Roses - We have a rose garden

How did that song go ....I didn't promise you a rose garden ... but then Oscar Wilde came up with Be happy, cried the Nightingale, be happy; you shall have your red rose. I will build it out of music by moonlight, and stain it with my own heart's-blood. You will always find interesting quotes and sayings about roses. When Jack came here I was surprised how much he liked roses and he planted quite a lot in fact they extended well into the woodland behind the house. I think they are the quintessential flower of an English country garden. We are very lucky to have lots here and also across in the farm garden. I have a very light pink one which is over 80 years old ,I would be very disappointed if it didnt survive. I am sure Monty Don would be pleased with my show of roses this year. Now I havent got a clue what most of them are called, but does it matter not really. I think the "Peace" rose would be the one I would always be able to identify. I started writing this blog before watching tonights programme and lo and behold a section of the programme was about roses. It is the Rose Festival at Rogers Roses in Pickering next weekend which we have supported for many years and donated a salver for the best smelling rose. It is well worth a visit if you are in the area. My Dad always liked a rose that had a scent and why not.His favourite colour was an orange one. I have a row which my dad bought me probably 40 years ago they were old then and what someone had grown and tried to make a business out of extracting the oil to make soap which sold in Harrods for a crazy amount of money. Rose petals I put in jam, make rose water for the finally washing rinse and have made potions up as face cream -not that it has done much good. Maybe I need to apply it every night not just every day for a week, then forget for a couple of months. Nothing looks nicer than a bowl of roses in a silver rose bowl as a centre piece on a table . Easy to take cuttings and grow on and there is no point in spending mega money on buying plants just find a friend with some one who has different to yours and swap them. I think gardening is about sharing it makes it fun and competive too. We have some very nice ones which we bought for a couple of pounds and some bought for special anniversary which cost a whole lot more .Give them a year or two and you couldnt tell which you had spent the most money one. As I plan the garden at the farm ,roses will play a major part of it. Roseson trellises, alongside Lupins, Delphiniums and Hollyhocks in borders . With thyme and lavender lines walkways and I seem to grow lady's mantle like weeds, so will incorporate them too . I have apricot and peach trees already waiting to be planted against the garden wall. The ground has to be cleared fist and the wood sawn up . We had a bit of a set back today as there were 2 wasp nests and a hornets too to sort before we could go any further. My Dad liked nothing better in his vegetable garden to get the first tomoato,potato or even sweet pea. I have lost that now, but I have joined the Helmsley gardening club and some months we visit other people's gardens. Last week we went up to one near Hawnby. The lady there had a sloping garden. Many plants she had split and increase the size of her garden which had only cost her time and patience.We just need to learn, when to do it for them to grow on . Roses, Brenda White who used to lived at Water Gates Farm, would say you had to take cutting on the 15th Ocotber. Probably this date came from being mid October is a good time to take cuttings. Superstition would draw me to take cuttings on a waxing moon rather than a waning on. So here are a few of our roses to show you. And some I picked to take to the church yard for Fathers Day.

July - Harvest comes early

3 weeks on and nearly the end of July .The days are  noticeably shortening and harvest has begun. Whether it be fruit,vegetables or herbs we need to spend all our spare hours making use of all this produce for future months. Even trees are being harvested ,yes trees have a life span too and we happily now have a good store of dry logs for the winter.

So often have I thought to make mint sauce as we have so much mint in the garden, but never seem to get round to it. Lockdown as given me the time to do such things. I am on the ball making mint sauce enough for two households ,my Dads and ours and I guess a few to give away too . Mustard jars with the yellow plastic tops are the best to use as the vinegar can't rust the lids and it is just a nice size to keep in the fridge. Beggars cant be choosers so I have to use a wide array of jars.

My tomatoes are doing well and getting ready nicely, whereas my Dads havent started to turn red yet. His cucumbers are ready for eating and mine are like well, let's not mention them.  So it is nice to swap. We are having a race to see who can get the first runner beans. Mine stand about the height of me now but no sign of a flower as yet.  The peas have been pulled, blanched and in the freezer and we have started on the broad beans. My dad and I sit at the table shelling them and talk of happier days when it would be a proper family event . We had rows of them in the field. My Dad and uncles would bring them in sackfuls and we all had our place around the table chatting away as we did them. My Mother would be in the back kitchen with the cooker on full blast and steam pouring out of the door blanching them. I cant write about it anymore as it makes me sad as those lovely family members are not with us anymore. It must be so hard for my Dad too, but he doesn't complain. But all of you who knew them ..Fred,Appy and my Mum , will know what I mean.

 Then there was fresh rosemary and garlic to stab into the cheese we started supper with this evening .

The waistlines never get less as I spend time baking , tonight it was plum pies .This one reminded me of Bowie ... such a vivid imagination people used to say to my Mother and I guess something never change.  It was just the plums had boiled out .

And I reckon the 4th photo down deserves someone to appreciate its art and pay me millions of dollars for this piece... might call it the end of the coffee cake .... or the scrapings of the bowl ...well it seemed more digestible to me than an image of an unmade bed

Look to the Skies ...

Isn’t the sky amazing? Beautiful colours, amazing patterns, and it’s always there for us. Even if the only thing you can do is to look out of the window up at the sky you will find relief. 

Take comfort from the fact that the sun rises and the sun sets and whether you are a morning lark or a night owl there are some dramatic skies.
I am a night owl ... where as Jack  doesn't find it hard to get up by 4.30am  ... without an alarm clock.  For me I am happy to be burning the midnight owl. Apparently it is due to the time you are born. Jack was born at 3.20pm and I was born 10 past midnight . 

I wish I could be one of these early morning people and occasionally I do get up early when  the dew is still on the grass ,the morning chorus is in full flow ,it is a wonderful way to see nature uncurl after its nights rest. 

As we can't  share our daffodils with you this year So thought you might like to see what is going on here . I am sure they will come up again next year when our doors are open again . Another part of nature's cycle

What we need to focus is on the little things in life that we in our fast tracking lives have forgotten about over the last 30 years or so .

Nature has its own way of healing ,embrace it . Easy for me to say ,you will think, living where I do.  Yes I am very very lucky, but even if you grow a small pot of herbs on your window sills, you can tend it and see how it grows . Put a few bread crumbs out on the sill too and you may be surprised that you will get a little visitors fly down to visit you .