses and agapanthus with some acedanthera amongst other things. These beds still had some ground elder but they were manageable.

We also hadn’t been able to cut back the perennials. To prune or just to generally tidy last years growth. So there was a lot to do. Trips to the dump. Decisions to be made.

Before.
During

We also had builders in which meant for 3 days we couldn’t really go out. Except to buy biscuits. Coffee and milk. My mother always said ‘ look after the workers and you’ll get a job well done’ We did. And we did. Apparently we have set the bar high. But as soon as they had gone we did manage to go out. Food shopping. A bit. But better still to a local nursery

Blooming Wild Nursery.

Blooming Wild is lovely nursery with a great plant list and helpful friendly owners in Will and Lauren. All set down Cabbage Lane, a great name for the address of a plant nursery. The added bonus is that it’s not far from us.

I of course bought plants. It would be rude not to wouldn’t it ~ some Baptisia. Both the blue and the Dutch chocolate. Some geums, some cowslips which will hopefully self seed. I will be back. They have a few things on my list and will reserve them for me.

Cowslips
From the honeysuckle arch.

I also planted 80 freesia along the path ~ it’s an experiment but the ones I planted in pots in London two weeks ago are up and running. I planted some in Spain three years ago and to coin a phrase they are ‘blooming lovely.’ This year they have adorned our neighbours table as I have asked her to pick them. Which she happily does.

The old loo.
The river steps

Just past the old loo with its broken door and ivy clad roof is a small sitting area with steps down into the river. At this time of the year you can cross the river with barely getting your feet wet. Don’t try it in the winter months. Steps have been cleaned. The seating area tidied up under the large spindle which last year was glorious. The bonus of not being at the cottage for such a long time is that things haven’t been pruned back. This old spindle has flowered brilliantly over the last 12 months and is set to do the same this year.

The two pots with tulips are a surprise as I potted up agapanthus in compost without fully clearing last years tulips. The lovely red Uncle Tom have pushed their way through. Amazing really as they haven’t been watered in months.

The old loo is due a makeover. New doorframe. A new lock but we are trying to keep the old door ~ some clearing of the ivy from getting under the roof tiles. I don’t have to say it’s not used these days. Trotting 120 ft down the garden to the loo in the rain wouldn’t be my idea of fun. I remember having to use the outside loo at my Aunts. In the dark. In the rain. Thanks. But no thanks.

Blossom

Being down in the bottom of the U in the valley we are prone to catching the frosts which means we often lose the apple pear and plum blossom. Despite the late frosts so far it hasn’t hit. But who knows. Apples are usually fine but the plum usually gets it. That or the wasps and the birds getting the little fruit that does develop. I don’t mind feeding the birds but wasps aren’t welcome. Two years ago I got stung near my eye by a wasp and had to go to the minor injuries unit. Apparently at my ripe old age I was allergic to wasp stings. Not epi pen allergic thankfully but enough to make me look like I’d done ten rounds with Henry Cooper.

Pink rose

A singularly unattractive specimen which needed a tidy up. I missed the timing for pruning but a call for advice from insta friends helped. This rose bush gives plentiful pink flowers repeatedly through the summer ~ so it’s been pruned a little and fed. Underneath the rose Pulmonaria have gone mad and are covered in bees. Again had we been around it is likely that I would have cut them back a bit. Lesson learnt as the bees love them early in the season.

Lungwort
Old and new

It’s a little surprising to find that some of the salvias are romping away and that the canna are starting to poke through Why? Because these are in the greenhouse which hadn’t been opened in 5 months. I bubble wrapped the inside in December, watered and shut the door only to be reopened mid April. So yes. It was a surprise. A pleasant one.

Salvia super trouper. Canna Annei. Canna musifolia and a couple more canna.

The boxes are the 5 new roses from Todds Botanics along with the 6 agapanthus to go in the new bed. Thankfully I got the delivery address right unlike last year.

Tulip brown sugar

As the days went on more and more tulips opened. The pots were full of tulip Brown sugar which stand head and shoulders above the others. The others will be out. Hopefully when we get back.

I have sweet peas growing in London to plant in Somerset in the middle of the rose bed. . Two things I’m rubbish at are seed sowing and plant labels. I must do better in both. I labelled the sweet peas ~ but!

Sweet peas

The dahlia tubers I bought from Todds Botanics are popping through and will be taken to Somerset to plant out.

It’s back to the London garden and an easier time to sort things out. No lawn. All in pots. Tiny garden. Lockdown 3 has meant it’s manicured of sorts to a T. Ian would say with a nail scissors. It’s not.

London
View from above

But from now until September I suspect we will be up and down the A303. Then to tackle a Mediterranean garden where we have been away from for a whole year. That will be a whole new story.

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A tale of Three Gardens ~ part 1

The question or sometimes the Statement is. “So you have three gardens?” Often the reaction to the answer is ” that’s a bit greedy ” you must be loaded” ” are you mad”: but the answer is ” a little bit mad. Yes” Greedily loaded. “no”; the real answer is circumstantial ~ we never set out for three. Two yes. But not three. And yes it’s a struggle to juggle. At some point there will be two. Not yet. But there will. Only one of them is non negotiable ~ and we go through stages of which of the other two will be the second permanent with one today being a strong contender. But tomorrow ……

When I met Ian nearly three decades ago I was living in a one bedroom flat. No garden. Not even a window box. Ian moved in ~ travelling between his flat in SW london and mine in SE london was a pain. Realising that the papers for your meeting were across London became a pain in the posterior. That your suit was not where it should be.

Ian wanted to buy a house somewhere but we didn’t want to move in London and at that stage we weren’t sure if the relationship would last ~ Which now nearly thirty years later is hilarious.

So Ian bought the cottage so we could work in London and stay at the flat. Then head off to the cottage on a Thursday or Friday ~ us and the two cats. To a cottage furnished with second hand furniture and a decent sized garden. Ten years later we bought the cottage next door and to quote the Spice girls “Two became one’.

So if you want to be pedantic. It’s 4. The gardens were merged together so technically it’s one ~ I’ll stop as I’m confusing myself. And this continued for the next 24 years until we threw a spanish spanner in the works. Which added to retirement changed everything.

Though I had loved helping my parents garden when I was living at home I hadn’t had a garden myself for a long time. Finally we moved from the flat ~ now I’m not one for a massive change so we moved a couple of hundred yards down the road to a house and we have been here 17 years. See how I don’t like change. To a house. With a garden. Madness.

Those that know understand it’s more a patio garden here. Tiny. Though big enough for us to dig up a cooker ! ( yes, honestly) and all manner of things when we started to renovate the house.

The question I get asked is ” Are the gardens different? ” Umm. Chalk cheese and concrete come to mind. A cottage garden. A small patio garden and a hot Mediterranean garden. Somerset has fabulous soil. London I garden in pots. Spain. I garden with pick axes. In Somerset we have sufficient water. In Spain water is a luxury. We have some common plants in all three gardens. Agapanthus is the main one. Honeysuckle is another. Salvia Amistad.

The cottage garden

When we bought no 3 the cottage garden was in good shape except for a hideous hedge that had grown into trees at the bottom of the garden. Eventually they came out. The borders widened. Fruit trees planted ~ some do well. Some will be replaced. The plums are pretty non existent but the apples do well. Gooseberries. Raspberries. Red currants blunder through and need a good prune and a bit of tlc. This years crop sit in the freezer ready for a day of red currant jelly Making.

All we did when we bought no 4 was to remove the fence. It was that easy. I remember on completion day going straight out and started taking the fence down. Like an animal marking the boundaries.

View from the bedroom

These photographs were taken in July this year. Our first visit to the cottage in 6 months following lockdown. During lockdown we stayed in London but the grass was cut and some weeding done ~ trust me we have the National collection of ground elder and bindweed. No matter how much we have tried it comes back. And back again. Usually with a vengeance. ~ I’ve learnt not to stand too still for too long. Otherwise it’s up to my waist. I’d managed to prune the roses so we had had a good first flush. To be fair a number need replacing but that goes onto a list of things to do. Of which I have three separate lists. Obviously. And that’s just gardening lists.

We have a tsunami of golden rod. I hate it and I’m forever pulling it up and disposing of it. It’s fine in places. But. ,,,,,,, to be honest it’s got to go.

The garden has suffered over the last three years as I have split my time unequally but hopefully we are now in a pattern where we can get back on top of it. Funny that I’d said that at the start of the year and then look what happened.

I’d spent some time in February doing some work on the garden and our summer was planned. August and September in Somerset. How things changed.

View from the river

The garden falls down to a small river. Come the Summer you can walk across it and not get your feet wet. We are in a valley and after heavy rains the little Pitt fills up pretty quick. This picture is when we had the steps put in ~ a few years ago. It needs a bit of a tidy now. Can you imagine Ian and I sat here with a glass of wine on a balmy evening? I wouldn’t. It doesn’t happen. If you ever see a public display of affection I’ll slip you a fiver.

It’s usually me trying to get a phone signal standing on one leg on the bench waving my hands in the air. Not a pretty sight and not the thing to do when the bench really needs replacing.

I started to cut things back in July ~ but remember we hadn’t been here been for 6 months. Plants don’t stop growing in a pandemic! Especially in a wet Somerset garden.

WC anyone?

Need the loo anyone? The old loo 100 ft down the garden close to the river for obvious reasons. No signs of that today ~ Funny enough we have loos indoors.

The door needs repairing and that clump of Crocosmia splitting as it never flowers.

Ian’s not running away. Not this time. We worked hard as a team in February. I didnt throw my toys out of the pram once. Well maybe a rattle and a dummy but we didn’t stop. He did keep saying when are you off to Spain. I’d like to think he was just checking dates but in reality he knew once I was away he could sit and relax.

Umm. We were busy ~ so busy that my godson came along with his tractor to take away the garden rubbish.

But despite the neglect we have worked hard to get some normality back. A boot full of new plants from the plant stand at Ultimg Wick and our friend Phillipa Burrough and some canna and agapanthus from Todds Botanics together with some plants that have done well despite the neglect we have made a start. Next is to plant some daffodil and narcissi bulbs but bulbs aren’t great in the garden. The ground can get too wet. But il going to have another bash.

I am yet to see the result of the July work and planting as I’ve been away for over 8 weeks and I’m now in quarantine for two. But I have had some photographs. The friend who sent them mentioned the grass needed cutting and she would get onto it. Which is easy as it’s her husband who does it. I shall be back shortly and again it will be a week of gardening.

Thankfully we don’t have a front garden. . The cottage opens onto the lane with a small gravel border. In the spring it’s planted with tulips. In the summer generally geraniums but again this year it’s not been a normal year. So it was agapanthus. Did I mention I like agapanthus.

I did manage to plant the tulips in the Autumn. Ok. I admit it. I’m a bit of a show off. I plant all new tulips each year ~ all in pots so it’s easy. I’ve tried explaining to Ian that it will look good and he just raises an eyebrow. Until he sees them and I get the eyebrow of approval. If he saw the invoice for the spring bulbs he would raise both.

This year I had to rely on friends and neighbours for photographs and a friend who runs past the cottage most days ~ not because she’s scared ~ she’s a runner ~ who posts the photos of the tulips on Instagram and tags me.

This year we missed flowering in Somerset and in Spain. Sad but the joy the photographs from both gardens and the thoughtfulness of friends was heart lifting. Good friends and good neighbours are worth their weight in gold. So are fabulous bulbs from Peter Nyssen.

These are some of the photos that were sent to me during lockdown. Good neighbours and friends ~ who obviously watered them through the weeks and months we weren’t able to be there. Using water from Jacks Shute just across from the cottage which has lovely spring water. Quite where it comes from we don’t know. I just wish I had a similar water source in Spain.

Previous year tulips

We have planted agapanthus this year in pots at the front of the cottage as we were too late for geraniums! Big tall white agapanthus which will be used again. We had ordered from our friends at Todds Botanics. I had a message from the courier. I called back and he said he had delivered the plants. I opened the door. Nothing. I called back. He was adamant he’d delivered. So he sent me a photo. He was right. To london and they were there on the doorstep waiting for me. Me. I was 125 miles away ! Schoolboy error. Mine.

To be continued.

Part2. London.

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Lockdown in London

What a difference a week makes. One week we were in Mexico City slightly (me hugely) worrying if we would get home. Normally I wouldn’t have minded being delayed for a month in Mexico. But not in the current climate! I had visions of being locked down there unable to get back. Other guests at the fabulous b&b from Canada had been advised to return. Airports were closing. Flights cancelled. Choices limited. But thankfully our flight was fine and we arrived back to London with a week or so to spare before we went into lockdown. Phew.

Had we had time we would have decamped to the cottage in Somerset. But in reality and in retrospect staying put has been the best decision. We can and do walk to the local shops. We have a brilliant butcher. Greengrocer. Pharmacy. All within 10 mins walk. We also have Kings hospital close by in case of emergencies.

I so wanted to start the dance from The Full monty in this queue on Saturday. Could you imagine Ian’s face? Especially as one of the debit card transactions was declined. You know the ones. They decline. Send a text to check and say you have to confirm in 2 mins. You don’t get the text until 10 later. Worse thing was I’d left my wallet at home and was using Ians card. I was in the shop. He was outside.

I’ve used deliveries from our local farm shop in Somerset. From our local coffee roasters in Bruton. We haven’t wanted for anything. Well that’s not quite true. The occasional bag of flour. And a week on my own (there I’ve said it). Whilst waiting at the airport to fly home I ordered bags of flour online and I will continue to use them post lockdown. However that may be. I will also at the end of lockdown have that week on my own.

The major benefit of lockdown is that we have been in one place for longer than I have been in the last 5 years. The opportunity to spend some time in the tiny garden here. Rather than there. Or there. It is tiny but I’m so glad to have some outside space. The other benefit has been seeing the tulips slowly open. Then boom. An explosion and a riot of colour. Normally we would have been away at this time of year for Easter. Easter is huge in Spain with the Semana Santa celebrations in every Pueblo Blanco and town and it’s amazing to be part of the community for these festivals. Oh. And I love our little pueblo blanco.

I have filled my Instagram timeline with tulips. More tulips. And even more tulips. I make no excuses as they have been amazing this year. My brother told me ‘ at least you’ll soon move onto agapanthus’. I will but I will be missing the allium segment, and the explosion of wild flowers on the roundabout which isn’t a roundabout in Spain.

I get my tulips from Peter Nyssen where Karen is one of the most helpful people you can find. Last year we saw this tulip at Phillipa Burrough’s open day for the NGS. Phillipa is an inspiration and I love her garden both at tulip time and for the summer explosion of planting. This tulip ~ not this actual one obviously ~ was in a pot by the greenhouse. I fell in love with it. Tall. Big. Bonkers. I knew I wanted to try it in pots for the front garden here and in the cottage pots. I also planted a few in Spain which flowered, but tulips never flower as well there. We don’t get that cold snap in the Autumn.

I added Tulip Uncle Tom to the pots which is another one I hadn’t grown before. Turns out it’s one I will grow again. A lovely peony type with a shiny looking petal in deep red. Opens up beautifully.

Tulip Uncle Tom

I also used it in the window boxes and the colour selection has been great. I’d like

To say it was a considered and measured plan. To be honest the tulips sat in their box in a spare bedroom and I planted late again. So come planting I first took the box to Somerset and planted the pots and brought what was left back to London.

I haven’t grown Angelique for a few years as I found it had lost a bit of its charm but I decided to give it a go again. Sometimes you grow the same one as you know it works. It’s been a corker in the window boxes but is now going over. One for next year but not for the window box. I have to change them year on year.

Tulip Angelique

The window box combination are all of a peony type which I particularly like. When they open fully they are all big, blousy and a bit of a show off. Belle Époque, Uncle Tom, Angelique and Copper Image. In lockdown and because we have been here more and on the front garden the comments have been brilliant. Except the comment by one passing couple. Lovely roses he said as he continued walking. I didn’t get the chance to correct him.

Tulips hocus pocus opened slightly later than the others and has lasted slightly longer. It needs sun to open fully but when it does it’s pretty large.

Tulip Hocus Pocus
London tulip pots

As well as planting here in London I plant tulips outside the cottage in Pitcombe. I planted in late November and December and the last time I was there, just before we left for Mexico, they were growing but not open or anywhere near it. Sadly with lockdown there was no way we were going to see them. But worry not. Our neighbour has watered them. Our friends when out walking and passing the cottage watered them ~ we are lucky that we have a fresh water spring called Jacks Shute for them to get water. So there has been socially distancing watering!

As well as the generosity of friends and neighbours we have been so fortunate to be sent photographs. To have Instagram posts. E mails and what’s app messages. It has brought us such joy in seeing them in the photographs even though we couldn’t see them in person. You can’t beat good neighbours and friends.

The cottage tulips.

Pitcombe tulip pots

Now all I need to do on the tulip front is to decide on the tulip colours and combinations for next year. I have made a start on my list with new colours and new tulips recommended to me by various friends and gardeners but no doubt I will change my mind. Just the once or twice before during and after ordering.

Back in London Ian said at the start of the lockdown ‘at least you won’t spend as much’ But at the end of the first week he muttered. ‘How many more deliveries are you expecting’ Today he said is that the last of the orders. No. I said. We have one more tomorrow. Then remembered the herb order for next week. What he doesn’t know is that as soon as we get to go to Somerset we will be starting all over again.

It’s been an opportunity of being in one place to do the things that have been on the “to do list” for a while. So paint was ordered. Floor paint. Paint for the window sills. Paint was delivered. Week 6 it’s still unopened. I need to move the window boxes after the tulips have finished and before the summer ones are planted. I have no excuse for the floors. Except diversion tactics. I’d rather be in the garden.

Plants have been delivered. Gaura from Burncose. Herbs from Pepperpot. Perennials from Todds Botanics. Hardenbergia from Fibrex. That’s it I told him. No more. Then a 4ft tree fern arrived from Todds.

4ft tree fern log from Todds Botanics

The one delivery he didn’t comment on. But the one thing he’s got involved in and had me moving half the pots around the garden to accommodate ‘his’ tree fern. We have yet to plant it. But he’s decided where it’s going which meant moving two others around in the bargain. I have said no more.

The garden is tiny but is packed with pots. A large oblong planter of narcissi. Much later than usual and only now going over. Quite what I’ll put in there under lockdown though is yet to be determined. But will depend on what I can get Ooh. I’ve just remembered. I have another plant delivery. Salvias from Middletons.

I will move the tulips and narcissi to the Somerset garden which needs some TLC. It looks like we may be spending the summer there. We have a lot of work to do but needs must and if we are unable to travel then we will make the most of the time.

We have one single climbing rose in the garden in a pot which blooms like crazy. The jasmine was planted in a small pot and is now 25ft up the down-pipe. The scent from it is stunning on a warm evening. This will be followed on with jasmine clotted cream and then traechospermum with its gentle star like flowers.

But it’s not been all gardening. We have lurched from one meal to another. Breakfast merging into lunch then into supper. With snacks all the way through. The builders are on notice to widen the doors after lockdown. Here and there. There and here. I’ve gone through three stages of clothes. Fat fatter and enormous. There has been cooking. A lot of cooking. And eating. Menu planning. Shopping.

I think Ian and I invented social distancing. We have been practicing it for years. On our walks for sure. We have taken it to another level with Continental social distancing. One of us in the Uk. One in Spain.

The cats are confused. Why are you still here? Any chance you can go out for more of an hour a day. Go away for a week or two. All this attention is a bit much. Your getting under our feet.

I’m missing the garden in Spain as well as our Spanish framily, but we keep in touch with face time. Messenger. What’s app. It was three years ago this week that we signed the documents to start a new adventure and it seems like only yesterday. So much has happened in those three years. Visitors. Friendships. Gardening.

Our friends and neighbours in Spain have had it harder under lockdown. Much harsher. Not allowed out for exercise at all. One person to go shopping. Fined. Military patrolling the Pueblo blancos.

But they now have a plan. This weekend they were allowed out to walk – restricted to 1km to their home – no driving to a spot then walking ~ and the restrictions will be progressively lifted over three phases. Quite when we will be back is uncertain. But the certainty is we will in whatever way is allowable.

I’d planted a lot of new things in the garden. Things I won’t see this year. The new gaura as part of the lavender path. New alliums. New salvias. I have had photos and a video sent. I’ve heard the elusive black and white bird of paradise Is about to flower ; last year it didn’t. This is it in 2018.

But. We’ve have stayed at home. We’ve social distanced. We’ve clapped on a Thursday. We have washed hands. Smothered ourselves in sanitiser. Social distanced. Followed the rules. If we have to do that for a few more weeks then so be it. We are lucky. We are here. We are healthy.

The only question is. Which one of us will go mad first. The jury is out.

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London. Somerset. Spain.

We are back in London having spent a few weeks in Spain. We certainly weren’t singing Viva España when we left. Sunny Spain. The previous two weeks had given us patchy weather. Not an issue normally as it would give me a chance to do some gardening jobs.

But we had a visitor. Who likes the sun. It was there. Just a bit like hide and seek. Now you see me. Now you don’t. Enough. Back to London.

Um. What a difference. I’d left Spain in bright sunshine. Shorts. Sandals. No socks though. Back in jeans and a jumper. With the heating on.

I was intrigued about the garden. Was it still ok. What was dying back. I felt the same arriving in Spain after being away for 6 weeks. The longest I’ve left it since we bought la casa in May 2017. It was fine. I’d lost some lavender. Why I have no idea. But it was fine.

The London garden was lush. Very green. Some colour but the foliage had gone bonkers.

It’s been a good year for my canna and the bananas. Possibly as I’ve been better at watering them. And feeding. Regularly. When we got back it was all very green. And still growing like crazy. The cannas has finished flowering. I have my eye on a few more for next year.

The red banana has gone crazy. What started as a small pot plant has just grown and grown. Much better than the one in the garden in Spain. But I suspect it’s the water. More in London. I’m not sure I’ll be able to overwinter this one. If I don’t I’ll treat them like an annual. If they can put this amount of growth in a season than that’s fine for me

So I don’t think I’ve mentioned I love agapanthus for a while.

Well I do. This is one of the tallest whites we have. Name unknown. One we bought as cheap as chips at Columbia Road market. Flowered for ages. Big fat white flower heads. Now we have the seed heads so I want to collect some seed to take to Spain. I’d really love to get the height of some of these in one part of the garden. Agapanthus do brilliantly in Spain. Not that I’m complaining with the London crop. They have been great. I’m thinking I have to divide some of the pots this year but I hate doing it but needs must.

No not the Mediterranean. But sunny Peckham. This is a citrus tree I bought years ago and it flowers well in a pot. But rarely fruits. When it does it’s exciting but the little fruits are. Well little. But fun.

As a homage to Spain I have a number of succulents – some in pots on the fence and wall. These are all doing great and I have been adding to the collection. I’m thinking I may take a note from Jack Wallington and plant up a small window box outside for the kitchen window.

I even have started to have some indoor plants!!

We had a trip to Somerset. A short non gardening visit. One reason was it was too wet. And I needed more than two days to make a start but there was still colour in the garden. That’s my excuse. It wasn’t that I spent the afternoon with Georgie at Common Farm Flowers – honest, and walking around the flower farm admiring the flower beds. In particular the dahlia beds.

I can but dream. I miss my dahlias.

Back to the cottage –

The perennials have covered and smothered the weeds. I can hardly see the ground elder. The bindweed. So for now I can breathe. But not for long once the perennials are cut back – though not before seed heads have fed the birds – I will see the weeds again.

I await the new book from Jack Wallington ‘ wild about weeds’ with anticipation of the way to grow to love them. Jack and Chris stayed in Pitcombe recently and I was worried about the garden. A garden I hadn’t worked in for a few weeks. There were weeds – I have the national collection of ground elder. Quickly followed by bindweed.

I worried at being judged. Little did I know then that Jack was waiting to release the news on his book – and that Jack would embrace the weeds and not judge me. !! Not that Jack & Chris would. But we are all paranoid about our gardens. Aren’t we?

Now I like these. But not all over the garden. This year at clear up time there will be a cull. A large one. They are taller than ever this year and they have flowered and flowered, and spread and spread. A previous gardener used to divide – and plant them in other parts of the garden. Me. I will divide and find homes.

I planted this poppy a couple of years ago. It floundered a bit. But this year has flowered its petals off. And still it continues. It’s such a shame poppies are rubbish as cut flowers. Reminds me. Maybe next year at least one of the 10,000 poppy seeds I scattered on the bank in Spain may at least flower. I’m not holding my breath – nothing ha appeared in two years.

I never expected to see berries on the honeysuckle. Don’t ask why. I don’t have an answer but I didn’t. And there are. Adds some colour!

Some of the perennials are dying back slowly. But as soon as there is a frost they will be gone over night. The few dahlia I have in the garden will be mush.

I missed the grapes. The constant rain recently had made the majority mouldy. So not chateau Pitcombe this year. Not even enough for my usual grape and rosemary jelly.

But then comes the new opportunities. The new bulbs to plant!!

I have received the bulbs for London and Somerset from Peter Nyssen as usual.

The plan is being made. The tulips for London window boxes. The tulips for the Somerset pots. Yes. I have a plan. Surprisingly a planting plan.

I may even remember which tulips are planted where. There are some old favourites this year. Belle Époque. Angelique, which I’m trying again after a disappointing year a few years ago. New ones. Tulip Copper image – Tulip Uncle Tom.

And one I’m particularly excited about – tulip hocus pocus. I saw this at the open day for the NGS at Ulting Wick and I thought it was fabulous. Tall. Large flowers and totally bonkers. I’m still at odds as to where they will go but as they are so showy I suspect they will be at the front of the house and cottage. A bit of a show off. Me! Yes.

I have spent the day tidying the small patio garden in London. By small. I mean small. I have moved the important things. The chimenea for Harry the cat. Who has decided that he likes being out in the rain as long as he can watch it from the cover of his den.

I head to Spain this week. Friends say aren’t you lucky to have three very different gardens. The answer is a resounding yes. And a resounding no. London really manages itself. It’s small. Everything is in pots. No grass to cut. Little weeding. Lots of watering. It’s an easy garden. Perfect for its size.

Somerset has a lawn. Perennial beds. Fruit trees. And compared to London time consuming and at times hard work. No. At all tomes when you are an absentee gardener. I’m having to think hard about Somerset and it’s planting and maintainence and accept I can’t do it all by myself.

Spain. Oh. How I love the garden. But it’s challenging in may different ways. The heat. The drought. Getting the watering right whilst I’m away. Choosing the right plants. Understanding the pruning of almonds. Of níspero. Of the 3 orange trees.

As I head back I’m excited as well as worried as always to see what I’ll find behind the gates. It’s been very dry again. Very warm. A little rain. That didn’t touch the sides. But. Of course it is forecast to rain for two days when I arrive. But we need the rain. The garden needs the rain. My bulb order should arrive as well so if the ground is wet then maybe. Just maybe I won’t need a pick axe for planting.

I’ve already been told that there is a lot of work to be done. The garden has been watered. But nothing else. So I will have my work cut out. In between tapas and vodka caramelo of course. And a trip by train to Córdoba.