Just a few examples of various flowering things which have survived my complete lack of gardening skills and manage to at least sit still for the camera!
Now I realise that Pink any things are Christina’s pet hate, but I am actually growing quite fond of these roses and although I hacked them inexpertly at I am convinced, exactly the wrong time of the year, they have valiantly managed to produce copious, wonderfully scented flowers. So they shall remain for a while.
Don’t please ask me what any of them are called, because I haven’t the faintest idea. My garden is stuffed full of strange things which I really must identify, but not at the moment. I am probably cultivating all sorts of undesirable species and it may be better not to know!
Some of the photos are old ones; the honeysuckle had to be removed from the drainpipe because it was in danger of detaching it from the wall, and the apple blossom amazingly won first prize in one of the Telegraph’s competitions organised by Kate Day! I had only just acquired the camera, so I think it was more by luck than judgement.
Boadicea's Chariot 
The white roses are my favourites, Ara. Loverly.
I’m pleased to got round to posting these Araminta, they are lovely. Sometimes letting the garden do as it pleases, is a good idea. It doesn’t truly matter what each are called, it’s the beauty that matters.
Ara, if this site is closed, maybe you could use yours as an alternative refuge? I’d hate to lose touch with all of you.
Many thanks, Nym and Val.
I think my garden has done as it pleases for a bit too long now! Everything is monstrously overgrown in places, but I have been doing some serious jungle clearance recently.
I just haven’t the time at the moment; it is not a priority.
We have the pleasure of ‘taming’ an old, neglected garden by the river which holds many secrets waiting to be revealed. It’s like opening a well-wrapped gift!
Hi Janus.
I’m rather hoping to stay here! But you and everyone here would always be welcome chez moi, and yes, I think it would be a great shame to lose touch with everyone here, especially as the new revamped MyT is proving to be a such a disappointment.
I think my garden is more like opening a can of worms, but I shall get to grips with it at some point, or give in and get someone else to do it!
Have I missed something? Is this site closing?
Ara, about bright pink, if you ever feel so inclined the best way to tame it down is to plant palest pink and maroon coloured flowers next to the offending item, there is rarely any need to grub it out. Thought you were moving anyway so not worth the effort!
Hello Tina.
I do hope the site is not closing but that it in the hands of Bearsy, who is our host and perhaps a little tired, in the wrong continent and etc.
Thank you for the suggestion, I appreciate what you say. It’s not my favourite colour either but it does seem to tenaciously cling on to life, and I will give it a stay of execution.
Yes, eventually we will move, but not yet, and we are not intending to sell up here. It will revert back to being a weekend retreat, or we will rent it out. It is far too good an investment really for a number of reasons, and since we have been living here full time, we have made a number of good friends.
Ara; I can comment now!
Beautiful pictures and I love the roses.
Our garden is akshully half way to being passable for once, in a dishevelled kinda way. We got red roses now next to some pinky purply flowers on a bush (rhodedendrons maybe?!)
for some reason because they are in a sheltered spot, the red roses last for ages. Last year, it was December before the last one vanished!
Hi Claire.
Welcome to the hopeless gardeners corner! I’m not a slave to my garden but I have the occasional guilt complex. The blooming things seem to do their thing anyway! Thank goodness for nature.
It doesn’t look hopeless to me Ara! You should see ours; the neighbours despair!
I would love to be better at it, but I’m basically too lazy and by the time I’ve sorted gypsy camp of house out, I just want to flop!
Do you know what, and I’m not kidding you now Ara. THe compost has got seriously out of hand and we actually have a rat in it. A real one!
Only one rat, Claire?
I blogged about our rat infestation on MyT. They were seriously out of order and were taking liberties. They treated us with an enormous amount of disdain.
We stopped composting and they lost interest.
I know; I recall. And by the sounds of it, they were behaving dreadfully.
I haven’t actually seen our rat- my husband says he saw it behind shed. It doesn’t surprise me in slightest ; the council says all compost should be veggie peelings, no meat, pasta, fish etc and it should be enclosed within a container that they provide. So what does my husband do? Throw all food left overs into a big pile behind the shed! HOnestly. I think it’s French way because his parents do the same. But it’s disgusting, frankly.
Honestly, Claire
They were prancing about on the lawn in broad daylight and when I tried to shoo them off the bird feeder, they just gave me the paw.
Rats are normal.
It’s fine. Get the rat catcher in.
I have a rat story, but I won’t tell you now as it may come in useful in a hort story I’m planning…..
Oh! I suppose. Although I don’t like the idea of rats in garden! In Bootle, on the docks, people were always whinging about the place being overrun by rats, and wanting us to wave a magic wand. But I never thought I’d have one meself!
Pseu; rat story?! Sounds interesting…
It’s all over
including the shouting. For tonight anyway.
they think it is now…
sorry, couldn’t resist! 😉
I had rats in the house in Oz, Claire. One ran across my lap when I was watching TV; also had mouse plagues. I didn’t live in a slum or anything, just an unfinished house in the bush, so everything had access.
Had to kill them, but I hated it.
Oh no way! That would kill me.
I think we should get pest control, but my husband says no, it’s normal. This, coming from the man who has happily emptied dirty nappies on to compost!
They’re clever, opportunistic animals, Claire. Stop the dodgy composting habits and the rats won’t be attracted to your garden. We stopped feeding the birds and the rats disappeared. Sad though, I enjoyed watching the birds … and the rats! 🙂
The rats were first attracted by our neighbours compost …
Nym is right, rats are normal, they’re all over the place. If you think you have one rat, you are mistaken. However, I don’t think one rat sighting is a reason to call in pest control, just change your composting habits.
Ooh! Making other half change composting habits would be tantamount to filing for divorce!
I get a bit hysterical about elf n safety/cleanliness matters. I’ll be out there with the Marigold and the yellow gloves this weekend… 🙂
I think rat catchers are probably better than divorce, Claire. 🙂
Luckily, I had never heard of elf n safety at that particular time in my life, but I understand it is a consideration when dealing with ‘the young’, of any species.
Night night, Claire.
After a bad divorce I rented a farmhouse that transpired to be infested with rats. One night, nearly had a heart attack, gunshots in the kitchen. The boy had shot one climbing up the wall, well splatted at a distance of 15′, what a mess! Never seen the like in my life.
One supposes that it was a marginal improvement on splatting the ex, but only just!
Who needs creative writing with a memory bank like mine?
Claire, it is totally disgusting what you are doing, I’m surprised the neighbours haven’t made complaint about your filth. Surprised you have not been firebombed or something to clean the place up a bit! Approaches the neighbours from hell scenario! You do realise that rats carry Weils Disease and that small children are at risk of rat bites and debilitating disease? If you don’t watch it someone will get social services round for technical abuse, for heavens sakes clean it up, bag it up and take it to the dump.