Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Hampton Court Flower Show

Or, The Telegraph at play.........glad I had gone early because it was very, very hot, and got so crowded that you couldn't move or see anything anyway. Thousands of elderly ladies in floral print dresses and no black people. However at least there were plenty of toilets.....I'd had enough by about 2p.m. and then spent about 45 minutes trying to get out.......
Beekeeping is for codgers......

Just the thing. 



Most of the show gardens were horrible but this was the Amnesty garden and the nicest I thought....

Maybe not.........so just got some Four Seasons tarragon and a couple of mints, the deodorant mint seemed quite attractive given the heat.........tannoy then announced that in view of the hot weather people could obtain water, sunblock and cats from the first-aid stations.....cats?? Wouldn't they just make people hotter? oh, CAPS.....

Longer wait than the Titan Arum.....

Will it flower this year? Only had to wait thirteen years for the first flower, then nothing last year, would be lovely to see it again......

And it goes so well with the rose......

Georgina's camomile

An exciting little box arrived, and this is what was in it.........off to a good start......

Exciting preparations..........



Paeonies still going strong...

....and pretty ginger mint in its new pot. I've taken loads of cuttings and passed some on to Nell....

Boasty fruit pictures


Ripen......or else



New Reekie

I know this isn't our garden. It's the Botanics. But great excitement was generated by the news that the Titan Arum lily was going to flower. It started to smell on the Friday, and very obligingly came into full flower over the weekend so that everyone could come and see it. So they kept the gardens open late.......despite the huge queue it was worth the wait, watching the botanical artists drawing its portrait and listening to the chief botanist describing how all the staff had rushed back to work as the flower started to open. So here it is.....
The queue........

Yes, I am indeed beautiful.......

Sometimes I sit and wonder, in my artless Sumatran way, why it is that I am so much more attractive than any other plant in the whole world. Can this be vanity?

And sometimes we sit and wonder, in our jealous little Edinburgh way..........

why it is that everyone is queuing up to see this sodding smelly plant.......

when we don't smell, and are just as weird....

and are here all the time.......


Summer flowers




Who's da mummy.......parent of cutting that went to Alison in Glasgow to replace her garden that the neighbours had "weeded"......



And not forgetting the front garden. The baby mock orange has never flowered before, and the honeysuckle (non-scented, sadly) has never flowered so prolifically. Nor have we previously seen the white foxglove.  And anyone who thinks that a rose will neither grow nor flower in very dry soil and deep shade under a tree hasn't seen this one......




Out of the greenhouse......and on to a plate. Food miles: 0

June Is Bustin' Out All Over......

Before there are any smart comments, it's meant to be like that. Wildflower meadow innit. 
Why is it no-one ever gave me yet
One perfect limousine, do you suppose?
Oh no, it's always been my luck to get
One perfect rose....

Another victory for Sweden.....

Crown Princess Margareta wins the "'Tis The First Rose of Summer 2015" award.......

Cherry blossom


Healthy herbs

Chervil and spearmint looking extremely fit

Crown Princess Margareta in bud...

Veggie planting


With assistance from Monte.........






Cactus nursery


16th January 2015


Isn't chervil wonderful stuff. The Mediterranean hers are all cringing in their pots looking pinched and withered and totally miserable as the wind and hail batter their leaves, while the chervil waves its cheery little fronds in the air, having started to come up in October and now looking very fit and healthy.....

Sunday, July 05, 2015

Prroduce......

THE FIG!...............I held out for as long as I could hoping it wouldn't finish ripening till Carrie got back from her long-haul trip........but alas it was starting to split, so I had to eat it. Itt was delicious. 

And the mystery squash.......

We has apples...............

December 28th. Never give up........