How CAN It Already Be August?!

Lilies and Agapanthus on the terrace last week

And there was I, intending to run, with all banners blazing, into a return to this blog on 1st August…I've missed you all, my friends. But as with so many of my good intentions these days, it just didn't happen. At least, nowadays, I can be kinder to myself and not feel either guilty, lazy or a total waste of space - I just shrug and say 'so be it' and get on with things anyway. Life is so much easier as a result.

The Great Oil Tank Adventure (for which read 'pain in the backside') dominated far more of the first part of this year than I could ever have imagined. Not so much the leak - which was pretty well contained by standing in the rain, in December, in the dark, pushing a series of buckets, bowls and bins under the offending part…but more the environmental clean-up - which was very necessary but also vast.

 Mid February - water, water everywhere -

- and pots all over the place...

Add to that torrential rain, broken water pipes, and an overflowing septic tank as a result of both and I am sure you can imagine what merriment ensued over two months in spring when the actual work was being carried out - but also many weeks since when the garden has been slowly put back to order. Hundreds of pots and garden equipment had to be moved to allow the clean-up to take place - and hundreds of pots (and wrecked plants) have had to slowly be moved back again. It's taken a long, long time - but the flowers do finally come back - the sun shines once more and we are catapulted into spring and summertime.

Sunshine and snowdrops in February

The upheavals have also allowed me to make changes to the siting of the potting shed and other layouts in the garden; major weeding has been carried out by A - heroically dealing with the worst of ground elder infestations - so that we now feel we are now almost 'on top' of the maintenance, and as we approach autumn (very much too soon if you could see the miserable weather here today) are able to turn our minds to actually planning and enjoying planting and redesigning.

June - Roses in abundance (Paul's Himalayan Musk)

...and Paeonies

The old Victorian loo

I'll leave you with just a brief 'catch-up' in this post, of some of the vagaries of the spring but also some images of the garden in its much happier summer incarnation. A Blessed Lammas to you all - and I won't leave it so long until next time!

The Tree Lily 'Luisa' in bloom today

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Comments

[Ardi]

Mornin' Roz,
How very sweet it is to see you back here. What a year you've had. The garden is lovely - wish I could just pop round for a cup of tea and a long chat, but alas oceans separate us. So I will just pop in electronically...cheers to you and have a lovely day in that beautiful garden. Hugs.

[Kate]

Hi Roz! It always brings a smile to my face when I see Autumn Cottage in my inbox!

What a horrid mess that was! I'm so sympathetic! Glad it's all finally sorted and behind you. The garden looks lovely indeed and I'm dripping with jealousy! The combination of 6 years of drought & watering restrictions coupled with my poor knee which doesn't let me do much of anything have turned my garden into a sorry desert landscape. The star jasmine is doing its annual exuberance but I don't think anything kills a jasmine, does it? The hydrangeas in the front bed are rioting away as usual -- they're so happy where they are that they come back year after year like clockwork. Everything else looks dismal, and the wisteria over the pergola died, I think from lack of water.

Is that a Cecil Bruner over the Victorian loo? I splurged on mine several years ago, and it did bloom but not excessively. Either it's still getting settled in, or the lack of water has set it back several years.

Have a lovely day -- I hope the weather improves for you soon,. although to be honest "miserable weather" sounds lovely, after a good bit of June and all of July scorching in the high 90s to triple digits. Ugh! I can['t wait for autumn (if we get an autumn this year) or winter, when it will be cool and lovely.

At Lammas come the dog days of summer, the gardens are full of goodies, the fields are full of grain, and the harvest is approaching. Take a moment to relax in the heat, and reflect on the upcoming abundance of the fall months. It's time to begin reaping what we have sown throughout the past few months, and recognize that the bright summer days will soon come to an end.

Kate

[Patricia]

I was delighted to see your post. Despite the upheaval, your garden is lovely. Sending best wishes to you for an enjoyable rest of your summer.

[Loretta Marvel]

Gorgeous, just gorgeous! I sigh i envy though I know what backbreaking work it is. Glad to see you back at it here too!