An eerie calm has descended. April was a sprint to get the gardens open for NGS and to keep the nursery plants alive with no rain. May was stupendously busy after my GW appearance and with 2 bank holidays and several out of hours group bookings it felt as if I was constantly running on empty. I think it was doubly stressful because so many things happened for the first time – first RHS course day, first coach group, first evening group, as well as having no idea what the nursery’s income would be.
So now much of the ‘first night’ anxious uncertainty has gone. I know where I’m going with this venture and I know it can be financially viable as well as hugely satisfying. It has helped that things have eased back a bit after May. We had a quieter weekend than in recent weeks and I had a completely clear day yesterday (spent buying plants for Tatton and retrieving eldest from University, along with her worldly goods).
However, a brief stress break is vital – Tatton Show looms on the horizon with Arley Festival stepping in by way of a warm up in two weeks. So this little lull will soon give way to a fresh gale as these two events sprint towards me. Still, I get my new van tomorrow, which means I can collect some of the stuff I need for Tatton and make a proper start on it.
Enough talking – here are a few more photos for your delectation:
This stunning, tulip shaped clematis is ‘Princess Diana’ and is growing up an apple tree in the orchard.
Yes, sorry, yet another Meconopsis picture. Well I love them and it’s my blog – OK?
Sambucus ‘Black Lace’ looking seductively lovely in the sunlight.
The pond has come alive with damsel flies and dragonflies. I spotted several empty dragonfly larvae husks on reeds – this one was the easiest to photograph. Haven’t seen the hatchlings yet though.
2 Responses to “The calm between storms”
Glad your still coping well Trilli, I’ve got Clem Princess Diana in flower and its huge this year, normaly I get flowers 1″ long and small if I’m lucky, but this year there about 3″ long and absolutely huge.
We had Jonathon Buckley come and photograph our garden today (he took the photos for Christo Lloyds last book!)And Elspeth Thompson came to do a write up to go with the photos for the article in the Guardian in Mid July…..all exciting stuff, and they quite liked the garden too!!!
Hi Elaine,
Well you are mixing with the great and the good! Do let me know when the Grauniad article is published I’ll look out for it. And I will get to visit your garden one day – honest.