Where were we?

It’s hard to know where to start when I’ve not updated the blog for three weeks. On Sunday we closed the garden and nursery for the winter – always a moment of mixed emotions. The place softens at the edges when we aren’t open as we don’t trouble with appearances so much, and a stillness descends after the hum of summer. For my part closing up means I have more time to think and to make changes I’ve been dreaming of all summer. There will be times in mid-winter when I speak to no-one for days. I rather like it.

Dave and I have been away in Prague for a few days but the usual nursery team have been in, clearing out the middle polytunnel in readiness for the exotics to come in for winter, and Peter has cracked on with hedge trimming in the dry weather. I’m lucky and grateful to have a team I can leave to get on with it.

Talking of dry weather, we’ve had no rain here for nearly a month. The trees are showing clear signs of drought distress and the soil is dust. It surely can’t last, but there’s nothing on the forecast. Very odd.

By way of a general update, I filmed five more Channel M pieces a couple of weeks ago – here’s the first one, on planting an apple tree. I’m quite pleased with this one, probably the best so far.

I appear to have passed my RHS Diploma too, with a scraped commendation in the practical and a decent pass in the final written exam. If my maths is right, I should have a commendation for the overall Diploma. Which I’m quietly rather chuffed about.