An era passes

Summer is definitely past.
Last week my darling mother died. At home, with family, in her room with its two large windows overlooking the beautiful gardens she has worked in daily for 35 years. It was a wonderful death and I must hang on to that. She was a wonderful inspirational strong positive woman. I spoke to her at least once every day for the past months and it is hard to resist the impulse to pick up the phone and call her number. Already I miss her so much.

So the last major flowers I will do myself this year will be for my mother's funeral. She was so happy that I had taken up her gardening baton. Last year she loved the Open Day here (pictured above), she was on the gate much of the time, fiercely making sure that every one paid. She spent time every day in her gardens, singing away happily as she worked. She is going to be much missed by many. Especially by her family who she loved so much.

Thank heavens for my wonderful team here led by Dianne, and amazing helpful friends which means that much is going on pretty much as usual in the gardens. Last week Annette and Imogen stepped in and finished off the flowers for a large event in North Wales, took them up and arranged them and did a wonderful job for me by all accounts. This weekend Meg and I will make up the flowers for Rick and Emily's wedding tomorrow then Meg will go up and finish off while I go down to Dorset. I am stopping our automatic on line mail order early but We'll still do special orders if people email first - we still have a mass of colour in the field, though this morning's downpour means things are looking a trifle soggy.