Trying (though with not much effort this week) to learn the latin names of everything in my garden. I must be mad. Trying (though with not much success) to keep that winter depression at bay, at least until October for Pete’s sake. But those dreadful yellow schoolbuses are racing up and down my street once again and even though summer is not officially over until September you would never know it around here. By July Target had torn down every patio and seed display and replaced it with backpacks and pencil boxes. I swear next week it will be tacky spray snow and Christmas lights.
Why can’t flora names be French? How much easier would that be?
Les capucines?
La Rose?
Here are two books I am devouring as of late; English Cottage Gardening, For American Gardeners by Margaret Hensel (with forward by TASHA TUDOR!!!) and The Gardens at Highgrove by H.R.H. The Prince of Whales and Candida Lycett Green. Full of Stacys byzaantina, Alchemill mollis and Alcea rosea these books are inspiring and equally disheartening. They are completely unattainable with my blue collar baby’s income and our dreadful suburban location. While I strive to create a Cotswaldsesque (and Provancal of course) feeling in the back 40 the gardens highlighted in these two books come complete with lichen covered stone walls and never ending funds for orchards, potagers and paths lined with 16 different varieties of Thyme or should I say Thymes serplyllum.
I know Diana was a city girl but it must have been awfully miserable at Highgrove with Prince-what’s-his-butt for her to hate it so much. It is truly beautiful.
So fellow gardeners and loyal readers. (All two of you.) I must keep studying. After all, there will be no gardening today (except to harvest a few Cantalope)…we got that rain I had been praying for!
I think I got the first book at my library in the not so recent past….beautiful. As for learning the Latin names for everything…well…for heavens sake…I can hardly recall the ENGLISH names!!! Get em while your young, Ang!
And, by the way: WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS SUMMER??? IT IS PRETTY NEAR GONE!
The sweet smell of rain. . .I awoke at 4:00 am and HAD to come downstairs just to open the front door, hear the thunder and smell the rain. . .alot of Lloyd in me.
How’s the babes?
I imagine in her own way HRH loved the gardens she just didn’t want to confess to what’s his butt!!!
By the way, We thoroughly enjoyed the cantalope you gave us the other day! We ate the whole thing at dinner that night :o) Actually, we ate up the squash and zucchini too, all delicious! Thanks!
SN
I’m going to put you in charge of praying for perfect weather for the ’07 wedding!
I`d like to check both those books out! Thanks for mentioning it:)
tea
xo