Midsummer Scenes

As we pass the summer equinox the garden erupts into magnificence. Every where I turn there is beauty to behold, whether it is the simple charm of sunlight playing in the droplets of water that alight upon the water lilies or the full luscious sensuality of the main borders. I just wish we had the time to wander lost in appreciation as one couple did this week, they spent at least three hours mesmerised by the scene, sat on every bench and didn't seem to want to leave. When I spoke to them they said that they used to have a garden but have now downsized to a flat with just a balcony, but that they delighted in visiting idyllic places like Norton Conyers. It makes us immensely satisfied when we get a reaction like that, and the Ten pound donation that they left spoke volumes.

"What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfilment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade"
Gertrude Jekyll On Gardening

Benches

Not much to share with you today apart from this lovely image as pointed out by Alyson. My co-workers and lady Graham have cottoned on to my habit of snapping away as the mood takes me and are now suggesting certain subjects that they particularly like. This helps me to see the garden through other eyes, always a good thing to keep the creative juices flowing. We continue to mow and hoe and weed and worst of all cut the hedges which I hate but it is the traditional time of year to cut box especially, presumably when the weather is warm and dry to minimise the risk of box blight. Oh well into every garden a little rain must fall!

I wish I had time to sit on these lovely benches and watch the world go by!

"Love is what makes two people sit in the middle of a bench when there is plenty of room at both ends"
Barbara Johnson

Mixed Grains

Good morning! this is a bit of a catch up post as I've been away and having a bit of time off this week. And what does a dedicated gardener do on her holidays? Lie by a pool and relax? No she goes all the way to Cambridge for a work related cereals show with her lucky partner! Actually there was much there of interest for me and in particular I was overjoyed to see all the big companies promoting the sowing of wild flower belts between the arable fields, not only does this create wild life habitats it also supports our bee populations who in their turn amount to 22 billion euros worth of pollination a year, so well worth the effort. There was also suggestions for farmers to rotate with flowers to harvest for bird seed as an alternative crop, a big improvement on the current mono- culture if only every three years. Many thanks also to Fengrain for the best hot beef buttie and glass of Pimms I've had in a long while, provided with the luxury of a shady umbrella on what was a boiling hot afternoon.
Back at Norton Conyers last Monday we were tied up with the usual business of mowing and weeding, making the garden as trim as possible for the yellow book opening this Sunday, so if you are in the area please go along and support this most worthy cause. You will be rewarded by the sight of the main border growing more beautiful by the minute!

"If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then to me"
William Shakespeare Macbeth

Strawberry Struggles

The weather was mixed at Norton Conyers yesterday as was the workload, after an hours strimming I was put to work on the strawberry beds, placing a fresh bale of straw between the rows to keep the fruit off the earth, but only after a liberal scattering of slug pellets. This was made no easier by Shandy who thought I was making her a lovely comfy bed, she soon got short shrift when I began to net them over. It makes me ponder just how much effort goes into producing a small handful of this fruit, we have to fight all manner of small creatures to get our share, and secretly I think the straw only helps to provide them with hiding places. Our next task was hedge trimming, my particular garden bugbear, Giles did the cut thank goodness, as the machine is too heavy for us, but we got the tedious job of tidying the clippings. Note to self when next planting a hedge to make it a nice evergreen like Taxus bacata which only needs attention once a year!

Meanwhile in the garden the poppies are looking spectacular,and my plant of the moment, Cirsium rivulare 'Atropurpureum'

"Doubtless God could have made a better berry (than the strawberry), but doubtless God never did"
William Allen Butler