OUR BACK YARD

A pretty flower garden filled with herbaceous perennials graces the front of our little cottage. Planted for the bees, many herbs grow there and flowering shrubs. To the side of the house is the orchard and kitchen garden with it's fruit trees and bushes as well as strawberries and wine berries.

Here I grow as many vegetables as I can hoping to have something frowning in the garden for the full twelve months of the year.

To the rear of the cottage is a walled yard, rather grandly referred to as “The Garth”,which means sheltered garden and that describes it perfectly.

Here geraniums over winter without fear of frost and nasturtiums have been know to flower until past Christmas.

It has had a chequered history during our time here due to a problem with both the drains and a plague of rats,so that for a time it was virtually abandoned. Now with these problems addressed....we hope...I have begun the reconstruction of this dear little garden which is set out chiefly for the use of birds.

Thankfully many of the original features and almost all of the containers remained intact(I cannot believe the price these days for a Terra cotta pot! Along the house wall an old grape vine twists and winds its way along the window and over the door,providing a shady porch during the summer months. Virginia creeper, recently replanted is now established and is gathering speed as it heads for the roof.

Years ago I was given a small round pool and this is kept clean by a number of industrious snails, small birds and squirrels drink from it and bath and the Magpies use it to dunk crusts of bread to dry to eat,clever birds.

|Roses grow on another wall and this year I hope scarlet runner beans will join them,a Sambucus Negra...black elder is my pride and joy,it's flowers are shell pink a lovely sight in early summer.

Near the back door is a seat for Pa where he sits to feed his beloved birds,they have no fear of us now and will take food from our hands.

Today I spent a little time sowing seeds in tubs,rocket,radishes,and dwarf French beans I pottered,unable to do more at the moment. I hope that when all these have grown to full size that the overall effect will be even better than before.

Being unable to do very much at the moment is annoying but on a sunny summers day it is a lovely place to sit,peaceful and private.

I am afraid the I am still in considerable discomfort .on the plus side I managed to get some sleep last night which helped enormously.

It has been a happy day with a breakfast guest( a friend of my son's) to begin the day and a visit from a badger this evening. He is still rather shy but he will always come when the peanut feeders are full,snuffling up any that have been dropped by the birds,and on one notable occasion he uprooted the feeder pole and carried it off to the bottom of the orchard.

I hope that you had a pleasant weekend and wish you all good fortune for next week.