This time because it is hard to kick away the props. It was only ever supposed to be a set of 12 months, but I never imagined the role these trees would take on. But enough now. I will be back with pictures of the spring flowers if they ever do their thing – there are definitely some promising signs, and right through December, rather weirdly, there have been patches of violets flowering away in the patch we have appropriated for a memorial. Climate change?
To get off to France, that is. And anyway, the trees are pretty dull right now – we don’t seem to do much autumn colour in this garden.
Actually, apart from tree 3 which is currently rather elegant, this lot look pretty scruffy.
Flower beds not much better:
But I have designs on flower bed 3 – I have adopted it for 2022 as a one-off (can’t get too carried away!) memorial garden for my daughter. At her event last month we made a start on planting almost 40 kilos of daffodils. Crocus and tulips in the next three weeks….only about 20 kilos to go….We’ll see!
Back soon – maybe without any trees involved.
Same five trees, same two flower beds. No-one seems able to identify the rather weird fifth tree. It produces its flowers (first picture, below) in late September and keeps them all winter and right through the spring. Any ideas?
The flower beds are mostly back to green now. I really like the one in the last picture though – it makes me think of fireworks!
The photos were taken early in the morning, just before we set up for my daughter’s memorial event. We were anxious to hold it in these gardens – she spent a lot of time here. We put up a proper marquee, as well as the black film tent, so that the choir wouldn’t be rained off. As it happened, we were really lucky with the weather. We even managed to get people to make a start on planting spring bulbs – we have decided to set up a tulip bed for next year – my daughter was an artist who loved colour!
It was a very moving experience. People had travelled serious distances – several had had to switch to trains because of petrol shortages. Many had brought babies, some were elderly. Tears and laughter all at once. We heard so many stories- many of them quite new to us- and we do feel we have now paid our daughter the tribute that Covid denied her at the time. Overwhelming moments, certainly, but ultimately such a warm and supportive event that it was indeed life-affirming.
Same old trees – but, I realise, not the same year after year! The problem with sticking rigidly to an end-of-the-month schedule is that the weather gets in the way. May 2021 was cold, very wet and miserable here in SE UK. This meant that tree number one, which was spectacular in May last year, had all its blossom pelted off in a few days in week three this time. The winner for May is clearly tree number 4 – a young Judas tree with glorious colour, even on such a grey day. This month (June) my money is on tree number two – the mock orange. Fingers crossed – this is a very special tree for me.
The same five trees as in January. I think the biggest change is actually in the grass!
The flower beds still look raw:
But I’m hoping everything will be less sad in time.
SpinningStreak 