Purple Haze

I think it must have been the wet mild winter which has resulted in our, and our friends', lush spring gardens. We are definitely benefiting from our  efforts last autumn when we split lots of plants.  Like the house, the garden has taken 7 years to come to fruition (although there is endless work to do on both - but that's fine). I was reflecting that most of our irises have developed from three single rhizomes that  Anne and Eric gave us when they visited  in early 2007. Another friend gave us a tiny philadelphus  cutting before we moved and this year it is 150cms tall and about to burst into a profusion of flowers. The long bed is full of daylilies (not out yet, but you are sure to get photos when they are) that I bought as scraps from a catalogue during our first year here. It just shows that all comes to she who waits. Gardening is a lovely way to remember friends as I walk around saying so and so gave me that. You will be pleased that I will now stop waxing lyrical and just leave you with some photos of our "purple haze". Actually the photos do not do it justice - but I would say that wouldn't I.

We are both beavering away in the garden but it is lovely to report that John has totally refound his enthusiasm for painting.

 

I remember one day when he was in the middle of his chemo when he packed up his artists materials and said he would never need them again. A couple of evenings ago I was out watering in the dark and looked up to see a light in his studio - the loft. It gave me a warm feeling .... although you may think that these two old foggies are totally balmy.