long hot days - and Chelsea

Phew what a scorcher, or words to that effect. Yes the weather was fabulous for a few days, but not so fabulous for gardening, I have had to keep even more unusual hours than usual, trying to work early in the morning and late in the evening. My heart went out to all the Chelsea exhibitors trying to cope with supraMediterranean weather, especially in the floral pavilion, it has been hard enough here trying to keep cut flowers in good condition while we condition them, bunch and pack. I was very fortunate to get to Chelsea yesterday (in the boiling heat) to drop off some flowers and have a good look around. Lovely to see how the more natural style of planting is everywhere, encouraging to see lots of the same plants as we have here. Slightly galling to see people using swathes of my absolute favourite euphorbia shillingii which I lost this winter....

Because I was off all day Monday, wonderful Meg came over on Sunday to help me pick for Monday's orders, that she then sorted. I don't have a walk in fridge here (mental note to purchase some sort of insulated container at least for next summer if at all possible) so I blacked out the flower house where I pack, as it does at least have the advantage of having the main windows all facing north, but how I wished for an old cool stone barn...... We couldn't pick until 10pm on Sunday evening because it had been too hot, and we were still sorting at somewhere around midnight, then I was up at 4.oo to check what we had picked the night before and pick any others we needed while it was still cool, plus pack a bunch of wildish looking pinks and purples and greens for Gardens Illustrated's stand. Decided not to drive, so got the train around 6.00....fabulous few hours looking around, then another meeting, then back on the train and trying to deal with packing queries (it had to be the one day I had not quite sorted out all the greetings cards and postcodes so poor Meg and another helper were left with a slight muddle as well as trying to make sure things looked fresh on the hottest day of the year), home around 6.45 and out to check and water the tunnel and anything that was totally gasping.

Happily it is cooler today. Even the field garden is beginning to take off, so many different textures and colours of foliages to choose from as well as the flowers...

And my flowers looked very at home on the GI stand!