… and something of a week.
I’m writing this on the day. I almost never do that, but it’s been something of a week and I’ve chopped and changed what I wanted to write about several times.
It’s been hot and it’s about to get hotter. Too much to-ing and fro-ing in a country that doesn’t have much air conditioning. And to top it all off Joe the lab ended up at the vet Friday with what I now think is a combo of having eaten something he shouldn’t have on a walk (he is lab after all) and getting dehydrated. So, he ended up on a drip for several hours. He’s now ok but not fun for him (or us) and it appears that as he is aging (he’s 10), while he is very bouncy, there are some things that need to be watched a lot more closely (he’s generally good about drinking water but I have started putting even more in his food).
So, a bit fraught but I think we’re close to back on even keel.
Today (ie, Sunday), I went to an open gardens (called Secret Gardens) event in a town nearby. It used to be an annual thing but this is the first one since 2019.
I got to see some parts of the town I don’t generally go to and some of the gardens are truly incredible and impressive. From loads to roses to combos of flowers, trees and veg areas, to ponds and water features. Really impressive. And as the town is on an estuary some of the views are stupendous.
There was one garden where you entered a fairly large but basis garden, but then turned a corner into the long side of an L. It looked like that had been scrub land that the home owners had been able to reclaim. So, a truly huge hidden garden.
(In some places, no photos allowed, so I don’t have that much.)
There are a lot of walled English cottage gardens with stupendous roses.
All in it was beautiful and many places smelled stupendous of mock orange, roses, lavender and honeysuckle.
Gave me some ideas for new plants — for my comparatively much smaller garden. Came home and ordered some salvia as all of mine died in the cold and wet of this past winters plus a scrub climber called Abuliton Kentish Belle which has glorious yellow bell flowers cupped in red at the bottom https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/abutilon-kentish-belle/
All in a good afternoon though my feet really hurt and a shower would be a very good thing.
Hope your week and weekend were good. Get up to anything interesting?
Pics are all mine
Oh, this sounds like SO much fun, I would love to go on a garden tour! I am glad you got some good ideas!
It was great. Some of the gardens have been going for decades and are so well thought out. Plus, everything smelled beautiful. And, I tried a new coffee shop that makes great chai lattes.
What great photos! Hope the pooch is better soon- I’ve been told that watering their food is a good idea especially in summer. They are like kids and don’t want to miss out on anything and sometimes won’t take in enough. (I tried to post this last night but Blogger decided it hated my iPad again..)
Tx on photos. There would have been more if some of the places hadn’t explicit forbidden taking pics. But I guess that given these are private gardens people might not want things all over the net. Indeed, I’m giving him triple water in his food. He’s actually behaving quite sensibly right now moving around the house to the coolest area.
Ooops……. Joe the Lab, consider this a ticking off…… drink lots of water & don’t eat random findings. That never ends well.
Love
Mr Jarvis Cocka-Poo
Joe says ‘I know it’s not good to eat random things but sometimes I can’t help myself, Jarvis. I’m feeling better though. Hope it’s cooler where you are and your people are taking you out early or late’.
I’ve been rewatching old episodes of Gardener’s World on Amazon Prime just recently, so this sounds utterly amazing to me!! I find that show so soothing and gentle and beautiful. The hubby and I spread tree bark mulch in our front and back garden beds this weekend. Not a huge task because our yards are small, but it felt good to do a task. Hope your pupper recovers quickly and completely. We were dogsitting our granddog this weekend. He was feeling the heat over here, too.
So love Gardeners World. Monty’s talking a lot about planting things here that can manage our changing environment. Joe sends good wishes to your granddad and says ‘drink loads of water’.
I know that rose! It is glorious, though I couldn’t grow it here, alas.
That garden tour sounds absolutely sublime! My own garden is a bit of a ‘L’ and is designed to be viewed from the side gate, which almost never happens, alas.
We just got rain and a 30F drop in temps, all of which is much appreciated. The grass was Crunchy, it was that dry over here. Made it feel like August which given that it’s 11June, is not a good thing.
and p.s. : tell Joe to cut it out! He needs to stay around and in excellent health for many years to come.
Lord, the number of different roses in different places. Just phenomenal. That L-shaped garden has everything: regular garden with flowers, orchard, veg, etc, etc. It was so surprising. Why isn’t the side gate used? Please send us some of your rain. We’re due at least another week of heat and sun. As to Joe, he seems much better but I think he scared himself (and us). Right now, he just wants to use the garden and rest in his bed in front of the fan.
Before mum grew inward looking we used to go to open garden events. It’s so nice being out in the fresh air & seeing the results of others ideas & graft.
Forgot to say there were always people bum up nose in a smelly bloom
That’s sad that she can no longer enjoy these events and you can’t go with her. This is the first ones I’ve been to here in a long time. Used to go in London with a friend. And indeed there are always the people who are L shaped doing the sniff one has to avoid.
Hey there Cinnamon,
LOVE looking at other people’s gardens but very rarely do it. I sometimes help my BFF with her Dad’s garden but it’s mainly maintenance, the gardener does all the mowing and his wife does a pretty good job of weeding. We just hedge trim, rake leaves and cut back the rampant growers like ivy and other ground covers.
News? Our favourite courtesy Aunt is in town. We call her cyclone Tracey. Thursday we went to Japanese dinner, Friday it was Italian, Saturday we had crepes, saw Sydney ViVid Festival of Lights and then Mozarts Great Mass in C Minor at the Opera House and Sunday she came to my Trivia night. All of this has included various friends and while tiring has been excellent. Fortunately another courtesy Aunt has her staying there so our days have been free to get stuff done.
Portia xx
Courtesy aunt? Never heard that usage. In any case sounds like you had a lot of fun and good food. Yes, these sorts of events are great. Good ideas and just nice to look at the lovely places.
Yeah, courtesy aunt is someone you grew up with, rather than blood. My Mum studied nursing with a group of women, all quite young and living in, who became her chosen family. They were tight knit, cared deeply for each other, never judged in the way family does and were always there for each other.
Everything good I learned about what friendship should be I learned from these amazing women.
Now that most of the troupe has gone to their great reward, or dementia, I try to keep in touch with them. Two in particular are my favourites.
Sorry for the long saga but these women have been important all the way through.
Portia x
those women are jewels, Portia. Thank you for recognizing that and loving them.
Ah, yes, ‘those’ women. Family is a very elastic concept as far as I’m concerned.