Unexpected visitor

Luckily I was going to work late this morning because when I looked out on the garden I noticed s furry gingery creature happily sniffing around it turned out not to be the unwelcome ginger cat but my neighbours' rabbit!

I let him have a bit of an explore - interested to see how much damage a rabbit might do (I've always thought I'd rather like one but that rabbits and gardens don't mix too well...) and he wasn't too distructive - a bit of digging in bare patches and a bit of parsley chomping - before cornering him in the greenhouse and asking my neighbour to take him home.   That proved fairly tricky!

Rain!

Today we finally had rain - the first for at least a month, a really good soaking and my first rose is out - Zepherine Drouhin.   The Clematis Montana hasn't so many flowers this year although the second cutting from my Mum's which is now trailing about over the old dead cherry tree trunk is doing well and its flowers seem to be scented - a delicious soft powdery sweetness, very faint.

Almost all of the tulips are finished and I am trying to decide whether to just dig them up and give them away or try and sort them out and keep them.   The first batch of dahlias have come on so well they really need planting out!

Not a lot of colour just now - the most cheerful things are the first batch of alliums, the common peony and the many-coloured aquilegia which never disappoint.

Hoping for more rain tonight!

A week at Sicard, South West France

Have just spent a beautiful, peaceful week at Domain Sicard, a lovely gite owned by the most delightful couple.   Ironically our weather was better in the UK but it didn't matter.   Martine and Wout have developed their garden little by little from scratch so that it has areas of planting which gradually blend into the surrounding counrtyside.   The most magical thing for me is a path which winds up the hill behind the house, carefully strimmed into the grass to guide you but not interfere with the environment, to a little bench with wonderful views over the surrounding hills.   This is also about the only point you can get a telephone signal!

Shade planting

Evening view

Wild flower meadows blend into surrounding countryside

View from the top of the garden

Wild orchids

Early morning tea and tulips

 

It was hot in the garden by 9.00 am this morning.   Everything is coming out at once and the tulips will be over in no time.   But I am really enjoying them.   They are so much more exciting than what you see in the catalogues as they really do their own thing.   No controlling nature!

Special spring herbs

I Love Lovage and Sorrel too...

There are two slightly unusual herbs which grow well in my garden and whose first emergence always inspires me to cook my favourite recipes with them.

One is Sorrel which I make into the easiest possible of soups - tomato and sorrel - with the added bonus that it is equally good hot or chilled with a little crushed ice added. 

The other is Lovage - a rather large and potential thugish plant resembling celery in appearance but with a decidedly aniseedy flavour.    While the young leaves are edible, the stems are best used for flavouring.    I use it in another very easy but delicious casserole with onions, garlic and dry Martini(!) - adapted from a Judith Hann recipe for Guinea fowl - which works equally well with corn-fed chicken.  
I have just discovered Hann's Herbs:   http://www.hannsherbs.co.uk/tours.php   Looks like the most wonderful day out either to the garden or cookery classes - and she was lovely to work with.

Parrot tulip Rai

In the past week the tulips have come on at the most dramatic pace.   The ones in the front border which catch the afternoon sun are looking quite scorched.   Two pots of parrot tulips have grown in very funny shapes - following the sun - but what a joy they are.   Here are a couple of images of Parrot tulip Rai.   They were a last-minute decision but I am so very happy I indulged myself.

A bundle of noisy sparrows

Just been alerted by a great loud cheeping in the garden which had to be sparrows.   Mixed up in the branches of the bay hedge it was hard to tell how many there were - at least 4 or 5 - all seemingly shouting and tumbling over one another before they all flew off in equally raucous manner.   I hope some of them come back to nest!