Delighting in the details

After the crazy count-down to the Garden Safari last weekend it was lovely to ease off the pressure this past week and enjoy the garden. It was too hot by mid-week to do anything remotely energetic anyway. I restricted myself to a little weeding and deadheading and generally wandering about looking – properly looking – at the beautiful colours and forms.

Diascia planted around the base of a little olive tree in a large container with the annual grass  Panicum elegans ‘Frosted Explosion’. The diascia was an emergency purchase from the bargain shelf at B&Q. It was very sad and tatty but we fed, watered, trimmed and planted it out and it’s now looking lovely.

Allium cristophii has taken over from Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ as the star plant.

Our sweetpeas (bought as plug plants and planted out in mid-May) are just starting to flower. It’s probably my favourite scent in the garden. Delicious.

Thyme flowers.

Sunlight through hardy geranium leaves.

 

More Panicum elegans ‘Frosted Explosion’. We grew this from seed and had well over 50 plants from a packet so we’ve dotted it about everywhere!

Each time I go to the beach, I come home with a pebble or two in my pocket. There’s something about a warm, smooth stone in your hand.

The love-in-the-mist (Nigella) is setting seed. I think the seedpods are as beautiful as the flowers.

 

In other news… Both boys went off to Hampshire on Saturday for a week at a CCF (Combined Cadet Force) summer camp. They’re kayaking, climbing, marching, throwing themselves around assault courses and taking part in an overnight exercise which they assure me is all great fun. It’s organised through their school, so it’s a week away all fully approved and they won’t be missing much. I am missing them very much though.

My daughter, who is not used to being the only child and doesn’t particularly like it, has her ‘moving-up’ day on Thursday. She’ll spend the day at secondary school and generally experience a taste of how it’s going to be. Her brothers won’t be there, of course, but that’s probably a good thing.

I am feeling the passing of time acutely at the moment and I’m trying to remember to take stock and enjoy as much of it as possible. Have a good week and I hope you get time to savour your moments too.