Words

Occasionally I struggle to think of even a few words to accompany my meagre photographs.  On these uninspired days some will arrive eventually and, to give them their due, they rarely let me down completely.  Today, however, my problem is one of too many words.  A lexicon is zooming around in my head, bouncing off the sides in a truly chaotic manner.  Do you remember when you were little and you ran too fast for your legs to cope with and so fell over?  That is what I feel like today, but with thoughts instead of feet.  What should I mention first and what will I have to omit about my day at RHS Rosemoor?

Shall I mention the excellent company?  It would be only fair as Torrington Tina and Crystal contributed greatly to this wonderful day.  They were perfect companions both during our extensive wanderings and later scoffing raspberry & almond cake and rosemary & chocolate shortbread in the restaurant.  What is more TT came bearing gifts, a box of delights including Aloysia triloba, Salvia elegans and other delicious morsels.

What about the weather?  Bright and almost cloud free, warm enough to be coatless but not so hot as to induce any unladylike perspiration.  The light was flattering for photo and folk.

Or perhaps I should mention the wonderful gardeners?  Kind, generous and oh so very very clever.

Surely we can’t ignore the vistas, the landscape at this time of year is punctuated by brazen bonfires that will not expire until the wind whips off the last burnished leaf.  Or perhaps the restful pine forest with its fern carpet leading to the reflecting lake, so mirrored you could skate upon its surface.  The potager with black kale and nasturtium, the curtain call of the rose gardens, sizzle of the hot garden, all contained by stately yew hedges freshly sculpted by a master mathematician.  Harry Potter (thanks TT) conifers move only when heads are averted striding through flowering grasses and bamboos.  And the gentle meanderings of the winter garden, preparing for its moment of glory.

Then of course there are the plants, the commonplace as cherished as the rarity.   Beech rubs shoulder with Zelkovia, aster with isoplexis.  None are forgotten; bog, carnivorous, scree, shrub, alpine and herb, all are here.  Labels once noted in shabby notebooks are now photographed for later reference.

The sum of these many and marvellous parts is hard to calculate, I would imagine the result is a very large number.