Ahh June what a hot month that was, temptures up to the mid 30’s for 5 days or more, first time since 1976, the weather forecaster told us, I can’t quite remember much of 1976 myself, (I was 3 at the time) but bits I can remember, are the bits when my mum, told me to come in from the sun, I do remember the cedar greenhouse my dad had in the back garden, so full of wonderfully scent pelegoniums, that with the hot weather,coupled with the sweet spicy smell off the western red cedar frame, filled the greenhouse full of exotic scents, that have stayed with me for over 40 years now.
Sadly for me, the injury that laid waste to all my enjoyment, both in work, visiting gardens, seeing new plants and group visits, in May, has also laid waste to my best laid plans in June. The frustration of not being able to drive and work was made worse by looking outside, seeing the sunshining, the weeds growing and the patio I started to redo, in the back garden, continue looking like someone just started it, found it too hard and just couldn’t be bothered to finish it! The poor kids have their small back garden even more reduced. Next job after that, was a new 2 storey playhouse with a lovely sloping roof, filled with more alpines as a green roof, cedar shingles on the side, as space for them to enjoy and store their play stuff (cunning plan no to have it scattered around my small flower beds. But it will all get done, maybe not until after they go back to school but still have years of enjoyment from it.
But I do get to enjoy my own planting, the new roses I added this year have mainly grown away well (apart from the tea rose, Grace Darling, was rather upsetting) but overal my garden was looking good, suffer with the illnesss that effects all plantspeople though, and that’s adding too many plants into my own space but there’s always room for one more isn’t there!
Highlight for me this month was the Perennial meeting held at the brilliant Horti Loci nursery near Hook. The meeting was for the show garden at Hampton court designed by the brilliant Tom Massey. It was a chance for those volunteering both in the plant cloakroom and those helping to man the stands on the day, not only too meet each other, learn much more about the outstanding work that Perennial carry out throughout the horticultural world, supporting both current and former horticulturalist though tough patches, both financially and all other forms of support, ranging from advice and verbal support. But also does so much more than that, it brings all sorts of horticulturalist together by holding excellent fund raising events which anyone can take part in and meet other horticulturalist you wouldn’t meet otherwise, making friendships who people you won’t normally meet, again, in a roundabout way, helps whose horticulturalist support each other, sharing knowledge and friendships. Please support them in which way you can! Sorry went off track slightly, to meet the brilliant very friendly team who run Perennial, learn about the thoughts behind the brilliant design from Tom Massey, and then for a tour of the nursery by Jamie Butterworth, who went though the hard work the nursery does producing plants for all the major shows including the wonderful choices Tom has made for his garden. What can I say, it was a wonderful experience, everything was just so well run on the day, fantastic weather, well run talks, food that was just out of this world, very tasty indeed and to cap it off, a great well run nursery that employs staff who are plantspeople, who know nad understand the plants they grow there! Well worth a trip there if you get a chance
Well that’s it for this month, shall be back next month, hopefully with me getting out a bit more! If you are going to Hampton court flower show, please take a look at the garden, if it’s Tuesday I will be there, I am the one with a transformer boot on my foot!
