The strawberries were pretty lousy at the start of the season, when the wet, cold weather was set in, but they massively improved so we got a few weeks of wonderfully sweet berries full of flavour. We gave plenty away to keep up with the rapid ripening of the fruit, as well as eating a lot ourselves and making lots of jars of jam. The raspberries have been less plentiful than in previous years but still the inevitable glut in one go.
Sophie
There are so many pictures I've taken over the last few months that I've not even looked through, along with plenty of snippets of what I've been up to as well as things I talk about all the time to update you on. It's a juggle to get a post ready for each day Monday to Friday, often I find that I have a few lines written on one topic, a picture ready for another or about 10 lined up in photoshop for readying but nothing actually ready to go. Today, we have this single photo prepared but it's an excellent representation of the season as they're blooming everywhere at the moment in a sweet candyfloss levitating carpet. I don't feel any pressure to keep churning out content (excluding any collaboration deadlines) so it's more a stream of thoughts to share that continues to bubble to the surface in a reliably unfaltering manner. An enjoyable process of chronicling the seasons.
Sophie
However, all is not lost, not by a long shot. I have spent many hours merrily tending the plants over the last half a year. The initial stage of planting up the seeds in the greenhouse was more of a stress than it needed to be, with the same said for re-potting and I suppose the planting out as well. However, once they were safely rooted in the ground things have been so much more relaxing. Pottering around with a little fork, big bucket and a kneeling stool has been particularly enjoyable.
 |
| anenome de caen |
 |
| lineria |
 |
| candytuft mixed |
 |
| gladioli |
 |
| zinnias |
Let's start with what has been a success. The wildflower annuals have been the surprise triumph. There were two bays of this style of mixed seeds, though I had such a struggle to identify which I'd planted and which were total weeds. One of the bays was ripped up altogether, but the second bay seems to have grown up with plenty of pretty annuals which are full of flowers bushing out everywhere. These wont be something I want to grow next year - though I do want to grow cornflowers, both the original blue and mixed colours individually. The slugs demolished the cornflower seedlings two days after I carefully planted them.
 |
| dahlia |
 |
| marigolds |
 |
| sunflower |
 |
| cornflower |
 |
| methembrythemum |
The mesembrythemum have been amazingly cheerful, bright and longlasting but unsuitable for cutting at all.
Dahlias have mostly been great, as with asters and zinnias,
The sunflowers have done really well, but again, these are no good for cutting. I might grow a small variety next year which could be cut.
The lobelia and lineria are both flowering prettily but cannot be cut. Candytuft worked well where it was put, but I wouldn't cut it.
Bulbs I popped in have had mixed results. The lilies have been reliably good but didn't get cut as I didn't think they would last. Perhaps I should have taken the plunge.
Some of the gladioli may flower yet, if the bunnies don't gobble up the rest of the foliage. There are certainly lots of munch marks on the stumps remaining.
Aquilegia and sweet peas are holding on to life, but I wouldn't call them thriving. Hopefully the sweetpeas will grow up the archway and flower next year. That's my wish!
Sophie
Much as I adore taking pictures with my camera then writing my thoughts down to empty my mind, with the end result complete and scheduled for publishing, doubt creeps in. I'm convinced that with every coming post I'll be rumbled as a clueless pretender, that you'll realise actually I'm rubbish at producing content. Somehow, I've got away with it day after day for years. One day someone will notice that actually I'm just no good. In real life nobody considers me creative.
Thinking back to when I was younger I was always interested in writing things down. Little poems. Thoughts. Notes to people. Letters. Lists. Writing stories. As a child I was happy left to write whatever I fancied, but remember the lack of interest with which they were received when I excitedly read them out. Naturally, you can't please everyone. Grandparents did seem much more easily impressed by things. One memory that really sticks in my mind was when I created a little story book and illustrated it myself when I was around 10. The paper was some curious old fashioned writing paper and string was threaded through a hole in each sheet to keep them together. The story itself was about a few friends joining a football team. My handwriting was abominable; the letters all different shapes and sizes, weaving their way round the pages and defying gravity.
Recently, I found the book again in the stash of things Mum keeps from our childhoods. Knowing it would be there (they weren't all that many things worthy of keeping) it filled me with nostalgia seeing the paper again. The mini book obviously had an impact on my (paternal) grandfather; when I was 15 and the question of career paths reared it's ugly head I received a typewritten letter from him. This baffled me slightly, but even more than the idea of him writing to me was what he actually wrote. He questioned whether I had considered becoming an author as the story about the footballers I had read out some years before had stuck with him. My grandfather put forward the suggestions of how I could go about writing a book and the realistic practicalities of being a writer. I dug out the letter a few minutes ago, knowing exactly where to find it. Reading through it brought a tear to my eye and a lump to my throat. His enthusiasm and sincerity was touching; the letter came with a sheet of notes jotted down with perhaps how to create an ideas board for a story's format.
Racking my brains I can honestly say that nobody else has ever encouraged my writing in the least, not even vaguely. Perhaps he would have been the only one to support my blog. Perhaps, in the back of my mind his letter written in 2001 gave me the thumbs up to go ahead with writing down my thoughts, sharing my ideas. No, I'm not ready to consider writing a book yet. Probably no more so than half a lifetime ago, but that's not to say never.
Sadly, my grandfather passed away several years ago, before I started this blog. I like to think that even if everyone else in my family were to disapprove of it (if they were to find out - you know I like to keep things to myself) that my grandfather would have enjoyed being an approver against the flow.
That letter is one I will treasure forever. Someone had faith in my creativity.
Sophie
Hola! It's been a gorgeous weekend here in Norfolk and I've been enjoying some quiet summer hours outdoors. We took a wander on Saturday afternoon when the sunshine was mostly absent. It didn't matter. The day was wonderful; clouds kept us cool as we strolled, then loomed threateningly overhead before we sought sanctuary back in the car.
Occasionally, I do feature products I've been sent, which I personally endorse enthusiastically. I decline things which not suit me, my style or blog.
