Dreaming of Summer in the Middle of Winter …

 

As I sit down to write this post the wind is howling around the house, hail is hitting the windows with force, the sky in gunmetal grey, and we are due to go to a funeral in an hours time.  Not the best of days.  So I thought I would look back on sunnier times when the garden is at  its best.  I captioned these photos ‘A Warm Thursday in July’  and they give a fair indication of what the garden looks like at any given time during the summer.

How would I describe the Rosebank garden? 

Nothing too fancy, a country garden  - full of flowers, shrubs and home-grown veg - somewhere that is not too organised  - some might say, a bit of a jumble.  It has a table and chairs on the patio for when I fancy eating or reading out of doors – a pond for the fish and one for wildlife -  and a bench at the top of the garden for catching the last rays of the afternoon sun - sitting and taking in the colour and fragrance of my surroundings with a view of the open countryside beyond.  It isn't a sophisticated garden – it has just evolved -   but looks as though it should be there.



It is a medium sized space and fairly manageable.  Every year the garden looks a little bit different as plantings change and shrubs and perennials grow and mature. It isn’t a showcase  for plants, I am not what you would call a ‘plants woman’ - I just want somewhere full of colour that I can potter round in a relaxed manner surrounded by beauty, a feast for the senses -  maybe wander up to the veg garden and pick a lettuce and some tomatoes for lunch or gather a posy of flowers for the house.

I need the garden to be somewhere that doesn't involve too much work, where I don't  have to worry about the weeds, or plants not being in the right place - it needs to be a respite from the pressures of the outside world - a retreat - and a solace for the soul.  

I get so much pleasure from the garden.  This one is the culmination of all the ideas that I have picked up from books, magazines, other gardeners and bloggers ideas and is still a work-in-progress.  Each year I sow different flower and veg seeds according to my whim and fancy, so the garden will never stay the same.  But the backbone is in place, and after that, I can play around all I want.

Some years it looks better than others, some years I am happier with it than others but  - however it turns out, everything that is growing is there because I put it there - my little piece of Eden - full of flowers, fruit and vegetables.  No matter that it isn’t to everyone’s taste – I care not – not one jot – all I care about is the pleasure it brings me.

My garden may not be as neat and tidy as some, nor as unkempt as others – it may not be full of  the unusual - just  ordinary everyday plants  - but it suits me just fine. It ‘s where I spend hours of my time for three seasons of the year – sowing, planting, harvesting, pruning, weeding.  I can think of nowhere else I would rather be nor anything I would rather be doing than working in the garden that I have built from a derelict overgrown site. 

Looking out of the rain spattered window today (Wednesday) you wouldn’t believe it was the same space as in the above pictures – I can’t quite believe it myself – but soon the garden will start to come to life again – the weather will begin to warm up as winter turns into spring – and I, for one, will be a very happy bunny.

a vase full of sunshine

‘Til next time – enjoy a little summer dreaming with me.

p.s. Woke up this morning and found this had happened – pictures taken at 7.30 a.m. hence the strange light – yes, it snowed overnight – maybe, at last, I’ll be able to wear the snow boots I bought a couple of years ago and never had a chance to wear – till now – doesn’t it look magical!

Back to the summer dreaming!