Rainy Days

I'm not complaining you understand. I live in a drying part of the world so any rain is welcomed, preferably heavy soaking rain showers without strong winds which is what we're experiencing today. Even better is that I was able to go out between showers and pull up some of the thistles which seem to spring up in moments at this time of the year.

Thistles aren't the only fast growers in my garden at present. The Flanders poppies are also taking off after a slowish start. You might just be able to see the first bud peeking out in this photo.

While the poppies may be doing what they usually do in other areas of the garden it's been an odd year in many ways with a lot of the winter bulbs yet to flower when they should already be in full bloom. There's still no sign of flowers from the paper white jonquils which I'd expect to be the first to appear and even the common jonquils in the front yard have only started to flower in the last week instead of in mid June.

Then there are the totally confused roses like those in this pot. I'd normally be giving them a winter pruning by mid July but as you can see, although they're looking a little bedraggled having just had a soaking rain shower, they're still flowering and the perfume is glorious.

Why this is happening I have no idea. All I can put it down to is the general madness that is 2020.

Alas.

My poor garden is suffering badly at the moment. A series of difficulties - personal physical problems mainly - has led to infestations of couch grass, crab grass and scale just about everywhere. As a result I'm finding it rather depressing just at a time when I need uplifting. But there are still a few delights among the misery.

With the cooler nights the roses have begun their Autumn flush of flowers. Because a number came from my parents' house when they moved I don't know all the names but they range in colour from rich, dark reds through pinks, apricots and yellows to whites.

On the family room table I have a vase of crimson roses - Papa Meilland, Mr Lincoln and another that came from my parents' house. They are gloriously fragrant, filling the whole area with their perfume. They have been under constant assault by Angus cat, who, I have just realised, had never seen flowers in a vase close up before. He's usually a quick learner - no doubt how he survived his traumatic early life - and learned not to put so much as a paw on a table in his first couple of weeks in the house. But the roses fascinate him. He started by sitting on a chair, eyes fixed, until he couldn't stand it. He made a rush across the table, batting with his paws until a blossom fell out then he grabbed it in his mouth and carried it off. It was about when he reached the floor that the thorns started to dig in and he dropped it and ran off. This happened a few times. Now he's wiser but still can't resist creeping up on them at least as far as the table edge.

Jaz, of course, finds the whole thing disturbing and barks furiously.
"Will someone come, please. The cat's being very bad. Please come."
Unfortunately she disapproves of so many of the cat's activities - looking at her, sitting on the arm of the sofa, walking across my bed, going into the bathroom, lying on the living room window sill, lying under a chair, to mention only a few - she's more likely to be in trouble for barking than praised even if the end result is Angus also in trouble.

I'm truly delighted at the progress Angus has made. It's hard to believe that it's only nine months since he was a terrified little scrap of a kitten, frightened of literally everything. Now he's happy, confident and affectionate within the family although sudden noises and strangers still send him running for cover.

Curious.

When I got up this morning the air in the back garden was still and heavy with rose perfume. I can't remember it ever being so strong in the morning before. It's not as though there are masses of roses out at the moment either or that they are the most richly perfumed varieties. I suspect it was a combination of the scents of the rose blossoms that are open and the rose geranium foliage.

Maybe the electrical storm we had around 5:30 am set it off. It woke me with lightning that lit up inside of the house, blinds drawn and all, and thunder rumbling loudly but only a few drops of rain. Then again perhaps something (a cat?) had brushed against the rose geranium foliage releasing its fragrance. Very strange whatever the cause.

My Garden.

There's no question that my garden is not fashionable - and to tell the truth, I don't want it to be if the gardens created in garden makeovers on television are an example of what we should aspire to. I certainly want areas where we can sit with friends on a summer evening or with an early morning cup of coffee and modern gardens excel in this. Where they fail is in creating a useful garden as well. My ideal garden is an old-fashioned cottage garden - one where most of the plants as well as being decorative, have a purpose.

Excluding the largely functional vegetable patch in which, because I can't restrain myself, you'll find still find some flowers - edible ones like nasturtiums, calendulas and violas - much of the rest of the garden is also edible. Apart from the bulbs presently hidden under ground, in among the agapanthus, gerberas, bearded irises, cactus, orchids, pelargoniums and petunias there is an assortment of the more common food plants. From where I'm sitting I can see sweet potatoes, rhubarb, grapes, strawberries, lettuces, perpetual spinach and lots of herbs - basil, tarragon, marjoram, oregano, rigani, several different thymes and parsleys, assorted mints and rosemary, sage, chives and ginger.

There are some other plants too, usually only grown for decoration, various parts of which are either edible or have other uses and I grow a number of them as well. Here's a sample:
Roses: blossoms - edible, albeit of an odd texture, in sandwiches but yummy as sugared petals or rosebuds. Rose hips are a good source of Vitamin C when made into jellies or syrups while perfumed red blossoms make a wonderful conserve. Also used in making rose water and in pot pourri
Violets: blossoms are delicious sugared and the leaves have medicinal uses.
Nasturtiums: leaves and flowers add a peppery sharpness to salads and the flowers are delicious (if not very healthy) battered and deep fried.
Dianthus: sometimes called clove pinks and used for pot pourri or flavouring.
Society garlic: flowers can be used in salads.
Lavender: used in cooking, as a moth repellent and in the perfume, lavender water. It's also used medicinally.
Lemon verbena: used in teas and as a flavouring.
Water lily: I haven't tried it but I'm told the root is edible.
Lilly pilly: fruits are edible.
Elderberry: flowers are edible (as fritters in particular) and also used in making elderflower champagne. The berries are used to make wine.
Rose and lemon scented geraniums: used in pot pourri and to flavour cakes.

And that's only what is in the garden just now. There are other annuals that come and go in season.

My garden is different but it is still pretty and it certainly smells lovely. Anyone can do the same. Why don't you try?