Walking up the lane this morning the smell of summer hit me, that lovely blast of heavy scent, a mixture of wildflowers, mown grass, warmth, general vegetation. And the wildflowers here are spectacular - fields and hedge edges of lady's smock, bluebells, cow parsley and dandelions have now given way to queen annes lace. buttercups and vetches, clovers and campions, stitchworts, orchids, dozens of different grasses. Though the silage fields are sad monocrops of rye grass, with a few patches of campions and buttercups daring to creep in round the edges. There are lots of bees out and it is particularly good to see butterflies, today I spotted several little blue ones but I haven't a clue which they are.
I keep meaning to take photographs of progress but once again am camera less. I must sort this out, if anyone has any suggestions for the best smallish but not snap and shoot camera, I'm all ears.... I did have a good Canon Eos something or other., it died, I got a lumix, I don't get on with it at all and the battery holds no charge or some reason so every time I do find it and decide to snap it won't play.
I'm hoping for photos from Lydia's wedding soon, she was the gorgeous bride who wanted guinea fowl feathers in a headdress, she said she liked wearing it so much that she didn't take it off after the ceremony as planned but kept it on all evening. I imagine it was looking a bit faded by then! This weekend was a very relaxed wedding in Bridport, rather fun to do something completely local. Next week it's Gloucestershire on Thursday, Dorset at the weekend.
Sadly three people who were coming together or the course a week tomorrow have had to cancel because of a memorial service so I'm cancelling the day - it doesn't seem much fun for just two people but as one of them is on holiday in Turkey she may turn up anyway though I have mailed her. If she does appear I have promised her a day in the garden helping with anything she would like to do, and with whatever info she wants thrown in, obviously for no charge. Somebody was shocked that I hadn't taken deposits from everyone so I am not out of pocket, but my reasoning goes like this - people pay when they have had a good day, if they can't come that is bad luck for them as well as me, if they are nice people, and they always are, and they can't come for a genuine reason they always offer to pay anyway. The three non-comers from next week offered to pay but that would be stealing as I haven't given them anything in return.
On deposits, I do need to apologise to brides though, in theory I should take deposits three months in advance and some brides do like to work that way. In practice this year any help here is going in the garden, not the house or office, as there is so much to do to get the gardens up and running here, so I am doing all the admin. And I am notoriously admin light because I am rather too busy to do everything though I do try. Sorry!
Best in the garden today - white and dark red peonies, catmint and the first campanula.
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