“It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.” ― Maud Hart Lovelace
It's Flaming June and the garden is lush and abundant and teeming with life. A mixture of rain and a lot of warm sunshine has done its job and everything is twice the size it was the day before! The rose bushes are laden with blooms and I can't keep up with all the dead-heading I need to do. Insects and birds of all kinds are buzzing and twittering and hopping around the garden.
Weeds are growing faster than anything else, although some plants grow and they are so lovely and pretty I don't mind leaving them especially if the bees love it. I have no clue what this is - any ideas?
In spite of the best efforts of our massive slug and snail population it looks as if we will get some broad beans finally and there are carrots, beans, potatoes and swiss chard growing in varying sizes.
"Now summer is in flower and natures hum
Is never silent round her sultry bloom
Insects as small as dust are never done
Wi' glittering dance and reeling in the sun
And green wood fly and blossom haunting bee
Are never weary of their melody
Round field hedge now flowers in full glory twine
Large bindweed bells wild hop and streakd woodbine
That lift athirst their slender throated flowers
Agape for dew falls and for honey showers
These round each bush in sweet disorder run
And spread their wild hues to the sultry sun."
- John Clare, June
Meanwhile inside Hazel Cottage, a lot is going on - our Parsnip wine has been bottled and stored away for a few months time.... I can't help calling it our Peapod Burgundy!
We are in the middle of having our fireplace transformed too as we are having a wood burner fitted. Here are some photos of the work in progress, once it is complete, I will post more pictures. Its really very exciting!
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| The fireplace has been cleared out and the brickwork re-pointed |
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| The flue is in! And the hearth tiles have been laid |
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| Hearth tiles now grouted and decorative tiles fixed. |
