Tulips – 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 October 9, 2024October 9, 2024 by happyretiredblog

Decisions decisions.

How hard can it be choosing bulbs to flower in April and May 2025. Let me tell you this year it has been a complete nightmare. Why? Me being so late in making decisions. Or making them in July and not ordering.

Sometimes life takes over and things get in the way. Some out of your control some that aren’t. There’s been a lot going on. Some good. Some not so good. Some still unresolved.

Have I said I like tulips? Of course I have. From now until March I will occasionally mention them. Come April and May as long as things go well ~ and one never knows ~ I probably won’t shut up.

We only have a narrow bit of space at the front of the cottages to do any planting. We took up the flower beds a few years ago as they made the walls damp. Put some gravel down and started with a few pots which seem to have grown in number. Both in pot number and the number of bulbs which I seen to stuff into them year after year.

In the early years I was a little more reserved. Both in numbers of pots. Of number of tulips and certainly of colours.

How it continued

Then the number of pots increased as well as the number of bulbs I managed to stuff in them until I couldn’t get any more in. How many do you plant I’ve been asked. Depends how many I can shove in each pot is my reply.

This year there has been an added problem. Some bulbs are in shorter supply generally due to growing issues and to be fair I was warned early on in the review process. I generally start looking at this years bulbs as soon as the previous years bulbs are in flower. Checking out on others choices from Instagram posts making a note of the ones that catch my eye and tickle my fancy. And the list is started.

Later come the discussions with my partner in crime ~ Siobhan and a check with Benjamin to see what his thoughts are too. It’s a process. May sound a bit OTT but generally it’s fun. Which this year has gone a bit belly up. Whose fault~ mine. And if it’s going to go belly up make sure it’s a big belly.

There’s no point in making a list in July and not ordering then. I came to order last week to find twelve of my first choices were out of stock. I rejigged the order to find a further four became out of stock.

Ian thinks I’m bonkers. I look at the tulips I like and make a long list. Chosen on colour and shape ignoring availability. Then the early flowering varieties are discounted. I prefer my tulips flowering in late April and May for the cottage pots. We only get sun for half of the day at anytime of the year at the front of the cottage and they brighten up the drab corner of the hamlet.

Then it’s a look at height. Too short are discounted. Unless I really like them and then they go to the London window box list. A much shorter list.

Then I discount some I have grown before. It’s good to have some changes ~ says a man who hates any change. I like to have some old reliable favourites though but this year I have been stumped on one. I love tulip brown sugar which is out of stock with my main go to supplier. I have looked elsewhere and quickly said no. I found some but at a price I’m not prepared to pay. I may like them but not at any price. I will miss their colour and scent.

Then comes putting all the colours together to get the mix I want. Putting photos together to see the effect. To be fair it’s a process which I enjoy. But to be honest when I get to plant I have a plan. Which starts well.

Three pots in it’s like I never had a plan ~ the rest of the pots are thrown together. Not literally but the planting is a bit haphazard. Colour-wise at least.

The only thing I try is to get the height right and that the left and the right pots are largely symmetrical.

My orders are in. I’m not looking at anymore websites. Catalogues. Friends Instagram pages. Nothing. ~ I can’t order any more.

Unless I see ‘the’ one I must have. At a cost I’m happy to pay. Or ones that I’m lead astray with by Siobhan. But I am equally guilty of that. I’ll message. Have you seen this one ~ it’s fabulous. The next thing she’s ordered 30. And vice versa.

I did realise after the final order went in I had missed a new one from last year. Of course I had to order it didn’t I? That was the last last one. For now.

But I’ve ordered it from a supplier I don’t usually use. Fingers crossed I get what I’ve ordered. Fingers crossed I get the delivery’s too. The first has arrived. The second is on its way with a delivery company I only use if I have to, or are forced to by the supplier.

I’ve not ordered many parrots this year ~ mine weren’t great last year to be honest and as I like to have a great show of colour and need reliability then it’s best to ignore past failures.

Some new favourites for this year.

Whilst saying no parrots this one has gone in the order.

I’ve liked Angeligue in the past but it’s not been great in the last few years. This princess has multiple flower heads. Let’s see how it grows.

I could go on and on.

There are many colours. Many shapes but I’ll leave it until April when hopefully they will be in flower. As the lovely Karen at Peter Nyssen says when the dolly mixture colours are all in full show. Peter Nyssen have been my go to supplier for many years and Karen is awesome.

One year I may take the problem down a level. Order all the same tulips for 15 large pots. Maybe. But I doubt it.

Posted on April 13, 2024April 15, 2024 by happyretiredblog · 1 Comment

Have I said I like Tulips?

It’s peak tulip time. For me it’s probably two weeks earlier than normal. Or maybe it just feels like that after such a wet and miserable Autumn and Winter. Wet ~ the ground in the garden has been saturated for months. So wet in a different climate we could grow rice. The garden is a dreary place when it’s so wet , but it has been unseasonably mild. Few frosts and none I can think of as being harsh.

But the joy of the spring season for me is tulip time. The planning back in September of the colours, the varieties has long been forgotten. The planting plan carefully considered back in November written down by pot number ~ there are 15 large pots to consider for Pitcombe – not as many for London. The planting plan roughly adhered to for the five minutes and then it’s abandoned.

But whatever the colours it makes me happy. Some years happier than others. Some years planting is loud. This year I think it’s a bit more subdued. Not so many oranges. Which reminds me. Where are the ballerina ~ tulips not actual ballerinas ~ that I planted.

Next year maybe it will be just one colour. Different shapes. Different shades. Big and bold. Maybe not.

In the words of the late Larry Grayson ‘shut that door’ . You can tell I’m no influencer with perfect posts and photos. I would have staged it better and shut the door. The pots are at the front of the stone cottages and as it was once two separate there are two front doors.

When I order the bulbs back in September it’s a mix of what I may have planted previously if I really like them and they perform well. The front of the cottage gets mid morning sun and is in shade for the afternoon. In a way that’s perfect and the flowering seems to last longer. They open beautifully but aren’t open all day as they would be if planted at the back of the cottage. I generally don’t plant bulbs in the back garden as it’s too wet. Great soil but it’s next to the river and when it’s wet. It’s wet.

I seem to add Brown sugar ~ for avoidance of doubt the tulip not actual sugar, I may be a bit bonkers but ~ to the mix most years. It’s a glorious tall strong stemmed in a gorgeous colour. And it also has a bit of a scent. You do need to get up close and personal and shove your nose in to get the scent but it’s worth it. Although on a really warm still day you do get a whiff.

A new one this year which is better than I thought it would be is Tulip Spryng break. The description from Peter Nysen is spot on. ‘Shades of red, white, pink and yellow. Tulip Spryng Break is a beautiful chameleon tulip, the colours will change almost daily as the flower matures for the white flamed red to white flamed rose to fuchsia pink with a soft yellow base in the inside ‘.

I wasn’t sure when I ordered it but it’s definitely a stand out this year in the pots. Each flower looks different.

I am not a great labeller. To be honest I’m rubbish and I keep saying this year and this year has been no exception. I’m still rubbish. The generosity of friends and of Karen at Peter Nyssen continue to tell me what I don’t know. Names.

Like this one. So far still unknown but very pretty.

Another new one this year which reminds me of the Honka Dahlias is tulip Go Go red and it’s had the Ian seal of approval. I like it as it’s unusual ~ maybe I’d like it a bit bigger. A bit more blousey. But it will be grown again.

One of the earlier ones to come out was tulip Tulip ‘Mystic van Eijk’. I’ve not grown it before but definitely will again. It’s tall. Has withstood the wind and is a really pretty colour. A lot of people have stopped and asked what it is.

More cottage views

Views from 3/4

I like to check out tulips that I haven’t grown or haven’t seen growing. Usually I plant a few in a pot just to see if I like them. This year I have just planted them in pots. One that I will grow again next year is Tulip Green mile. A funky looking bud before it opens and a treat when it does. Green with some yellow and is another new one that I will use again.

Talking of yellow ~ this is one that’s pretty. Frilly. Yellow ~ but I’m not a big fan.

I’m not big fan of yellow tulips in general other than Tulip West Point which reminds me it hasn’t appeared this year. It’s a tall lily flowered pointy tulip and is a great colour. Which means trouble as it’s one of Ian’s favourites.

Another group missing are the parrots. I think this may be Roccoco double ~ another I’m not sure of. But there should be a few more parrots amongst the pots. Maybe they have flown. Or I planted them upside down.

Back in London for the fitting of a new carpet. A 3 hour drive last night ~ to find first thing this morning it’s cancelled for today and only after I had moved the pots from the path to avoid any disasters. Rescheduled ~ I’m hopeful for tomorrow.

So what do you do when you have time in your hands. Photograph the London tulips.

I grew this in the window boxes last year and loved it. Tulip cabana. I planted the window boxes but this year they have been relegated to the path. We have had the house painted and nothing not even the tulips are going anywhere near the window sills.

I do have a few parrots starting to emerge here though. Is this tulip Rasta parrot? Maybe.

I’ve trialled ( fancy name for it really) some new reds in the pits along with some I grew last year. I’d tell you what they are but you probably know by now I’m a rubbish labelled. Some reds I have planted are Abba which this is not , pretty woman which I really like and which this is not as well. But it’s a nice one !

More reds. Maybe just maybe at some point I will plant the 15 Pitcombe pots with various reds. Various shades of red and various shapes. Maybe not but I need to get my thoughts together for next years ordering. There is research to be done.

Not quite red enough me thinks.

For now the pots have been moved and will be put back by the end of the week ~ and stay until the petals drop which on some of the earlier pots are starting now. All the effect. The planning. The worry for such a short flowering season ~ but sorry not sorry. It will happen all over again this time next year !

Posted on March 22, 2024March 25, 2024 by happyretiredblog · 4 Comments

Hello again. Hello.

Blogs can be like buses. You wait ages for one then two come in quick succession.

It was an early start to drive down to Somerset from London on Friday. Early as in 5am. Mad. Yes. But it beats the traffic. The downside. 20mph speed limits from south to west London. A few little bits of 30mph. But at that time of the morning you try sticking to 20mph ~ but needs must. There are cameras everywhere.

Surprise surprise. No rain all the way. No rain when we got here. And a few hours in the garden. Weeding. Pruning. With sunshine.

I have the national collection of bindweed. You blink and more appears. It’s all been dug out at some point, but in reality you’ll never get rid of it all.

But I’ll battle on. There’s no option.

I’m easily pleased. Let’s talk logs. I’m never happier than when the log store is full ~ today we had a delivery. Probably the last until the summer months when we will stock up. Delivered in a dumpy bag on a tractor and is local. The only downside is that we have to carry it through the house ~ not the dumpy bag the wood ~ and then stack it.

I can’t remember the last time I saw blue skies. But for a while today the sun was out and the sky was blue.

The few plum trees we have are in blossom and the one by the river looks awesome against the blue sky

I’m hoping the worst of the frosts have passed and we may get plums. When we moved here 30 years ago there were wonderful plum trees at the bottom of the garden. But they too were next to the river and we are in a valley which is prone to hard frosts in usual years. The early blossom gets hit hard. But my favourite plums were the ones that used to hang over the lane from one of the cottages. Gorgeous yellow plums which if my memory serves me right were plentiful – maybe yellow pershore.

I must ask if they are still in that garden. Grandad has some awesome plum trees on the farm which made some great jam. That’s the benefit of being in the country. Gifts of apples and pears arrive when there is a glut. We spend weeks juicing the apples and making jam with the plums.

I’ve said it before and as I’m prone for repetition I’ll say it again. I’m not a huge lover of mahonia. But sometimes the colour hits the right spot.

My order from Riverside bulbs arrived today ~ well packed and labelled. Well arrived at Granny’s as it safer to leave parcels there.

Now to pot them up. Along with the new canna. Canna Wyoming and Black Jack. The canna did really well in the garden last year and look like they may have survived in the ground. I like the tallest ones I can get and both of these are tall. With great flower colours.

Oh and I need to plant the acindenthera ~ all 100 of them. To be honest why did I buy them? I am no fan of small bulbs yet I do it regularly. Drumstick allium are another pet hate for planting. Yet I love them when they flower.

Talking is small bulbs can I mention Bessera Elegans. To look at the bulbs it wouldn’t be wrong to think hello. What on earth is he waxing lyrical about the lovely flowers. Then you get the growth. Again you’d think I was bonkers. I know. Don’t say it. Tall thin blade like bits of grass. The first time I grew them I was about to ditch them. But forgot and went away for two weeks. They are really fab when they flower. But another small bulb.

This doesn’t look like your average dahlia but that’s what attracted me to it. That and the colours. It’s a bit echinacea like. I have grown to love Dahlia after hating them as a child. My parents grew them and I hated them ~ mostly cactus dahlia which were brilliant for hiding earwigs. I’d shake them when asked to carry cut ones into the house to get rid of the earwigs. Sometimes so hard I snapped the flower. But a question. Where have all the earwigs gone? I can’t remember the last time I saw one. Not just in a dahlia but in the garden.

The ferns at the bottom of the garden are beginning to multiply in a patch that I’d love more. It’s shaded. Damp and next to an old apple tree smothered in rambling rector. Which last year was fabulous but needs a serious prune this year. The rector. Not the apple tree which is dead.

The most vicious rose in the garden. I’ve never seen so many and such large vicious thorns on a rose bush. I swear it moves when you are near and jabs you.

The dandelions are appearing and are one of the first pollinators available for the emerging butterflies and bees. Along with

The pulmonaria is another great early pollinator ~ some patches haven’t fared as well this year. I suspect some on the river bank may have been washed away when we had a few occasions when the river was high. I’ve noticed varying degrees of colour in the flowers. From lilac to pink.

I planted quite a few allium in the autumn ~ I don’t have a great success rate in this garden with them. Too wet in the winter and spring but somehow this year a lot are doing well. Allium summer drummer a really tall one is running away with itself. In the garden in Spain it is the most reliable one every year. Let’s see how they fair at flowering.

One of last years poppies which has survived the winter. I think it’s a red and I bought two. Both of which have survived. I’ve added three Pattys plum which we had in the garden decades ago and bought from the old Hadspen gardens (now The Newt) from the wonderful Sandra and Norrie Pope. The poppy was found growing on a compost heap at a Somerset nursery when Sandra Pope was working for Patrica Merrow and named after her.

So a Somerset poppy!

If you can get your hands on the Popes wonderful book colour by design do.

I bought a new sanguisorbia at the plant fair last week. Another lilac squirrel which did so well last year and I’m happy to see that the various varieties I planted last year are already showing their leaves. It’s such a distinctive leaf which is good for me as I don’t easily recognise some plants !

I’ve finally realised that lavender is no good in this garden. It is too wet in the winter and too cold. I’m going to try rosemary along a path this year, something I have done in Spain.

The first of them to go in. A couple of upright and a couple of creeping.

And so it begins. Much earlier than usual to be honest. My tulips don’t usual appear until mid April but then again a lot is earlier this year. I can’t wait to see the colours as of course my well thought out and structured planting plan went out of the window. As it does every year.

Back to the back garden. I have to ignore the lower half of the garden by and large whilst I concentrate on the upper part getting c it ready for the spurt of growth for the perennials. I have pruned and dug over the fruit bush bed and the black and red currants have started into leaf. So have the red and green gooseberries. Note to self. Plant more red ones. They don’t get from the bush to the house. I eat them.

The perennials are forcing their way through. The astrantia always do well in this garden. I’d like to say the Astrantia Hadspen blood have come through. But I don’t know. Would be good if I kept a plan. Or labelled better. But I don’t.

This one is Astrantia beenthereforever. As in it has been there since we moved in here. 30 years ago.

Another plant that has been here for decades is this clump of persicaria. It should really be divided but that’s a job for another day. Or week.

There are quite a few clumps of white phlox in the borders. Always grows well here, great for cut flowers along with the pink phlox. I keepM

A ing to add a few more colours.

Something else we lost over time ~ the black elderflower ~ sambucus Nigra ~ so I planted a new one in a different spot last autumn. I love the colour of the leaves and the I love the pinky black flowers. Makes a lovely pink elderflower cordial. .

There are a few areas that are a problem. The ground elder has gone crazy and that is a challenge for when I feel up to it. I have dug an area for a dahlia bed but keep changing my mind. Maybe here. Nah be there and one has been dug over. The other is a work in progress. A huge one. Like climbing Everest.

So by the time I am back there will be more weeds. More growth on the perennials. But. There was a window of opportunity for one of my favourite jobs. The first grass cut of 2024. We had a good dry day on Friday and was hoping for another Saturday. But. Short bursts of torrential showers with spells of sunshine and heavy hail made me think it would be a big no this weekend. But Sunday proved to be a belter. A bit cold but with a drying wind proved perfect. A huge surprise in that the petrol mower started first time and I managed to get a decent first cut. Yet another thing in life that makes be happy. Next job. The edges.

All in all a really productive few days.

Posted on March 19, 2024March 22, 2024 by happyretiredblog

The wet country

It’s been another wet few weeks. I don’t think there’s been a day without some rain. Some days more than others. Whilst in Spain there has been about 2 days only in the last few weeks. Mind you when it rains it rains. It’s not just on the plain either. One day last week there was 71mm of the wet stuff and they say the reservoirs will be collecting for the next 2/3 weeks. But it will only make a marginal difference to the levels. Whilst in Somerset aka the wet country it is the complete opposite. The ground is still soggy. The river flowing fast and dirty. The run off from the fields continues.

But first there was London. Not as wet. But wet enough.

It’s time to poo my plants. A bit earlier than usual but the plants are all in pots and I’m sure the constant rains have washed all the goodness out of the pots. So alpaca food for the Agapanthus it is. And alpaca nuts for the tree ferns. I have been bold and taken out the straw ~ so get your hats and coats ready. The weather is bound to turn around and get frosty. For now they will remain fleeced.

I’ve checked the straw. You don’t want icy straw. I am hoping the worst of the frosts have been and gone. But to be honest there haven’t been many, if any in the tiny London garden. It’s very sheltered.

Have I mentioned I like tulips. Maybe once or twice.

For the next few months I might mention tulips and agapanthus a fair bit. Before I start on dahlia and canna. Like a broken 78rpm. Ask your mother ~ She will explain the difference between a 78, a 33 & a third and a 45. Maybe ask your grandparents about the 78.

I planted the London pots a bit late. But they are coming along fine – these photos were early March ~ they have grown a fair bit in the last two weeks. Better than the ones in the window box. I’m not sure who has poo’d in the window boxes. It’s either a squirrel or a fox and the jury is out which one. Cyril the squirrel is partial to a dig but I’ve never known him poo in his own pantry. and if it’s him he’s a pretty big squirrel.

So onto the wet country. Wet wet wet. Love is all around. Not in this garden. I’m not loving the wet soggy ground. The constant weeds. The squelching noise as you walk down one end of the garden to another.

The one thing other than the weeds which are doing well are the tulips. I always worry about them ~ will they grow. Will they flower. Will the colours be ok. So far the growth is fine. A little early but fine. I must remember to water them if we have a dry spell. Even though there may be a little rain in the next two weeks it doesn’t always get right into the pots. A hint and a tip from a fellow insta chum.

A reminder of last year’s pots of joy.

I planted this outside the kitchen years ago and kind of forgotten about it. It’s been a bit spindly. A bit unimpressive until this year. It’s full of bud and flowers and is fabulous. I kept saying it’s a Daphne. It’s not. It’s a viburnum. Gorgeous buds and colour as they open.

There have been a few things I have loved and lost in the Somerset garden. A few pairs of secateurs. Glasses. Gardening gloves.

I have said it’s a wet garden. When we first arrived at the cottage 30 years ago ~ I know. We were young then. Sort of ~ there was a lovely yellow ball buddleja in the garden. To be honest I didn’t know what it was then but loved it. A great pollinator and was a mass of flowers. At some point over the last few decades it disappeared. I replaced it with a white one. But I have found both an orange ball buddleja and a buddleja sungold and both are now planted. We used to have a Philadelphus Belle etoile. Lost. But now a new one has been planted. I love the deep coloured throat. And the scent. Hopefully it will survive.

I’ve had a delivery ~ now there’s a surprise ~ from Peter Nyssen ~ dahlia, particularly a selection of Honka, some bessera elegans, Gladioli The Bride and a load of Acidanthera. Which I hate planting. Small bulbs shouldn’t be allowed. Or I should have someone else planting them.

All I need to do is plant them up.

It’s not been all work and no play. We have been for a few walks at The Newt. Cold and damp walks to be fair.

A visit to the first Rare Plant Fair of the season at the Bishops Palace Wells. Great plants from a number of sellers. Did I buy anything? Of course. Two climbing roses, 3 papaver Pattys Plum , the Philadelphus so just a few. But they have all been planted on the day I bought them. That’s a first.

A wander around the palace gardens and the gorgeous colour of the Edgeworthia red dragon. This one goes on the ever growing list of wants. I need two columns. One for the want. One for the where.

There was much more than these two pics. Oh. I forgot the glorious magnolia.

I am hoping for a few drier weeks. To dry out the grass. To cut the grass. To bring on the new shoots of the perennials. And to stop the backbreaking monotony of digging out the bindweed and ground elder. That’s not too much to ask is it?

So a few days in London. No soggy ground. No weeds. But plenty to do in the garden for sure.

Posted on February 29, 2024February 29, 2024 by happyretiredblog · 2 Comments

Let’s get ready to ramble. On ~ & ~ on.

I can’t quite believe we are already two months in to 2024. How did that happen. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind two months. Christmas in London. Finally a new floor laid at the cottage. And endless rain. It never seems stop. That’s in the UK. In Spain it is the polar opposite. In Somerset the ground is so wet that whenever it rains it just runs off. I have had enough now.

In Spain we haven’t had enough. And when we do I cheer. It’s bonkers how different it is. The reservoirs are low. It’s winter and the Costa has water restrictions. It has rained. But it’s few and far between and the forecast there looks like no rain for weeks.

I’ve spent a fair amount of time in Somerset. Work has finished on the new floor and whilst that was happening we has some dry days to get out into the garden. To cut things back. To clear and tidy. The birds had stripped most stuff that could be eaten and it was time to cut the perennials right back. A little earlier than usual I think but with the weather ~ have I mentioned rain – you have to do things when you can. And when we are here. Not there. Or over there.

There’s nothing like a hard frost to make a dull garden look pretty. Not that we have had many frosts to be fair. Not enough in my opinion. But with Ian’s help the garden has been tidied ready for a spring awakening. Roses pruned ~ some within an inch of their life. Apples and pears pruned. Gooseberries and currants pruned. With all the garden waste ~ well nearly all taken to the dump. Which is under threat of closure with council cut backs. Don’t get me started on the logic of then having to drive 13 miles to the alternatives whilst reading the councils green policy. Not whilst driving. That would be foolish.

The grass is green. Still growing but far too wet to cut. The ground is ripe for growing rice this year but at least I can turn the soil over easily unlike in Spain where I need a pick axe to do the same.

I am not keen on mahonia ~ but throw a bit of frost on the leaves and it makes for a good photograph. It’s planted by the river bank and to be honest has never done very much. Possibly due to my neglect but I have given it a bit of TLC and I will see how it goes. It’s only been there for about 25 years.

I’m pretty desperate to get a cut on the grass ~ I’ll keep the bottom of the garden longer and let the daisies stay with a path down the middle. You can’t call it a lawn ~ it’s too embarrassing for a lawn. We have talked about reseeding it. Take out the lumps and bumps but a perfect lawn wouldn’t look right. It’s not a formal garden. It’s a higgledy piggly cottage garden with random planting. Pretty. But random.

It’s a shame the constant rain doesn’t drown the bindweed and the ground elder. It’s a constant battle and one I’ll never completely win. I’m a bit more relaxed about it when the plants hide it but watching it start to poke through is a constant irritant ~ and weeding does my back in.

Things are starting to show their leaves. The phlox is through , the alliums are romping away. Especially summer drummer which is one of the tallest. The pruned roses are showing their leaves. There are buds on the fruit trees.

This is one of a few small clumps of crocus that come year after year. I can’t even remember when and if I planted them. But I’ve obviously moved soil around as they have appeared in a few different places. Always the first thing or one of the first to flower. Bulbs and corms aren’t great in the back garden. The ground is very wet. Very frosted and if they do flower in year 1 they rarely get past that.

The primroses are starting to flower. I remember as a child walking the rusty line ~ an old disused railway line and picking primroses. I’ve planted a few more in the last two years and I’m hoping they will spread.

The only clump of daffodils in the back garden which come back year after year and are planted under the really ancient apple tree. But. They opened and the water from the river flattened them. I lied. I’ve just looked out of the bathroom window and have spied a lone daffodil in another part of the garden.

These are looking sparse around the garden this year. Usually the river bank is covered but the only thing that it’s been covered in over recent months is the river. Not all the time. But I think they have been washed away. Sad as they are great early pollinators. Pulmonaria ~ common lungwort

I always am a little anxious with the tulip pots. Usually right up until flowering. Have I planted enough ~ probably yes as I stuff the pots with as many as I can. Have I planted too many ~ as in have I stuffed them too full. Will they grow ~ have I planted them upside down. At times when there’s no sign of them I think they will flower in OZ.

But they are through and now I’m worrying about ‘are they growing too fast’ and have I been bonkers with the colours. Only time will tell.

This is the difference between a few weeks growth. So far so good.

I was late in planting the tulip pots and window boxes in London but they too are starting to show through. Obviously not as advanced but they are on their way.

I had a spell of buying old chimney pots to use in the back garden in London. It gave some height to the planting. There are now two planted with tulips and three with rosemary by the front door. Recycle reuse. Replant.

I am not a galanthophile ~ we have only one clump in the garden. Which reappears under the old apple tree every year. Yet never bulk up. Every year I think I’ll buy some in the green. But don’t.

The one thing that bulks are the Spanish bluebells. Another must do. Replace with British. But the list is endless. Maybe next year.

It’s a waiting game now. Waiting for things to slowly appear. To flower. To dry up. Or in Spain. To have a soaking.

It’s not been all rain and gardens. There has been some walking. . A visit to the Newt ~ a walk cake and coffee. Once it dries up it’s a nice walk from the cottage along the green lanes but at the moment there is not a chance.

I love this bridge ~ for its shape more than anything else. Not withstanding there’s coffee and cake at the end of it. Or the start depending on which way you approach it.

We ventured further making use of our NT membership. a short drive on a cold and frosty morning to Stourhead.

So there is time now to do some garden planning. The tulips are in and there is nothing I more I can do. Except watch for the poo bags being lobbed into the pots. Yes. It happens.

I’ve dug over what may be a dahlia bed. So spurred on by my friend Siobhan I’ve been on the look out for new dahlia for 2024. Last year I loved the honka’s. So I’ve ordered more from my go to supplier peternyssen

I’m hoping that some of lasts years will have survived. They won’t have died off from frost but they may have rotted. Another waiting game.

More reds and oranges to be bought form Toddsbotanics

The canna last year were excellent. A little late to the party but flowered until the first frosts. Then in a blink of an eye the foliage was mush. I didn’t lift but mulched heavily so again it’s fingers and toes crossed. But whispers I’ve been on the World Wide Web again looking for some new tall ones.

So we head into March. Today’s is a leap year. I wouldn’t mind leaping to sunnier drier days to be honest.

Posted on May 22, 2023May 22, 2023 by happyretiredblog · 2 Comments

Did I say I like Tulips?

I started this blog two weeks ago. But it’s a long story. A lot can happen in two weeks and the blog was put to one side. So as Magnus Magnissson used to say ‘ I’ve started so I’ll finish!

Have I ever say I like tulips? Ok. Maybe a few times. Like a few hundred. I don’t like them I love them. It’s not always been like this though. Once upon a time. A long long time ago I was pretty indifferent. But my fascination has grown. And grown. A bit like dahlias. Without the earwigs.

Back in 2016 it was a sedate few in window boxes in London and the Pitcombe pots. Just a few. At that stage I didn’t realise I could stuff the pots with as many bulbs as I uncoils get in.

In 2017 the pots were stuffed with a few more tulips. Not stuffed really just a few more than the previous year. 2017 was a good year. I liked them. Good colours and a limited palette.

Somewhere in between helping at Common Farm flowers where Georgie grows row upon row of glorious tulips and a visit to the National Garden scheme open garden of Ulting Wick where Philippa plants thousands of tulips each year my addiction gained momentum. . There. I have admitted it. My name is Andrew and I’m tulip addict. . Or as when I was introduced to someone at the annual carol concert at our local church ‘ so you know Andrew? ‘Of course I know Andrew & Ian – the tulip men. ‘ at least it wasn’t the Flowerpot men. And at least they knew Ian’s name. He has been described as Andrew’s friend. Which makes me smile. As does being called Mr Jones in the local butchers where I have been going for 30 years. It made me feel old then. But then again I am now. 30 years older than when I first went in.

It didn’t stop. I found out that Peter Nyssen delivered to Spain and post Brexit I could still get them direct from Holland. No issues with the paperwork and customs. That’s a big deal. No company wants to deliver to Europe from the Uk. When we first bought the house we could get John Lewis delivered. Not any more. It’s too much hassle and too expensive. You lose the will to live with customs forms and customs charges.

In 2018 the first full year in Spain I planted some pots around the terrace. To be fair that was probably the best year for tulips in Spain. This year they have definitely been pants. The pots in particular. I think that the only ones I will grow going forward is in the white wall.

The tulips in the white wall which came on leaps and bounds after a shaky start. A bit short ~ like me ~ but that didn’t matter as they didn’t get snapped in the wind. The problem is water. They need two things. A cold spell and my only option is the fridge in Spain. And water whilst establishing. Which in Spain has been an issue.

In Somerset last year I went a bit bonkers ~ and at it’s full flow the bulb supplier described it as a dolly mixture of colours. It made up for the year before when I had planted the bulbs but didn’t see them once as we stayed away during the pandemic. We did get photos sent by neighbours and I randomly saw photos on instagram. Oh look. It’s our tulips in Pitcombe.

My attitude was I didn’t see them physically that year so I’m going over the top this. Grandad who’s not my grandad ~ you know like the roundabout that’s not a roundabout said early on as they were just getting into their stride ‘ not sure about these this year ~ not up to your usual standard. He’s nothing but honest is grandad. But even he had to eat his words. They took their time but were bloody lovely. Even if I say so myself.

I went a bit overboard as well in London. The front garden in London is small ~ oh. There is no front garden in Somerset it’s just a three feet bit of gravel onto the road.

I spend ages planning. Choosing. Changing my mind and then finding that the ones I want are out of stock and have to start again. It sounds like a lot of thought goes into it. It does. I talk to a few people where we share our favourites. I plan. I buy. Then leave it until the last minute to plant. And the pot list goes to , well pot and the bulbs are thrown in. Not literally. But I start off the best intentions. A bit like my approach to diets. Good start and then it’s all downhill. Except at the end with tulips the comments are better.

The truth is I don’t learn. Planting in late 2022 was late. So late some pots were planted in late January. When I first tried to plant the compost was frozen. I needed more compost. It was frozen when I bought it. My biggest fault ~ well as far as planting is concerned. Ian will give you a list of others if you ask – is the same whatever I’m planting. It’s labelling and sticking to the written plan. Which means when I’m asked what the flower name is it’s usually the same. Tulip unknown.

The London pots were filled with leftovers from the Pitcombe pots. Tulips. Not compost. Again grandad who’s not my grandad said. I’m not sure you’ll get as good a result as last year. Someone from the neighbouring village drove past the cottage and rolled down the car window and said the same. Just wait was the reply …. He did. She did And they were pleased. But not as pleased as me.

The most commented on tulip was West Point. A yellow lily tulip. It was lovely but I think yellow in Spring is for daffodils. I liked it. Ian loves it. It will be in the London pots as a compromise next year.

The London pots were a little thinner on the ground this year. Unlike Fed the geriatric cat who matches the path. The window boxes were pretty poor. Out of the three the small one with tulip royal virgin was ok. The main one was rubbish. I realised too late that it was an old window box I was using which had poor drainage. Schoolboy errors still continue and gardening isn’t all perfect despite what we see on social media.

I have already starting the planning for 2024 and I haven’t even emptied the 2023 pots yet. I’ve added names to a list. The colour. The height. Whether it’s early or late. I’ve decided solubles are ok for the window boxes but not right for the Pitcombe pots. I’ve decided that whilst I tried Angelique again this year it’s a non runner for me again. On its heyday it was stunning but it’s lost it for me. Tulip brown sugar remains a big favourite but maybe I’ve used it too much. Tulips pretty woman is a runner. I like oranges and some pinks. People love the dark tulips and black parrot grew on me tho I’m not a parrot fan. Oh. But Rococo is a stunner. See. I’m all over the place. Here. There and everywhere.

I have told a few people if they want any of this years bulbs for their gardens then they can dig them out but don’t take the pots!. I have emptied all of the London pots as they had gone well over and looked rubbish.

This year I planted some lovely reds, which may form the basis for next years pots. I have the names of the ones I want for the London window boxes as I randomly planted a large pot which was lovely. Really big and blousy so will form the basis of the window boxes. That’s a start. Oh. And if you are asking. Peter Nyssen is my go to supplier. Great service. Great bulbs.

So the tulip spam for 2023 has come to an end, unless you go visit my instagram account 😂.

I’d like to say that the next flower spamming would be the agapanthus but we lost a lot in Somerset and some of the large ones in the London pots don’t look encouraging. So you may be spared. I’m sure I will find something. Don’t worry. I will warn you to look away. But on a high note . The tree ferns have come through the winter pretty unscathed. But I was sensible and wrapped them early. Changed the straw in the crowns when it started to freeze . And yes. I have already poo’d my plants having had a delivery of Alpaca poo feed from Arches at the Larches.

I said I had started but hadn’t finished. The blog that is. . There was a reason. Water. Not like in Spain where there is the lack of it. I could write about the three days off and one day in and the man in a motor cycle driving around the camp turning valves on and off but that’s for smith we day. Where reservoirs are being declared dead. Where the water table is so low the shallow rooted pine trees are dying. But in Somerset we got more than we wanted. Needed. Every house needs running water. Just not through the house. The garden was so wet I was planning to grow rice in the garden. I’ve always said that good neighbours are great. Awesome ones are the best. The clearance for us was done quickly and the community comes together in times of need.

We were in the centre of a storm. One minute I was checking the river. It was where it was supposed to be. 4 bricks down and nowhere near the road. The next it was coming at all angles. The one thing you can’t control. Water. I pretended to be Moses and tried parting it. I tried a Harry Potter spell. But it didn’t work. It obviously doesn’t understand expletives either. . It’s also very scary. The speed of the rise of the river was unprecedented.

It’s been an eventful week. I’d forgotten how businesses want you to do everything online. Which when it works is just fine. When talking to someone is difficult. Because the email you get says don’t respond to this email. And there’s no contact number.

But it’s only as good as their applications. We had been chased for a declaration that had to be confirmed. On an app. . We would have been delighted to confirm. Except we couldn’t. Despite telling them. We got reminders. they told us it was an IT issue. We emailed them. We had a nice bit chat in the app. All recorded. On the app. So two weeks later it’s still an IT issue. I did politely suggest to them to turn their system off and back on again. That usually works for me. Action 13. Turn it off and on. Calls to London when it should have been Somerset. Calls to tell us they would call tomorrow to make an appointment ~ quite why they did that still baffles me. I gave feedback. They listened. They agreed. It’s now better.

But we got off lightly. Neighbouring villages had front walls down. Cars washed away ~ 5 feet of water inside their houses and they are nowhere near a river. They sadly will be out of their houses for months. We won’t be. Thankfully. .

I arrived back in London to have a video call from our neighbour in Spain. Look at this he said. Look at the bloody rain. It’s awful. Not want I wanted to see ~ whilst we are desperate for rain in Spain this wasn’t mainly on the plain. It was 2.000 feet up the mountain. Over head. But the rain is welcome. The gardens need it. The reservoirs need it. But a week after a flood rain is the last thing I want to talk about.

So it’s been eventful. Thrown in with my goddaughters 16th birthday. Grandad who’s not my grandad haymaking. Lunch and supper with friends and our Somerset family.

Oh and I forgot the MG rally going through the village where the cake stall under the arch made over £300 for various charities.

What did people mean when they said to me. What will you do in retirement? Won’t you be bored!

Posted on March 31, 2023April 10, 2023 by happyretiredblog · 1 Comment

The Mediterranean garden

After a short break in Barcelona we are back on the Costa del Sol. Back up the wiggly road ~ 2,000 feet up the mountain to Cómpeta. An easy but packed flight where we had the offer of being off loaded with compensation of €250 each and being put on the next flight. If seats were available. Tempting but we thought the flight was overbooked because Spain were playing in Malaga in the Euro qualifiers. So that would mean the next flight would be full too. So it was a no for us. And I was wrong about the football flight. Very few to see but a plane full of saga travellers. Me included.

We are coming up to our 6th anniversary. Not us. We have lost count. But having the house here and I just wish we had found the pueblo blanco before. My love for the village the house and the surrounding area hasn’t diminished. We are here less since a certain event which will remain nameless. So we need to make the most of our time travelling in Spain. And in the garden. And with friends.

Let’s talk about the weather. A British obsession. It’s abnormally hot for March. Bonkers hot. Easter here can be a rotten time. Cold. Wet. And it doesn’t matter if it’s March or April. But not this year. The weather is hot. There hasn’t been rain in ages and there is still no sign of rain in the forecast. Unlike the UK. Where it hasn’t stopped and the reports say that March has been the gloomiest in decades. To. Be be fair Britain is the gloomiest it has been in decades. Not just the weather. But to be fair you often hear our Spanish friends commenting on the weather too. ‘hace frio’ you hear. Whilst we are still in shorts and T-shirts. The Spanish in polo neck sweaters with scarves and gloves.

So we arrive at the house. The mimosa tree by the gate is in flower ~ it started as a shoot from one that had been cut down and is now glorious. As long as you don’t have allergies. But I’ll take an extra anti histamine as the colour and effect is awesome. And there will be armfuls picked for the house.

The garden through the gate looks great and I sigh with relief. We are lucky to have friends who water the garden when it’s needed ~ these borders are largely drought resistant ~ but believe me. They still need some water. It may only be 28* now ~ yes. Only 28* but the scorching months of July and August means the most drought tolerant plants need the occasional drink. Last summer the temperature touched 40 in the garden. So I was told. We don’t come in those months. I did in the first lockdown. Well I got caught here for 9 weeks and trust me. The sun may be out but I spent most of my days indoors. In my pants watching Netflix. Air con on. And large bills. Not to be repeated.

There are times I wish we had smelly vision for social media. The curvy path is full of freesias. As well as Clivia and rosemary. But it is the whiff of the freesia that you get as you walk up the path. Bought over the last three years from my friends at Peter Nyssen they get better and better each year. The bulbs. Peter Nyssen couldn’t get any better in my eyes. The Clivia are gorgeous and there are still a few to flower. I did have a yellow one as a pot plant decades ago. Now I want one for the garden. One dozen.

I planted a row of scented pelargonium along the path. To fight off the mozzies. Mozzies love me and last year this path was a nightmare at times. We have cut a lot back. We as in the Gardner who comes in to help. Opened up the space so hoping this year we will be in a better position. This area gets late afternoon shade but still gets as dry as Jerusalem. There are two large strelitzia Nicolai here. One has flowered since we have been here and the smaller of the two looks like it’s going to flower shortly. Excited? Hell yes.

Now the above won’t excite you. Trust me I’m ecstatic. I think this is the new flower which will no doubt flower when we aren’t there. It’s a lovely black and white bird of paradise flower. It’s a particularly gorgeous flower. Black and white large flowers.

The main part of the garden border which has a variety of plants. Yucca which I’m in fear of losing. Small palms. A bed around the olive tree with creeping Rosemary. Creeping. Not creepy. The curry plant. The olive tree and agapanthus all co exist. There is also a lilac which is struggling. I have to think again and go check it daily re flowering. If it doesn’t then it’s time to say goodbye. It’s no use having something that takes up room. And not produce.

Have I ever said I like tulips. Only once or twice. Or a thousand times. I’ll say it again. I like tulips. Here. There and down in Somerset.

These are tulip palmyra. a little short but I don’t care. They are planted in the white wall and are prone to hit by the wind. So shorter than expected are fine. A glorious colour against the white wall. They are a bit early for me to use in the UK.

I planted two pots which included these. Dutch Dancer. These two are also shorter than I’ve grown before. But I love them. I have some in Pitcombe again this year. Well hopefully. I’m yet to see the pots in person.

A bit of a contrast to tulips. My favourite agave. Ever. The foxtail agave. It’s a beauty. This one is in a pot. Obviously. You can see that. I’ve already taken two out of the pot and planted them in the garden. There are a few more to do when I have the time. My worry. That it will flower. Why? Because whilst the flower is lovely like a long fox tail as soon as it flowers the plant dies. I’ll forego the flower for now.

I love these. Lovely black aeonium which has survived the heat of the summer and the low temperatures of Spring. The one I had in London has become mush. My fault as I should have brought it in. Two bits that broke off have been stuck in the ground and are growing well. It’s one thing that I never get tired of. Seeing what we can grow in the garden here.

Hello Prickles the prickly pear. These are all dying off in our area. It’s the cochineal fly. Ravages the plant. Squash it on the white wall and you get a red blob. Get it on your white T-shirt. And it’s a nightmare to get out. I hose it down with the hose to get the fly off. Covid breaks took its toll a bit but it’s still there. And it fruits.

You know I said I like tulips. Have I also said I like agapanthus. Well I like agapanthus. The garden is away with them. Mainly blue. Some white and the latest addition popping purple. They self seed too though it does take a bit before they are mature enough to flower. I have to admit to buying 6 more this trip and planting them at the rear of the house. It’s dry. Very dry so they should thrive. Added as well a medium sized bottlebrush. A friend once commmented that she though the bottlebrush was a bit common. I think in the right place with a beautiful blue sun it’s fabulous. It’s also a great pollinator and gets covered bt bees. Gorgeous and a bee magnet. Win win.

We have two large and a small nispero growing on the bank. Also known as loquat it’s the big leaves that do it for me. The fruit is ok. But they can and do go a bit mush on the tree and don’t keep well when picked. Nispero jam is pretty lovely though.

The view from the bathroom window. The strelitzia Reginae strategically planted. But not by me but by the previous owners. Now in full flower

Thankfully so far the large pines on the bank have survived. Many around us haven’t as the water table has been so low. Also absent this year are signs of the processionary caterpillars. Vicious little bathplugs. In previous years we’ve had the nests removed from the trees but this year there weren’t anybody there wasn’t the number in the trees on the windey road either.

The first time the double doors have been open since last September. Opened so the fly screen can be checked. Cleaned and the doors closed again.

The circle of planting under the olive tree. Osteospermum. Curry plant. (Helichrysum italicum). Rosemary and some succulents ~ a gorgeous crop of Carpobrotus edulis ~ a fabulous bright pink flower on long succulent arms. Not yet in flower so next time. Oh and some freesia.

Euphorbia candelabrum. Prickly pear. Foxtail agave.

A selection of plants taste dotted around rue garden. The cactus that’s not a cactus ~ the euphorbia candelabrum.

A selection of flowers giving the garden some early colour.

But it wasn’t all gardening. It was the start of Semana Santa. Easter is a huge celebration in Spain. Not huge. Massive with celebrations and processions. Each with a different meaning. We were around for one only. Palm Sunday. The procession travels through the village to the Plaza Almijara and to the church. Each procession is very different. There is the men’s procession on Good Friday very early in the morning. The children’s procession. And one for the women of the pueblo Blanco. Plus others. It’s a spectacular sight and one that is carried out all over Spain. We were in Salamanca in 2018 and saw the one there. The first three photos are Competa 2023.

But. The weather. Let’s talk about the weather. First time the legs had been exposed since October. A drive down the wiggly road to the coast. Nerja. I’m surprised how many people know where it is. An old colleague when I told him we had a house 30 mins away knew where it was. He’d been there in his honeymoon over 30 years ago. Ex neighbours in Somerset told us they went there often and came for lunch when they were last there. It has grown on us.

Then along the coast is Torrox. Apparently has the best climate in Europe but we don’t spend enough time there to validate it. But it’s a great long walk along the promenade. It was another warm day. And no that’s not us on the beach. I don’t want to see myself in swimming trunks in March let alone make others suffer.

It wouldn’t be the same without the pueblo Blanco. It’s six years since Ian booked a trip where we unexpectedly ended up staying in Competa. We had booked Frigiliana but it was cancelled a week before we arrived and we ended up staying in Competa instead. The best cancellation ever.

These steps are always a gem. Always bright. Always full and colourful. The planted balcony. Always catches you as you turn the corner in the narrow streets. The gorgeous blur pots of Casa Beaumont with the planting changing as the seasons change.

Competa by night. Competa by day. And in a blink of an eye another visit is over.

Casa Beaumont.

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.