Of course it was too good to be true. Last week was the intruder, the uninvited guest who agitated the party, whipping up the mob, charming us into believing we could have better. But we can’t. This is the south-west of the UK. It rains. It blows. We have residual webbed feet. I should have known better than to raise my hopes. But I did. Now everything is back to type and I feel disappointed. Which is why I am here, far too early for a Saturday morning, on the set of Carry on Screaming. The wind outside is making ridiculously clichéd sound effects, sleep is impossible.
But let us not descend into melancholia, this blip is nothing that a bit of Six on Saturday can’t sort out. This cure-all is distributed by Dr Prop, medicine man and snake oil supplier to the stars. If you dare, pop over and see what it’s all about.
To begin we have apple blossom, of which there is an embarrassment this year. Or should I say was? I am wondering how much will remain after these gales. Still, we rarely eat the fruit these tiny twisted trees produce. The jackdaws will be remiss, they love their autumn apples.
Next we have a surprise, to me anyway. As the label had been stolen by the fairies/broken/never existed I was under the illusion that in this pot lurked a bizarre root vegetable I had bought from Lidl a couple of years ago. Apparently not. I believe I can say without contradiction that it is a fuchsia. Then it all came flooding back. It is Fuchsia jantasensis and it has been languishing for a few years not doing anything of merit, definitely not flowering. I can quite honestly say that it was not worth the wait. Apparently it is quite variable in form. Not sure this is its best incarnation. The pollen looks like broken biscuits which is rather sad.
Now for a something with a little more potential. Osteospermum ‘JK’ is just about to come into flower. Dependable, weed smothering, bright and beautiful. Sound like anyone we know?
What now? Oh yes, strawberry flowers. Shall we take a moment? I think we need it. Imagine a sun-warmed plump strawberry, plucked straight from the plant in all its virgin glory, at best wiped on the leg of your shorts to remove any slug slime, sweet and fragrant. Better have another one. Fabulous. That feels much better.
The photo is a bit blurry because it was raining when I took the photo, and the wind had already begun its torment. The things I do for you!
This little tulip, Tulipa batalinii, was bought at Marwood Hill Gardens a couple of weeks ago. One pot for me, one pot for my friend. For some reason we thought they would be bright red, possibly because this is what we wanted and somehow by wanting them to be that colour it would materialise. Wrong again. This flower has been wide open and has now quite sensibly decided that the better part of valour is discretion. It is rather pretty, with its green tinged edge. But definitely not red.
A few years ago I saw a truly gob smackingly amazing lily on the television which went straight to the top of the Lust List, Lilium ‘Forever Susan’. Deepest mahogany petals, the tips of which are orange, as if someone has held onto the ends as each were individually dipped. When I spotted a pack in a garden centre I was very excited. When I came to plant them I realised that they were Forever Linda and not Forever Susan. Close, but not close enough. Nice, but not nice enough. I mustn’t muddy my love.
There we have it, another week completed. Stay safe. Remember the strawberries.
I will remember the strawberries! It’s horrid here in Somerset, though the sun is shining off and on.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think it will be better tomorrow, I’m counting on it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happens to me all the time, getting a Linda when I wanted a Susan. Life is full of disappointments.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha!
LikeLike
The best is to have Linda AND Susan…😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s NEVER happened to me…
LikeLiked by 2 people
2 things in common this morning : the wind (a lot and even hail since 2 days …) and strawberry flowers … Can’t wait for the heat to come!
LikeLike
Nor me Fred! Last week was a tease. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
We have wind & pestilence, but not strawberries. There is however, an abundance of ricinus, should life & this weather get too much for me. Image searched Forever Susan & just, wow. Do a Wandering Angus & go find her. True love should not be abandoned so easily. Not when it’s Susan.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am glad you agree, I will seek her out!
LikeLike
What an early start! I was so late today, we are not getting so much of the storm here and I’m feeling bad for wanting a bit more rain! Pretty tulip and I can see why Susan wins over Linda!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sun is shining now but still really, really windy! Hope you get some rain soon, our rain preferable. 😉
LikeLike
I can see why you’re hurting Linda’s feelings. She’s not a patch on Susan. But you’ve got to feel sorry for her. Not everyone is as dependable, bright and beautiful as you. Plant that osteospermum at the end of a walkway. Then, if needs be, you will always have your own, personal osteopath. Now back to bed with you. I’m off to glue the blossom back on the trees.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am planning on a little siesta later 🙂 Hope you didn’t get too much damage, it is still blowing a hoolie here!
LikeLike
Oh my! I was out at 4am checking the greenhouse as I heard an almighty crash but phew..all ok here. Bloody Sarah though…honestly what is she thinking of ruining the garden party? The apple blossom? What apple blossom…it came and went in a week and now it’s all over the garden. I’m there with your strawberry dreams; I bought 18 plants this morning from a plant sale. Have a great weekend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad everything was OK, I think a few of us had sleepless nights. I can almost taste those strawberries …… 🙂 You too!
LikeLike
When I press the Like button nothing happens. Its the same with quite a few blogs and I’ve no idea why or how to get round it. Do other people have this problem??
Best wishes, Julie
>
LikeLike
Oh dear, not sure why that is happening. Anyone else?
LikeLike
OK with me, but I have noticed that when commenting WP assumes I am not logged in to my WP account, which is rather odd seeing as I have been creating and publishing my own posts! Perhaps logging out and back in might resolve the problem?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m digging up all the strawberry plants that I inherited in the raised beds. I did remove old ones and plant the stolons a year or so ago, but last year the slugs ate most of the berries so I’m going to take them all out. I might buy some for pots next summer. I rather like the ones with the deep pink flowers!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes they are gorgeous, the pink ones I mean. This one is in a pot, and sent runners out to all adjacent pots and further, leap frogging its way around the garden! It was tamed. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Could I have picked a better week to start planting up a bog garden? Strawberry plants next week. By which time my luck will undoubtedly have run out. Relieved you, and the roof, survived the storm.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perfect timing Rusty! Thanks, hope to see you soon, it seems an awful long time. x
LikeLike
We must fix something up. You’re both still more than welcome over here. With a hard hat..
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’ve all had some serious weather over there. Mmmmmm, strawberries. We can dream! Ah, I also searched for Susan, and she is the better pick. Good luck hunting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, she is out there somewhere ……. 🙂
LikeLike
I know you will give that Fuchsia a chance, you know how I love them. My poor hatschbachii is still in intensive care after the vine weevil attack, I can’t bear to lose it.
Hope you have had a good siesta, it’s still windy here!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Still windy here too! I was concerned about my FH, out all winter in the front, but it is now shooting. I will take a cutting for you just in case. Do you thing the evil weevils are worse this year? And you are right, I will look after it, it might grow on me 🙂
LikeLike
Liking what you do, Mrs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Tim 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks Tim 🙂 By the way I can’t get your lin
LikeLike
I can’t get your link on The Prop’s blog to work. Am I being dim or is there a glitch?
LikeLike
I put Fuchsia juntacensis in a six on January 5th and it’s still looking really good now. The plant I took the cutting from never did much, seems like it needs to be young and vigorous to perform, a familiar story.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Top tip! I will take a cutting from this one when there is enough material. I think it has been stressed (through gardener neglect) into flowering with little if any new growth. I’ll send it to the in-house plant health spa and see what we can do. Thanks
LikeLike
Linda is lovely with her decorative rain drops.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Did you say something about strawberries? I forgot. I am just a short distance from Watsonville, the Stawberry Capital of the World. Apples are more important. Martinelli’s apple cider is made in Watsonville too, from locally grown apples.
LikeLike
Sounds like you are very well placed. Is your cider alcoholic?
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, and I don’t drink it anyway.
LikeLiked by 1 person