Today’s guest picture comes from my brother Andrew. He has been on a tour of the north east with my sisters Mary and Susan. They returned home by train today and he drove back to Derby by way of Fountains Abbey.
Mrs Tootlepedal and I also came home today, leaving Evelyn Rose with some sadness but the heat and hurly-burly of London with less regret. Our train was punctual to the minute and as a result we were able to catch the bus home without delay.
Our first thought was for a reviving cup of tea…
…and our second was to look round the garden.
It had survived without us very well, though as you can see, the grass on the lawn was far too long.
The salvias are glorious and Mrs Tootlepedal is thinking of planting some more for next year (but perhaps not quite so many).
A lot of poppies needed dead heading but there were a few still in flower…
…and the hosta was in ebullient form.
There had been no heavy wind or rain to knock the delphinums over…
…and in general, there are still plenty of things to catch the eye.
There were not a lot of new flowers about but the first dahlia of the year has appeared.
The roses are enjoying themselves this year and Special Grandma was appropriately well lit up in its shadowy place in its bed.
At the other end of the lawn both The Wren…
…and Lilian Austin were showing different stages of development.
At the other end of the garden, the Common Riding rose has burst into flower while we were away.
The call of the lawns was too strong to be resisted so I knuckled down and got the mower out. The recent feed that I gave the front lawn has been very effective and the grass had grown strongly in the time that we were in London. I took a wheelbarrow full of grass off it on the first cut and then ran over it again in a different direction to get a smooth finish.
Because of the lush growth, it was hard job job on a warm afternoon, so I had one or two shady and fragrant rests on a handy bench at the end of the lawn while I toiled away. The shade was provided by the walnut tree and the fragrance was supplied by a combination of privet and honeysuckle.
Then I mowed the middle lawn.
Although it may look like a bit of a monocultural desert, the middle lawn has a good many weeds in it, including some self heal which grows so low to the ground that the flowers duck under my mower blades and can still be clearly seen even after this trim..
Elsewhere in the garden, we have clover in the grass.
A good day was rounded off by the arrival of three recorder players after tea and we sat and played recorder quartets both ancient and modern with great enjoyment as the sun set in the clear sky outside.
As they left, after a cup of tea and a biscuit, we could hear the swifts calling high above the house.
No flying bird of the day today, so one of the many sweet peas that needed picking stands in instead.
We would like to thank everyone who has sent us good wishes on the arrival of our new granddaughter. We receive them with gratitude and they have been forwarded on to Annie and Joe.
The garden certainly did well, even if the lawn got a little shaggy. The roses especially are beautiful.
I’m glad to hear that mother and baby are well and that you and Mrs. T. made it home safely.
I’d guess it was time for a rest.
You guessed right.
Beautiful shadows on your (too long?!!!) lawn.
The shadows were good but the lawn really was too long.
You have a beautiful garden! 🙂
Thank you HJ. It comes from having a beautiful gardener.
That first reviving cup of tea after a long journey home is the BEST.
Very true.
That was a beautiful sweet pea and I was glad to see a fuchsia among the roses.
The garden looks in splendid shape.
What a splendid place to come home to.
I agree on that emphatically.
The garden and its blooms looking splendid
We were pleased to see the place looking respectable.
As if you’d never been away
Everything looks grand! Speaking of grand… will there be more trips to London in your future?
There will have to be but Mrs Tootlepedal will be going solo next time.
Your garden looks beautiful from all angles! Love the way the shadows cross the lawn. The Special Grandma rose knows that the ‘real’ one is glowing inside as well!
Very true.
Congratulations to all concerned. (I’m just catching up). The garden is looking wonderful too.
The baby and the garden are very satisfying.
It does indeed seem to be a good life. 🙂
Beautiful garden! Was that a black Pansy I saw in that group of flower photos?! I’ve never seen pansies in that color!
It is a very dark pansy indeed. It is so dark that it is hard to photograph well.
Well you’ve done a fine job!
Pansy might be Bowles Black. Your garden looks superb and the Special Grandma rose is the perfect touch.
The garden is looking fine and full of colour. I am pleased your journey home was uneventful and you had some soothing music to end the day,
Soothing music is a good end to any day of course.