SUMMER 2008 - NO BETTER THAN 2007!

We all hoped that the summer of 2008 would be better than 2007 - and we were wrong! I am so glad that the first summer we were here was fantastic or I might have been tempted to think we had made a mistake by moving here and my garden would be fine. We have a dry stane wall at the top of the garden where we look down to the Basin. We eventually want to put a summerhouse up here and need to move the wall to get the best position for it. So, this is the wall moving summer. A lovely Czech girl is going to do the moving and all I can say is - good luck! The weather has been pretty average and everything looks green and lush. The colours are coming gradually, but about a couple of weeks behind what I thought.

Husband also decided to build a bridge, definitely on the sloping scale rather than vertical, but hey, little acorns.

The bridge is at the far end of the garden, just in front of the copper beech. I tried to look away when feet were perilously close to naturalised daffs, will only weep if they don't come up next spring! A major feat of engineering, to which I contributed very little. Even advice. But mid-august, the opening ceremony was performed with some friends in attendance - thanks Mae for the glittery elastic and Aileen for the bubbly! Isn't is fantastic! I know it goes to a brick wall, but that will change. Give it time.

So despite my complaining, there were a few sunny days and we did get some jobs done. I cleared a huge amount of overgrown ivy and grass off the slope in front of the greenhouse and loads of grassy self-seeded stuff out of the bog garden. I planted some hostas and a couple of fatsias there, with a rodgersia and gave in to some persicaria. Some of the primulas I planted last year have come up again - hopefully they will self seed. Other trials have not been as successful, primarily the ligularia, which I have moved to another part of the garden to see if it can be saved - bloody slugs! The tomato plants got blight - and I have NEVER had that before. Husband had even constructed a frame for growing some of the toms outside in front of the greenhouse, but even they were taken from us. Not a good year for chutney then.

We were however, thrilled to see a couple of huge moths one night as we sat in the conservatory, and just managed to get a photo or two.