The Secret Garden and English Delights

Summer is proving to be lovely so far. We haven’t had super hot weather as such save for this past week when we had 3 days of temperatures around 25 -28 degrees C – very warm for the UK! In three weeks time, we leave for a lovely holiday in Tuscany and looking at their temperatures of 40 odd degrees I’m beginning to question the wisdom in booking an Italian holiday in the middle of Summer! 

Below is a little patch of ground outside my bedroom is destined to be the ‘Secret Garden’, a little spot where I plant all my favourite plants to enjoy all year round. It will have a pond to attract wildlife and of course, as you can see, my bird feeder is already in place. At the moment its a neglected weed patch

We had planned to start this project a few weeks ago but when we saw that all the ‘weeds’ were actually poppies we just didn’t have the heart to get rid of them. And I’m glad we haven’t as it has provided weeks of pleasure. It has to be the prettiest weed patch I’ve seen.

Each morning a look through the window as I’m getting ready for work and always see the days’ poppies pushing off their little green capsules and unfurling their wrinkled petals. It fascinates me at how quickly they do that.

Oxeye daisies are blooming happily alongside the poppies and are a wonderful contrast to the bright red poppy blooms.

My veggie garden is sparse this year, I started my seeds too late and they are way too far behind to produce anything of substance. But my peas are doing well and yesterday I harvested the first few pods which were added to a salad. They are deliciously sweet, there’s nothing like freshly picked peas from the garden. The ritual of picking and shelling brings back so many wonderful childhood memories.

We also have an abundance of blackberry brambles that have produced a profusion of flowers. The berries are just beginning to develop and peek through. I think we are going to have a bumper crop this year.

Summer in England is a wonderful time. It’s the time where parish fete’s, county agricultural shows, vintage and steam events and a myriad of other very traditional events take place. Last weekend we attended a vintage and steam event which we enjoyed followed by a drive through the countryside until we found a quaint little pub for a delicious lunch. Perfect!

The final day of June has ended on a high note as we were blessed to attend a friend’s (made through this blog) ordination at Chester Cathedral this morning. It was such a lovely service and so good to see the Cathedral packed to capacity. The voices as we sang resonated against the high vaulted ceilings was just wonderful. If you are ever in Chester make sure you visit the Cathedral, it is beautiful and well worth the visit.

Tomorrow a new month begins…already. Time certainly does fly by, especially when you are enjoying the long, light days. 

Wishing you all a blessed week 😊