Wisteria

This year our wisteria has bloomed more than it ever has before, more than several years together, and it smells gorgeous too.  It's not good blooming in comparison to most wisteria plants but it's good this year.  It's not a happy plant in that conservatory; it would be better exposed to the elements again, and goodness knows how it get enough water because though it leaks in there, it's not like there's ever a deluge of rain water.  However, since we have a well in the garden and a well in the house, I wouldn't be surprised if there's an underground stream from which this wisteria can feed.
Apparently, Victorians used to plant a wisteria next to a new house - I wonder why. I suppose this wisteria was planted circa 1902 when the sitting room was added to the older part of the house.

Garden room

Isn't this room gorgeous?  Look at the door that allows you out onto the patio, the light reflecting off the tiled floor, the hops shading the room.  We've just had the decorators in, taken out the green fitted carpet and one of the nine huge windows.  We've turned that window into doors, and replaced the carpet with these parquet tiles under which there's wired heating, so the room is now warmer in winter, but cooler in summer.  I use it as a study - you can see my desks - but it now feels like a garden room - a transition between house and garden.  It's lovely.

Queen bee

We were sitting in the garden having a quiet evening drink when we heard this bee making the most almighty noise. On the plants next to us was this pair, and the smaller bee's wings were making this huge buzzing noise. As the top bee seemed to be trying to leave but was stuck, the noise got more frantic. Then another noise added to it, as if the queen were screeching. And they pulled apart and went their separate ways.

I thought mating killed the male bee. From the noise, it sounded like murder.

And now I suppose there'll be a bees nest in the garden somewhere.

Tadpoles

I've got some new pets! I've got tadpoles for the first time in years.

In late March, I was passing a pond when I noticed it bubbling all over, like it had lots of aerators in it, but on a closer look, I saw the bubbles came from lots of mating frogs. Mating frogs means frog spawn, so I grabbed a bag I'd been keeping in the car for this, and scooped out a handful of spawn. Now, weeks later, the tadpoles are wriggling round in a stone sink in our garden.

Watch and I'll post photos as they grew.

Leprechauns, fairies and elves in the garden

One evening I hear a knock at the door. It's the second one of the evening my husband who'd answered the first one is now at the bottom of the garden collecting blackberries.

"My brother, he came here and, I don't know his name, he .."
"You don't know your brother's name?"
"No, the man, here, he told my brother he could collect apples and my brother didn't know we was collecting apples so he said 'no', and we are collecting apples, and we've come to collect apples".

They're local children. A few minutes earlier they'd lost a wooden 'sword' over our wall, and their brother had come to retrieve it.

So I let them down the garden, giving them bags for collecting apples and they were so happy that they went and called the brother back and another friend and they all went round saying the garden was wonderful, and look at the rubber horse, and swinging on the swing as high as possible till the birch tree rocked, and they'd filled their bags. Then they scuttled away, promising to come back for more, and they came back. They picked and played and climbed trees till dusk, then scampered off with their apples and plums, looking like mischievous and happy elves in the evening gloom.

Mystery garden

I just loved the light and shade as I went down the garden this morning.

Smoky sunlounge

The garden is lovely. Husband is out there now, mowing the lawn, getting everything ready for the open gardens day. I look out on pink valerian, yellow Alchemilla (Lady's Mantle) and a beautiful blue Ceanothus bush. I love their blue flowers.

But the leaky windows of the sunlounge let me know that husband is burning a bonfire at the bottom of the garden. I hope the neighbours haven't got their washing out on this sunny Saturday morning, and that the local police community support officer (PCSO) isn't walking round on the other side of the park wall. I don't want husband done for anti-social behaviour.

New gardener

Our garden looks something smashing now, with trimmed lawn, and bushes. Even the climbing rose that hasn't bloomed for years under the shade of the weeping birch, is now coming out with lovely blooms.

Why the change?

Husband has retired and is spending hours in the garden. While the garden improves, husband is getting covered with scratches, and grazes, as he catches his hands on sharp grasses, and bangs his head on dangling branches, or even on the garden table today when he was weeding underneath it.

Secret gardens opening

On Sunday we opened our garden, as did dozen others in the old town. Around 300 people traipsed round, admiring layout, size, hidden greenery behind houses that are right on the street, and our delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red). Photographers could be seen focusing in close on the phygelius.

We have several empty and light filled spots where we cut down trees like the elder and a pine. We left notices asking for advice from our visitors.

"What should we do with this border now the branches have gone? Your suggestions are welcome."

Some suggestions have been:

• a gravel garden or a Japanese garden or a water garden
• currant bushes
• apple trees

"What should we do with this space now the trees have gone? Your suggestions are welcome."

This elicited:

• Don't cover the old wall and narled trunks, they compliment the age of the garden. Fruit bushes fine, introduce lost of different shades of greenery. Build potting shed, fence west
• Nude sunbathing!
• Chickens!
• A BOMB

We're still wondering whether and where to have a Wendy house. I miss the one my children had until 2000 and want one like it for the grandchildren. And we might get a fig tree - some visitors agreed - or an olive tree, tile the bare wall, or put a mosaic on it, or perhaps graffiti! But then the outside of the walls already get that! We've also been advised to consider a Japanese garden, oriental features and a willow sculpture. I like that idea.

Our grandson sold ice creams, making a tidy £60 towards our chosen charities: Norcap and Space. Rumour has it that between us all we made around £900.

I'll load my photos up to my flickr site.

Sunny weather

The weather has turned really nice, warm and sunny though not too hot. This is what is was like in India in January, when the brightness hurt my eyes that had been used to winter dark. As spring has come gradually, the days have got longer and brighter.

The garden is at its best this week and next, and then will need loads of tidying up in time for the opening of the Secret Gardens of Aylesbury Old Town in June.

I planted three cistus (what sort of cistus is it?) about 7 years ago and this one has grown huge and splendid. The others are invisible runts.

Quiet house

The only sound in The Mount today is husband and me rattling around in it. Daughter's gone skiing with school in half term, son's at uni, lodger's in Spain, and cat is in the garden, where it is staying.

I came back from tutoring yesterday evening, and found it weird because there were no children. I took on this tutoring job in 1989 because I could do it while their father looked after them when I had to go out on Saturdays and evenings, but now it doesn't matter any more - no-one needs to look after them the same.

Empty nest.

However, to my delight, eldest step-daughter and family were here. New baby smiled, nay - she laughed with me. The older two were in the garden playing. We've got a new toy out there - a rubber horse to swing on that we got from Luca's garden design. It must have gone down well as they stayed out for over an hour playing on that and with the toy kitchen that we have out there while their parents and grandparents had tea and chats in the warm kitchen.

Their company is something to enjoy now the youngest children are so often out of the nest.