18 August 2004 - After the holiday

We have come back from a two week holiday in France to find nature has had her head and decided to cultivate a bind weed farm and has thrown in every annual weed for good measure. The garden still has a charm, albeit rather untidy in parts. There are late roses, stunning dahlias and pretty heads of late perennials. The vegetable garden has come into her own. French beans and runners are well established but courgette and family have a way to go, as do the tomatoes. The white fly and wasps are appalling but the slugs and snails seem more restrained this year.

Hamish and Emily have taken care of our home and animals and we are so grateful for their patience in the face of disobedient four and two legged members of the family. We needed a holiday to do nothing and to get over the sudden and terribly sad loss of our lovely cow, Sophia. She and her unborn calf had to be put down when she fell ill and we miss her still. We will certainly find another when the time is right.

Meanwhile we have to find a promised kitten for Amy who probably has not stopped talking since school finished. She has kept us informed on every subject under the sun today whilst we began the major task of getting the garden back into shape. It really is a case of putting our heads down and starting one end and ploughing through. Some times the temptation to use weed killer is very strong-- but not strong enough.

My national collection of tradescantia is still looking rather good and I feel inspired to do the note taking and writing up that I am expected to do. The variety of colours is striking and many of the varieties have stood up well to the relentless rain you had whilst we were away. Even Plum, (my mothers Cairn Cross who with her sister Pippin is still known as puppy although they must be 10) has not managed to flatten them totally when she lay on them in the heat.

The sheep are looking well on the new flush of grass this strange weather has brought and we will send two fat lambs to market next week. I never thought that I would eat my own animals, especially after my father warned me not to eat something to which I had been introduced, but the family and I are happier knowing the history of our meals and we need something to go with our rocket potatoes painted lady runner beans.

Finally Angus and I are waiting to see if we have managed to buy the tiniest house in France that we fell in love with on holiday. We should know in the next few days.

posted by Barbara @ Wednesday, August 18, 2004   0 comments (Post a Comment)