Thwarted gardener

I have been told I am an addict.

Moving quietly through a market garden, having been told I am not allowed to pick anything up, I can be heard mumbling.... 'but just think of the legacy we are leaving the world'.

I am advised sternly 'Keep looking down- do not look at the plants on either side' as I sneak sideways glances at perennials in season.

'Mother, do not even try to justify your addiction' as I suggest we are helping out if we rescue plants which are reduced and 'they would get a good home with us'.

'Oh this one will help the world's dwindling number of bees- it is labelled 'Bee friendly' so we are saving the world's food supplies......' 'Ma! Put it back; every plant in your garden is a bee magnet'

'But I could teach the next generation so we have another layer of Monty Dons- and children find such joy adigging, don't they?'  'MUM!'

So I try a different pitch
'This one worked well in my garden so I think it would do well in your northfacing border....'
 'Huh! Don't even try getting me to justify your addiction by advising me what will grow well in my plot!'

but she picked it up!

My garden is filled with memories, friends' gifts, rescue plants and I still want to experiment with more- especially since I am sure I have put all my plants in according to the instructions (especially height) on the card yet they end up too too high for the middle of the border and flopping over the front flowers; scabious ends up carpeting the lawn when it shouldn't. Small poppies grow like giants over paeonies which nestle behind everything. Oh I can't get things right. I wonder if I should haul everything out and start again?

We survived the differences of opinion
 and only put 9 plants each into the car!

No news is good news

I haven't been anywhere interesting of late- unless you count M&S for his Lordship's new trousers for golf? I have had the gang here and lots of folk are coming and going; I have chocolates, friends, fudge, flowers and especially gladioli! I am doing no gardening so it looks like an overgrown, rather colourless jungle dotted with blown roses out there. I am relaxing! I am back on track and have resumed 'Wolf Hall' as I had lost the will to focus- and was reading magazines- but Cromwell and I are dealing with Henry and Anne again.
Outside a heavy grey patchwork of clouds hoods the sky; showers alternate with slashes of sunrays. High pressure is moving our way so come Monday sunshine is due to replace Sunday's rain.

Murder Mystery

Even if I am unable to do much at present I must tell you about a new venture which looks really exciting-   Wickedly Entertaining Murder Mysteries

Guess where I will be just before Christmas- having fun solving a Murder!!

Testing, testing 123

I am doing exactly that ..... testing....

We have replaced the 12+ year old hard drive with a new one- I cannot believe the speed of uploading. H1 is putting everything on- maybe we won't have quite so many wires behind to entrap the dust? Anyway the  Blogger tool bar is sorted; I must away to my bed so won't test the importing of photos tonight.

I hope the temperature drops a little tonight- we do not want to admit it but everyone seems a bit tired of 30 degrees plus.

The River Allen was low when we last went to Allenbanks; yet the devastation from the last floods was obvious- the suspension bridge was smashed and therefore closed; waterborne debris clung high up in bankside trees; rocks usually underwater on the bed of the Allen, were exposed on the bank; the haugh near Plankey Mill was tumbled with rough sandstone streaked with silver glinting in the sun; we sat in the hot sunshine watching fish jump; a yellow wagtail bobbed on a rock before leaping in acrobatic fashion to take a large insect in mid flight. We sat in silence for at least half an hour drinking in the surroundings and the warmth before heading back to the National Trust car park.

The thought of importing photos was irresistible and they whip in! Well last week's elderly struggle took 3+ hours. However there are a lot of files to click open to get to photo folders- while on the previous, antique PC, once I went into a particular picture folder it opened up again automatically- must tell the man in my life.......... snoring suggests I tell him tomorrow.

It's a boy!

Dusk has drawn a peach haze across the Little Boy Blue sky- he has arrived at last!
As midnight drew very near he was pulled into the world.
Welcome little one- or rather- not so little one.
The sky has given itself an artist's wash and hangs lilac as night creeps in.

Wonderful boy! Welcome to the world.

The joys of getting older?

'Where have you been?' I hear you ask.
 'Oh hither and thither' I reply.
The joy of being retired is when the phone rings and D2 says, 'Mum do you fancy coming down?' we can hit the road in ten minutes. When D3 requests me to come on a bike ride or to check out a new plant in her garden or to come to tea, I can down tools till tomorrow.

If D1 announces an impromptu get together to catch up on episodes of 'Elementary' we are there!

H1 wonders....'shall we watch the Apprentice now?' I agree the Humax has too much stored due to we viewers not having much spare time (do you like that?)

Yes we were Wimbledon watchers
The barbecue has actually been doing its hot work.
Britain has had a heatwave (not like last soggy summer!) and when you are retired you can sit outside in the garden and read......

I am still ploughing my furrow with Hilary Mantel and Thomas Cromwell to Wolf Hall. After many years of asking I finally got given 'Long Walk to Freedom' poignant in view of Nelson Mandela's current health situation.

After a lifetime of a bell-controlled student chatterfilled schedule, the freedom of an 'open day' is strange but so liberating.
So what are we doing during a hot fortnight? Decorating the study! But at the drop of a hat, I wrap my paint brush up in clingfilm, put the lid on the emulsion paint pot and head for the garden or beach.

There is always time for work tomorrow.....

Stamford

A few weeks ago we decided to have a few days away; having called into Stamford for an A1 break to meet a friend, we declared a need to do a longer visit..... we were really taken by the River Welland, watermeadows, winding alleys, the variety of age of buildings and our B&B!

Willian Cecil's Elizabethan Burleigh held a treasure trove of lacquering (japanning).

Sculptures in the grounds were both permanent and seasonal and worth hunting for.

 The Surprise Garden must surely have been what inspired the Duchess of Northumberland for the Alnwick Garden.

We moved on to a second Bed and Breakfast where creaking 400 year old beams made us welcome.

Via a frugal life and 4 marriages Bess of Hardwick announced her arrival at the Tudor court with a new Hall 'more glass than wall'

and with her initals E S Elizabeth Countess of Shrewsbury (can you see them on the very top?

 Click on the photo to enlarge it).

She really had not enjoyed her time as 'wardress/jailer' to Mary, Queen of Scots but spent a lot of time creating the world's biggest collection of tapestries( in a dark house to preserve the needlework

 but with lots of 'Elizabethan' stewards to enlighten you.)

 Now to import photos- but bearing in mind that there are errors coming up regularly on this site, this whole blog might go down the Swanee!

No good folks- the cursor won't stay in the place it is put, the photos won't import and the whole top line of 'instructions' is superimposed on top of each other/has disappeared...agh!....so I shall give up and may come back later.

 Looking at the preview it is not going to publish with all the breaks for photos which I have punctuated on the draft! Come on geeks!

PS It has taken me about 3hours to come back and edit this episode- the cursor will not move according to the mouse- just via keyboard arrows- slow and VERY frustrating.... Lord Stafford would have had heads off for less!!!Fancy building this beautiful palace in the hope Elizabeth I his Queen would come to stay with him- and she never did- as she approached, Cecil's daughter developed smallpox and the sovereign had to go stay in nearby Stamford.