We started a tree hospital in our garden. Wilting self-sown spindle trees from the front garden and seemingly dead twigs were replanted with care in prime positions. I watered them every day and fed them a seaweed feed. After five weeks – a rush of bright chlorophyl-green shot up the stem of the smallest twig and signalled the start of the healing process. A week later, tiny leaves appeared.
Our little daughter started to spend all of her time in the garden. Together we created a little reading nook, shaded from the full sun under the giant fuchsia. She took Mouse and Rabbit into her hideaway and taught them their alphabet.
We celebrated when the first solitary bees moved into the tiny hive I had been gifted for my springtime birthday. The spaces are almost all filled now … happily, we may need to add a second one next year.
Helpful friends identified this exotic looking self-seeded bloom as a Himalayan Honeysuckle. At first I was perturbed that it was entwining its way up the rose arch with surprising speed. Having been reassured that it will reach a comfortable 4-5 foot and then calm down, I can now enjoy its presence in our shady miniature woodland area.
In the last week of August, the storms came; too rough for the delicate summer blossoms. My daughter and I together collected the fallen flowers – mostly stemless so not destined for a vase arrangement. I was suddenly inspired to paint with them instead. I let the raindrops fall away into the artist’s paper and then added a matching pigment.
Back in the Springtime, we had watched the delicate apple blossoms, hoping that they would brave the breeze…
…we then watched the very same branch as it bobbed and swayed in the gales. It held on until morning – just!
Many nights were too fierce for a real candle. Standing out in the dusk gales was exhilarating nonetheless and I loved being in the night garden, buffeted by the swirls of fresh breeze.
Eventually, the storms drifted away, leaving us with a second Summer. Lavender, Salvia, Buddleia, all had their third flowerings. To add a little smidgen of anticipation, the Sedum began to bud, just as September approached.
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i love the tree hospital!
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Lovely. Great reading place. Have you thought about using your blossoms for natural dying? My wife is trying something she heard on this week’s gardener’s world with Monty Don using dahlia blooms and soya milk as as a fix. As i write she’s boiling onion skins as directed. I’ll probably post…
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oooo that sounds really interesting actually … I’ll have to look this up. I have a Japanese friend who is brilliant at using natural dyes, she recommends beetroot and other veg. I didn’t know about using soya milk … hope all is well where you are x
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Thank you, all chipper now the main lawns are prepped…
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Great post, the paints look so cute! Love the tree hospital ❤️
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Thanks so much Kelly! We now have three little trees, all growing from rescued sticks 😀 Hope you are having a lovely start to autumn x
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You write about something ordinary and yet it’s extraordinary. Your posts always make me pause and think about all the wonderful beauty in the world.
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Thanks very much …I need to catch up on your lovely blogs too 🙂 I hope you are having a lovely autumn so far x
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Nice post !
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Thank you 🙂
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Beautiful apple! Enjoy that second summer.
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Hi Laurie … it was lovely whilst it lasted – everything came back into bloom! It’s gone colder now, all of a sudden – woolly jumper weather 🙂
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October is tapping on our shoulders.
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That sedum’s amazing. I’ve never seen one like it.
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Hi Ellen 🙂 It has gone a beautiful dark red now, I shall have to grab a photo. It was self seeded and a lovely surprise. Hope all is well where you are and the hoards of tourists have left you in peace now autumn is here x
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Beautiful! Even if I am reading when it’s now almost October! And I thnk your friends have identified a plant that I’ve been wondering about too. We may also have a himalayan honeysuckle!
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Hi Sandra x I’ve grown quite fond of the honeysuckle … it’s so pretty and the birds have gone mad for it (I suspect they are the ones the brought it here in the first place!).
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I always feel like I have visited your garden after I have read your posts. 💖
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Hello Morag, it’s so nice to hear from you – I have been lost creating art and neglecting WordPress and I need to catch up on all of your lovely posts x I hope you are having a lovely start to autumn.
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Hi there, thank you so much, lovely to hear what you are up to… I too have been neglecting WordPress this last month. I have been on a deep reflective process, no doubt it will find its way into my writing.
I live in South Africa so we are experiencing spring here. It has been a bitterly cold spring so far. It still feels like winter to me😁. Enjoy your autumn. X
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It’s sometimes nice to step away isn’t it? I always eventually find my way back to writing 🙂 I hope it warms up for you soon x
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Thanks. Nice chatting.
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There is something so intoxicating about night in the garden, Isn’t there?
And your daughter’s little hide-away…magical 😊
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Very much so! Thank you so much, I’m just about to prune back the fuchsia that we used as they hide-away – it grew to nine foot by the end of the season! 🙂
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Amazing 👍🏻❤️
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Thank you very much 🙂
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Your thoughtful reflections always make me stop in my tracks and remind me to pay attention to all the little goings-on around us. Thank you.
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Thank you so much Tanja – I’m very much looking forward to catching up with your writing. Art took over my autumn, but winter will be all about writing again x Hope you are keeping well x
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Love this Thanks February is our coldest month. Gardening is my joy..when Spring arrives.
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