After yesterdays fiesta, I thought today would be quiet. Well I was wrong. I went out early to water, lost track of time and the phone brought me back to my senses. It was 10 past 10 and a couple were parked outside the still locked gates waiting to be let in (we never get anyone in before 11 at the weekend!). We must have had 50 visitors for the garden today and the tea room kept Holly busy all day – she managed heroically despite running out of ice-cream and milk and coping with a broken Burco boiler.

I didn’t know about the 2 for 1 brochure entry in this months BBC GW magazine until Helen mentioned it (see comments below). I guess the former owners must have put it in. Several people brought in the vouchers today so it’s clearly been very popular.

Anyway, we held it together despite all feeling a little washed out from yesterday. My first full month is over and, well let’s just say I can pay the bills this month. I’m more than happy with that at this stage.

Anyway, identity questions are coming up thick and fast now. Here are some of them:

Clematis recta
‘Purpurea’? Fabulous purple stems, aren’t they.


We think this is a Daphne, possibly Daphne cneorum. But I’ve also come up with Daphne tangutica Retusa Group. Here’s a close up and a shot of the whole shrub. It is fabulously sweetly scented.


And one picture just for the beauty of it. The low sun makes Queen of Night look like a two-tone tulip.

April 29, 2007