Steadily–in twos at the moment.
Meredith came in from the garden yesterday and offered me two fat strawberries.
I “harvested” two raspberries this morning.
We have already eaten two courgettes.
Tomatoes are small green golf balls–but it’s only the first week of June.
The rain this week and now the sun has made us hopeful.
“Mary Mary quite contrary–”
She transformed a long rectangle behind her Suffolk cottage into something magical, with a fishpond at the end. She loved her garden and reigned over her 90th birthday party in it–on a glorious early July day.
She and my father were privately adopted in 1915 by my grandmother, who was 40 and a widow.
Granny taught violin and brought the two children up as a single mother. She lived to 87 and was contrary too–according to my mother!
Young Dad--RAF trainee
My father was an enthusiastic gardener–Dahlias in October, as I recall….He grew vegetables too–important in post war Britain where some food was rationed until 1954!
I have not inhereted the gene.
…with silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.
This nursery rhyme has nothing to do with gardens, I discover, but disguises a darker theme (http://www.rhymes.org.uk/mary_mary_quite_contrary.htm).
A corner of our garden--no sign of silver bells and cockle shells...just a couple of canoodling snails this morning.
Robin Ellis 