G's family week in France

On Saturday, we set off in good time (for us!) for Camp de Levat, between Tournon d'Agenais and Cahors. We went the most direct route, so very little motor way and not much double track, but despite one bad hold-up we made it by 5.0, at the same time as step-son W and his family. Step daughter S and husband arrived about 7.0 by which time we settled in and had sorted bedrooms. W and wife Sa had both children sleeping with them - A (3) was on a mattress on the floor and E (15months) in a cot. She wakes and screams in the night, so the original idea of the 'dormitary' in the roof was not viable - too many steps and carrying etc.

We had a lovely room under a sloping roof, with a bathroom (and the only proper shower) next door, leading to the outside world. It is a lean-to with a very thick wall between it and the screaming E.!!!

That night was mine for feeding the herd, so we had stopped at a supermarket, known from the past, in Condom to buy essentials and food. We had an excellent meal outside of cold things and salad and cheese and felt very French! Later the pattern was set for the week - they all went for a walk in the gloaming (and full moon) while I baby-sat. A valuable time in which I showered and recharged before a last drink and chat, when they came back.

Sunday - W et al went off to a distant market (he's addicted!) in the morning and S & D went to look at Tournon in the afternoon and the rest of the time everyone did their own thing. W et al used the pool. S & D claimed to get a rash from pool water - what a waste! It was a lovely sunny day and I used the pool to cool off (which it did too effectively, being rather on the cool side!) Variously we read, walked, dozed and generally enjoyed ourselves. W was in charge of dinner, so he bar-b-qed and we ate and drank very well. That is the bbq table at the far end of the lawn. Our room was under the sloping roof.

Monday - S&D went to Toulouse Airport to get Sd A and her daughter C. They got back in time for lunch. A & C shared the 'dormitary' with the mice! Meantime, W et al and I went to sus out a restaurant for the all-important birthday dinner. Fell in love with the place and could only hope the food would be OK! As it was showery and cool all day, we lit the fire in the sitting room. The girls did beading and I read and used my camera. E took her first 2 steps with me and C was a witness, otherwise I guess they wouldn't have believed me!! Later it improved and we got outside and some swam. S&D fed us on salmon and raspberry tart outside, so all was more as it should be!

Tuesday and the Birthday - It was wet in the morning but undaunted we set off for Cahors, arriving in a downpour. Luckily it was a last throw from the weather, the sun came out and it was lovely but not too hot. Some shopped, some explored and we met up at a mini roundabout, where we found the girls with the babies happily occupied!

We had an excellent light lunch on the way to the famous bridge and then went on to look at it. It is very interesting and we spent some time walking over it and taking pictures. After we found a nice lady who took pics with all our cameras of all of us which was very kind. They were taken with the above bridge as the background and mine is excellent - everyone smiling and paying attention!! After that we set off for home, showers and changing. The baby sitter turned up on time while we were drinking to G. Off we went in 2 cars to the restaurant whose name I have failed to retain. It is a chateau and hotel with a few rooms. The owner and chef has been there for 30 years and his Dutch wife for about 20. The food was very good, but we had to eat inside because of the weather. No hardship really and the other guests all seemed nice. The hotel knew it was a celebration but as Msr said 'Incognito' when I had said that there were to be no speeches etc. The 2 taxis turned up on time and off we went home after a lovely day.

Wednesday - The first thing to do was to combine the croissants run with retrieving the cars, so people got up remarkably early. We also had to pay the bill because the card telephone connection would not work the night before!! They seemed quite happy, we gave them what cash we had and they had the 2 cars, even without the keys!!

The rest of the day was spent in the pool, reading and walking. W et al went to a market again. He was the feeder that night, and we had prawns, mayo and ratatouile followed by a delicious peach dish with mint and some form of alcohol. There was wall to wall sunshine.

Thursday - W took A & C to the airport, getting back in time of lunch. The day was spent by or in the pool. After tea G and I went of to have a look at Tournon and liked the look of a restaurant, so decided to take them there for my cooking night next day. At home, S&D were busy cooking and we had roast chicken with so many herbs that it was mind-blowing. Why is it that herbs taste so much better and stronger in France. All that sun I suppose. There was certainly plenty that day and it was very hot.

Friday - G & I went with S&D to Penne d'Agenais, a pretty medieval village. It was very hot so we did not explore too much, but I went again the next week. Before going up there we went over the bridge to the supermarket. The rest of the day was the usual, lunch by the pool, swimming, reading etc. W et al went of to P d'A to have a look too. That night the baby sitters came again and we went back to Tournon. We found a market in progress, which meant there was a great atmosphere. Once ordered, we went and had a look, but there wasn't much. The only blot was the little rather aged group who kept singing the same 4 or 5 songs until about 9.30! The food was very good.

Saturday - They all got themselves packed up and were away by 11.30 leaving us time to sort things out abit and prepare for the invasion later!

It was a lovely week. The only thing was that A, who had been talking about nothing but seeing Granny Rho for weeks, wouldn't speak to me at all! I just let her be, but was always there for her, helping her get her confidence in the pool and such-like. Children are funny, aren't they? E on the other hand, who doesn't go to other people willingly, came straight to me and on occasion I was the only one to be able to stop her screaming!! I don't think A was jealous - tried very hard to give both attention, but it could be the reason. We'll see what happens if I see her next weekend when I am with my A in the same village.

So that's it for now. The next week was enormous fun too but quite different.

Seneccio greyii

Here are the pics for the Gardening forum. Seneccio greyio - all one plant

Unpruned

Pruned

Birthday Bash Part 1

Our holiday comes in three parts. First out to Bilboa and on to St-Etienne-du-Baigarry. Then from there to Camp de Levat (Howard's End) near Cahors for the week of The Birthday, with G's children and grandchildren. Next in the same place, but with my children and grandchildren and a Postscript takes us home.

So for the first bit. We started off the day before the ferry because it is quite a hike from Northumberland to Portsmouth and if you have a dead-line it is a nightmare. We spent the night at Ye Olde Bell Inn, an old coaching in on the A1, near Retford. It bears little resemblance to the Inn that our parents used to patronise before the war, but was comfortable and the dinner was good and straightforward. It has recently been taken over by a local man from a chain and he is gradually doing up it and its surroundings. It was not particularly photographic so I don't have a pic to add.

Next day we had a leisurely drive to Portsmouth, arriving in time to go and visit The Mary Rose. What an achievement her salvage was and so exciting to see her in real life. Currently, they are still spraying her with a waxy solution - the last stage of her preservation. As a result the glass you have to see her through is not very clear. I would love to be able to revisit in 2 or 3 years time when she will be safe and able to be seen directly. It was a gorgeous day, so we enjoyed walking round the Victory as well. We didn't have time to go aboard her as it all closes at 5.0ish. From there to the Ferry, where they kept us hanging around for ages but they still managed to sail on time and we had dinner in the mailstrom of everyone else eating too, at 9.00.

I had to make my mandatory visit to the cassino, where I lost twice my limit (!!) and then won back the overspend! 13 was kind enough to come up in the end!

On Tuesday, it was OK in the morning and we walked the deck in the sun. However, by lunch-time the sea was building and my head started to go mad - the first step to sea-sickness. I retired to my bunk and was amazed that G was still going strong! By supper time, I was able to go and buy a sarny and eat it in my bunk.

We came in to Bilbao pretty much on time the next morning (Wednesday) and we were off the ship by 8.00. G. drove and we reached St-Ettienne-de-Blairgorry by mid-day for lunch on the river-side at the Hotel Arce. It is in the foot-hills of the Pyranees. We had a room at the back, because the front rooms are over-exposed to the Church clock!! It was a double room with the bed at one end and chairs at the other. The bath was near the bed and the loo was at the other end, which I found rather odd.

This pic is the view from the French Windows. There was a gravelled area between the Hydrangeas where I did quite a lot of reading.

The next day we drove up a narrow road for a few miles to the pass over the mountain and the Spanish border. We saw 3 eagles on a thermal and a vulture sitting on rock in silluette. The following day we went to look at St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a staging post for pilgrims going to Santiago de Compastella. In the old main street, there are still lodgings at a reduced rate for pilgrims. It is a pretty and interesting old place, with a disappointing castle/chateau and town walls which we enjoyed walking.

We much enjoyed our break there, despite the food being disappointing. We both felt we needed the rest and certainly the rest of the holiday was NOT a rest cure!

A Busy Weekend

On Friday afternoon G took me to Newcastle Airport in plenty of time to catch my plane. I was surprised to find that Eastern Airlines have a fast channel through security - you actually queue barge!. Consequently, I didn't need to leave lots of time for all the extra faff.


We took off at the right time and arrived in Cardiff Airport on time too. Finding the Hertz place was no problem and I was soon in my Ford and ready to set off. Fortunately, the route to the M4 is well marked and I had road numbers readily availabe. Once I had reached the first turn off the M4 it was well signed to Methyr Tydvill (Sp?) and on to Brecon. Popped round the bypass and on to the turn off to my youngest brother's nearest village. A call produced him in his car, very quickly to lead me up to their house, where they gave me gin to revive me and scrambled egg to fortify me. No 3 (youngest) daughter was already there. Next to arrive was No 2, with her new partner. Then my eldest brother and wife. They took us up to a nearby self-catering converted barn and we settled in.



Saturday was the day that youngest brother and wife were celebrating their 60th birthdays. We took ourselves down in time for breakfast - 10 people because No 1 and wife had arrived after we left. Excellent - sausages, bacon, egg, tomatoes, fried bread and baked beans!! After a bit of hanging around we set of for a layby on the Abergavenny to Brecon road where about 38 people gathered - many family members and some friends. My children were there, though one grandchild was on a school trip, so missed it. About mid-day we set off to climb the Alt. That's not the full name, which I cannot remember, but it was always called that by the family who lived in the big house on the edge of Llangorse Lake, below. I knew it was about 4 miles but I did not know what it would be like. Just as well! The pace was mostly fairly slow, luckily. The ages ranged from 6 to 76 (me) The young tended to go fairly fast but there was so much gossiping going on that it helped to slow people down!! At one point we stopped for a sugar break (chocolate biscuit) and the chance to look at a ruined hunting lodge. The next bit was horizontal across a steeply sloping field - not the easiest bit! Then the climb started again and rather steeper. It was a hard slog to the top - and I was not the only one to find it testing!


Some had finished lunch by the time I got there! Fun with a kite was just starting. We had each been given a plastic bag with an interesting picnic in it, so I settled down to eat mine - and still lots of gossipping. At one point a poor lady walker appeared, was barked at by one of the dogs, nearly attacked by the kite and horrified to find all these awful people on what should have been a peaceful resting place. Her face was a picture and she went on at a vast speed! Meantime, we were able to enjoy a view up and down the Usk valley, across to the Beacons (with no cloud on top) and in the other direction, the Black Mountains. It was fabulous. This pic is looking north over Llangorse Lake.


The walk down was much easier though quite a few of us suffered from pains in the knees. My middle brother was absolutely infuriating because he has had both knees replaced and kept going on about how HE was alright. When we got down to the cars, I couldn't believe how well and untired I was. Everyone who knew my age was as amazed as me!


The next stage was to return to our barn, have a cuppa and a bath and back to youngest brother's house. A mini bus turned up a little late and we all climbed in. Off to Brecon and the Restaurant that is part of the Theatre. It is beside the Brecon-Abergavenny canal, so we wandered about talking and drinking champagne cocktails before going in for dinner. I was sitting next to my grandson, which was nice, also middle brother. We had a fascinating and delicious dinner. Lots of smallish amounts of all sorts of things, served on dishes for 4 and coming one after the other. eg bread to dip in oily dips, lavabread and Welsh cheeses, salmon and a wonderful sauce, small pieces of lamb etc. Each was entirely different and equally delicious. Grand Son didn't like some of them, which meant more for us, but he did like salmon and lamb, so Granny went abit short there!! After this it was all change and I found myself with a nephew and, under the table, his 6 yr old son who was fast asleep in a bag. Also my daughter-in-law, who I love, and an artist. Masses more talk and the pudding - a choice of mocha creme brulee or summer pudding. The mcb was out of this world! Then not one but 2 cakes came in for the birthday people and a few words were said - not too many! After a while the minibus arrived and we were driven home at a vast pace as he had at least 2 other things to do and was running late! And so to our barn.

Next morning we did breakfast at the barn, then I found myself being taken round a large pond/small lake by a real plantsman. He has many trees and some shrubs of all sorts and varieties, some of which he has bred himself. There are 30+ varieties of oak, apart from all the rest. He is plant mad, used to show all over the place and knows every horticulturist worth his salt!! Fascinating! Then to Brother's house and tea/coffee/wine/beer or whatever you wanted. Quite a number of people from yesterday came + all the family who were still around. People gradually disappeared as lunch proper was not on the agenda. My young and I remained and had good food! Lovely bread made by a friend and all sorts to put in it. Eldest brother had gone off to the family home, aquired by our Grandfather and now owned by a first cousin once removed who had been at the supper. After lunch, my lot and I went to the said family home. Brother and wife were still there and we all ate lovely sponge cake and drank tea. Unfortunately, it was pooring with rain so we could not go and look at the garden, stream etc. which was sad as my lot had not been there before. About 4.0 they left for home in Sussex and I went back to base, where I found them glued to the Wimbledon finals so I joined them. What a match! Later we had roast Welsh lamb and then I went back alone to the Barn.

Next morning, after I had sorted it and left it as I would have expected when I did self catering, I had a tour of the vegetables and more trees etc. What a man! I left with cuttings which I hope will take. From there I went to cousins even older than me!! He was an Admiral in the Navy and is a great friend of G and me. I had lunch there and found that the controversial pipe line is passing right by - going under the Usk, under his fishing and also under the way down to his house. He seems very calm about it, but had just thought that perhaps the concussions from pushing the line under the river might kill the fish! Somewhat worrying. I left there at 3.0 and headed for Cardiff. By Methyr there was an almighty downpour, which reduced us all to 40mph! When I got down to the M4 I missed the pull off so was heading into Cardiff centre towards rush hour! Help!! Kept my head and managed to extricate myself and achieve the airport. Loaded on time then held by Flight Control Brussels for an hour. Luckily, it being a one horse airport, we were allowed to use our phones, so G knew not to meet me!! Had an untroubled flight to Newcastle, drinking Champagne and Sloe Gin on the house! Never tried it before - it is delicious! Then "Sorry to be the bearer of bad news again, but there is a fault on the runway, so we are being held for a while"! We must have circled for at least 1/2 an hour! Once down, I got straight into a taxi, who charged me less than usul, and arrived home about 9.0.

Quite a weekend! Did not really feel exhausted until the next day and on Wednesday, when I had to get up at 6.0 to get to Darlington in time to judge Northumbria in Bloom. We all find judging tiring, so you can imagine what I felt like on Thursday! However today, I feel fine and am on the count-down for the next adventure!

I am so sorry to have kept some of you waiting for the next stage of the guided tour. I really think that it is time to cross the 'drive' and go onto the larger lawn.





This is looking back towards the 'drive' from said lawn. It was taken a while ago so now the Aubretia is going over. The dead flower heads are still there and are great value. The blue stuff is going over too.

I think that I do not have a pic of the Clematis - Ernest Markham - which has been lovely but is now looking delapidated due to the rain, to the right of the front door. The other side of the window is a red rose.

When G came here, he didn't like the lead downcomers (extra-ordinary man!) so he planted an upright conifer in front. This was not liked one little bit by the rose, which somehow survived and occasionally produced the odd flower. Two years ago, (24 years later) I finally managed to achieve the removal of the conifer (which showed up rainwater damage to 16th Century stone!) and the rose gave one terrific cheer and then put all its energy into recovering. Now it is growing well and covered in red flowers.




The herbaceaus borders are growing well but have little colour. They are the least satisfactory things in the garden. They need a lot of attention and I am physically, or interestedly, not up to doing them properly. They run in front of the east end of the house - the 18th Century addition - with a path between. The back one is quite wide, but because there are two windows behind it is difficult to plant. I have a shrub between but the space is not really wide enough. The Paeonies in both borders were lovely but when the rain came, they turned into big brown blobs. I have at last got them cut off. There is lovely Geranium, which was there when I came. The picture does not do justice to the very strong colour.






The area at the East end of the house, when I came here, was just grass with a pear tree in the corner against the outside wall. It is a difficult area.Everyone says how lovely and sunny and sheltered. But in fact it loses the sun by at least 3.00 and the East wind hits the end of the house and comes back down and the West wind hits the wall and comes back over! At the back, from left to right, is a new Buddleia, (not visible) replaceing one which got too tall to prune, having been there for 20+ years. To the right is a Pyrus salicifolia pendula (Willow-leafed weeping pear) It has not been there very long but is doing well. It is not really suitable but at least it likes it and is growing! In front is a red shrub rose - loose growing and I can't remember what it is - it grows to at least 15feet and has red urn shaped hips. To the right of that is a shrub that I don't know the name of and it is not of much value. Then on the wall is a forsythia spectabilis (I think!) It is meant to absorb the wind coming off the house. It flowers quite well but is a bit wild! In the front row are
Hebe Diamond (very good value), and Cistus x hybridus Gold Prize planted in September 05. Beyond them is a small growing Buddleia and a small red-leaved Berberis. Geraniums act as ground cover and are currently flowering, so it is quite good, though the only other colour is the shrub rose.

Facing East, the next plant is an ancient white rose of some unknown age. It does very well, considering everything. Next to it is a Russian Vine, planted to catch some of the W. wind and deaden it. It does that quite well but ... it is enormously vigorous so I have to do a great deal of controlling! Most of the year the wind is in the West and it grows up and over the wall, taking some of the starkness away from the Green side. However, at some point every year (usually about June) there is a strong wind from the east, which blows it back into the garden and it looks dreadful for a while! 2 years ago, about 2 weeks before a step-daughter's wedding, that was exactly what happened. In fact, on the day there was the mother and father of a thunder storm, with accompanying rain so everyone made a mad dash for the marquee and only 2 or 3 came to look round the garden!






Next is Penelope, which I planted when I first came here. It struggled while partially shaded by the Prunus mentioned below, but is now doing well.

Beyond Penelope, when I came here, there was an Ash tree, which was a seedling in the early 20th Century. It finally grew so wide at the base that it pushed over the old wall. God bless the Insurance Company, who funded rebuilding. Having felled the ash, we put in a door in the wall, which is down some steps, as at some point the ground had been leveled off in the garden, so the difference between the garden and the Green is about 4 feet. I planted an old yellow shrub rose in the corner which I had brought with me from about two houses before! Also there were very old red shrub roses, probably planted in the 40's or 50's. In front of the ash was a Prunus, with a stem whose bark went round in a spiral, planted in the lawn. The spring of the wedding, we had to remove the Prunus which was dying, which left great scope for change. The new planting there has mostly been there for 2 years and now looks like this................
Not bad really for our position at 650ft and mid Northumberland, where everything takes for ever to get going!

We are now (in the pic) facing South. Go on to the right and you come to a pond in the lawn, with my Helebore/hosta bed behind. The pond went in exactly a year ago and is coming on well.

You can just see, to the right back of the pic, a holly which is called the Policeman. It is quite big but kept clipped and guards the front gate. Between it and the gate post is a Philadelphus, the old-fashioned single sort, which has a terrific scent.

So, roughly, that is that for the front of the house. Lots of plants not mentioned, of course, but I fear it gets pretty boring as it is, without adding any more!!!

Next time, we will go round the veg and cutting/holding/anything goes bed and the back lawn, or some of it anyway!

By the way, the reason this did not go up several days ago is that I took pics for back then and when I came to take them off the camera, the card was already in the printer, so there was nothing in the camera!!! How stupid can one get? Then we had nothing but rain or bad light, so only took the pics again today, IN THE SUN!!

A Day's Hard Labour

Have just looked in here and found several comments I didn't know about! Thanks to one and all. I hope that HB comes back in time to see her picture on yesterday's (20th June) front page. If not, I shall post it again when the weight of gardening eases.

This is just an account of a day's gardening - I haven't the energy to do a further walk.

I can't keep up with everything coming out - I suppose it is always the same at this time of year, but it always takes me by surprise!

The dreadful weather last week put an end to the Paeonies and one of my jobs today was to cut off the dead heads, with a lot of soggy petals hanging about all gone brown.

First job before that was to empty my barrow, which G had filled with very nasty manure that he collected from the road. It was dropped by the farmer clearing a barn where he had beasts during the winter. It had sat through the .6inch of rain that fell the night before last so was very soggy and the bad smell was agravated! The Lord alone knows what he has been feeding the beasts but it must be something nasty!! Also it is completely raw straw with urine and not much proper muck. I didn't show any of the gratitude that was clearly expected!! Anyway, it is now sitting in a shapely heap giving off its perfume.

Cut a few sweet peas for the third time this year. In the past they weren't out till G's birthday on 24th July. They are a cheat this year as I bought plants as I failed to sow them. Much better plants I regret to say, but not the ones I would have chosen.

Raised the string supporting the Broad Beans. Some of the mass of flowers on them were looking pretty soggy and no bumble bees polinating - I hope they haven't all been drowned in their holes. We had masses before the rain. No sign of set beans yet, but here's hoping.

Also raised the string holding the CD's over the peas. They had got lost in the vigorous growth, so not doing their job. No flowers there yet.

Then I got slap happy with the secateurs. A beautiful palest mauve Abutilon, probably mentioned on a walk, is now almost fully out and has survived the rain. The shrubs on either side are growing hard, so I cut them back hard and now the Abutilon can be seen properly.

There are 2 or 3 places where paths are really too narrow, or rather, I planted too vigorous things too near on either side. When ever we get really wet weather, it brings the new growth down so that you get soaked if you need to go by. The secateurs did good work here, but I won't know whether it was good enough till it rains again.

Then, after lunch, round to the yard by the back door. The Lilac flowered very well this year but it needed cutting back a little. It is a very necessary wind-break so I never want to cut off too much but Lilacs do better if they are cut quite hard. I hope I managed a happy medium. I cleared up some of my rubbish, but the lovely G had said he would do some of it, so I just took one barrowful to the bonfire. (A bit of a hike)

Then into the front garden. Found that the dreaded dead-heading of roses had to start. The Old English roses are just beginning to come out, so only one to cut off there. Isfahan is coming on well and there was a bit of work to do there. After several years, it is making quite a feature, on its support. Climbing roses on the front of the house needed tidying as did an ancient white rose on the garden wall and a Penelope ditto. A number of years ago I planted a Russian Vine against the West-facing wall of the garden, which was beating back the terrible winds we suffer from. I suppose it does its job, but it really is a thug! Sometimes it hangs over the outside of the wall, which is nice but then along comes an east wind and tips it all back, leaving it looking horrid! The current vigorous growth has hidden the last 'tip' and is beginning to grow back over, but there was a lot to cut off, to keep it in its bounds. By the time I had done it, and taken it to the bonfire I was very weary, so that was my lot for today.

A bit of rambling

What a lovely two days we have had! And it sounds as though it will go on. What a lot of gardening has to be done. Some of it has been - lots is waiting.

Yesterday was my Hexham day. Got there in good time and bought some bedding plants to put into a bit of the garden that has been wasted for several years. Then did the other routine things and then escaped to a Farm Shop which is arguably one of the best. Bought lots of vegs but disappointed that there was none of their asparagus. Apparently the cold nights had discouraged it! As that was the main reason for going there I was a little upset, but they were offering tasteing of an excellent ham, asparagus and cheese dish which was delicious so I went away happy!

In the afternoon, I planted some of the bedding plants and did some weeding in the veg garden.

It was there that I thought that you should hear about the strange behaviour of the Parsley. Last year I let a plant seed by mistake and covered some more with a cloche which meant that I always had some available. Earlier in the spring, I was sowing various seeds including parsley. Nothing came. BUT around the one that had been under a cloche, there are numerous parsley seedlings! So all will be well. I should have some to pick before too long and certainly some to cover for the winter. The one that was covered last winter will be allowed to flower and seed so I expect to have some for next summer.

Today, I had to go to my dentist to have a filling where I had broken a bit of tooth. Luckily, there was a filling there already, so I did not have to have the horrible numbing injections. I now have a renewed tooth. As the dentist is not far from the Farm Shop, I went back and bought some lovely fresh asparagus as well as a pack of the dish being tasted today. Yesterday's was much enjoyed, so bought some of those for the freezer too. I went on from there to my favourite Garden Centre. Couldn't resist some more bedding and also fell for a Ceanothus. We have not been able to grow them, but have a feeling that global warming has gone far enough to let us do so now. I actually went there to get a small version of any upright conifer in a small pot. I have a small stone thing with a fairly small hole in it. I grow upright conifers in it until they die, then replace. Found one and brought that back too.

This afternoon, planted some of the bedding plants - when (if) they are in flower, I will put up a picture. Also, planted the Ceanothus in the same area. It should be reasonably protected. The Thyme went into the herb area (I don't call it a herb garden because it is very hit and miss. Things go in as and when!) Then I went round the front garden, tying up and cutting down! A red rose on the front of the house, which we have not yet visited, is coming into flower and had two bits that needed tying in. The Russian vine, also not yet met, had a considerable lot cut off. As it can grow 40 feet in one year, that was not surprising! Then into a bed that again, you have not yet met, and found that there was rather a lot of a Weigelia that had died, It has just come into flower. I cut out the dead so it looks better. Then went to the area that you have travelled already and did various bits of tidying up.

Things are coming out so fast just now that I can't keep up. Hopefully, tomorrow I shall take you to the other side of the drive. And there will be lots more pictures. Till then - goodnight.