I have been asked by Clare Grant who writes a very lovely blog called Three Beautiful Things to list three things that happened yesterday. Clare does this most days (when she is not writing excellent posts about biscuits) and it is rather a good discipline to get into: here is my list..
- I have been listening to wheelbarrows trundling past my office window all day and the sound of shovels scraping tarmac. As a result all my borders are covered in dark,chocolatey mulch (i)
2. Four Plain Chocolate Digestive biscuits, three black Papermate Tempo felt tip pens and a cup of tea.
3. I made a list of plants to order from Crug Farm which is always a pleasure. Sometimes I am tempted to only order things because I like the sound of the name. Who could resist: Aesculus wangii.. Zanthoxylum myriacanthum. Belamcanda chinensis ‘Crûg Colossal’. Ranzania japonica
It has been quite a busyish week actually. I know that calendars are dull but indulge me, I will be brief.
Client on Saturday to outline intentions: they were happy.
With contractors in Gloucestershire on Monday morning to sort out a wall.
Another builder mid-morning to talk about ponds and to set out Rhododendrons for planting.
Tree surgeon in the afternoon to condemn a load of scraggy sycamores and leylandii.
Forester at 2:30 to mark out site of new one hectare woodland (One hectare = about 1500 trees)
Bought a packet of Revels.
London on Tuesday to listen to Carol Klein at the VISTA thingy at the Garden Museum. She was charming as always and wearing a particularly nice coat, I thought. We also took time while we were there to film another episode of Three Men Went To Mow. If you were at all interested in Green Walls then this is the one for you: very educational. Perhaps.
Wednesday: wrote stuff – including two months worth of my shiny new column in the English Garden. It is called The Rake and you should read it: it also appears, in a slightly truncated form, in the American edition so you lot over there have no excuse. Made lists.
Thursday: A meeting of the Wisley Six: The very,very lovely Hayley Monckton and Alex Denman from the RHS. The gorgeous Cleve. The bit of country rough Mark Diacono. The bright light that is Juliet Roberts. And me. We lunched (with cake), gossiped scurrilously (enough indiscretions to make Matthew Appleby froth himself into a right state) and then walked around the fine gardens in beautiful crispy sunshine (with another cake stop later).
There were some fine plants ranging from subtle winter colours to vulgar glasshouse danglers
.
It is unfortunate that one of our number decided that he had to continue his already documented practice of fruit sniffing.
If anybody would like a ticket to the Ideal Home Show (March 20th-April 5th) at Earls Court then ask.
Monty is there on a couple of days. And the shouty man from Masterchef. And Linda Barker.
I have a handful which have been very kindly provided by the willowy Willow at MediaTen. She is also organising the Grand Designs Show in May. That is particularly interesting because, firstly, I am talking there on Saturday May 2nd and secondly (and more interesting) we are doing a Three Men Went To Mow Live Preview there on Bank Holiday Monday before we go to Malvern on the Friday.
Further details will follow. It is almost a mini world tour. But without tour buses or groupies – except for Cleve who is always being followed by women: it must be the memory of youthful thigh again. He also, apparently, has a picture of himself with not only a perm but a daffodil clutched between his buttocks. The stem was, he recalls, very cold: that is why, in my experience, it is always better to wait until the weather has warmed sufficiently before trying such things. Lilies are as effective as Daffodils and benefit from a better scent.
I am currently in negotiation for that picture and will make it available to readers of this blog the minute it is in my possession.
The picture is of an Hamamellis.
I am listening to She Said by Holly Golightly.
(i) The more observant among you will have twigged that, as I was listening to this noise then I was not actually wielding the shovel myself. Normally I would have done this as I quite enjoy muck spreading but unfortunately I did my back in a week or so ago by dragging a large tree up a hill. That is my excuse and I am sticking to it come hell or high water.
