Bad Seed(s)

& The Garden Left Behind

The Garden Left Behind

Just now, as I was cleaning my kitchen and thinking I must sit down to finish this post, I had a text from my neighbour at the Barn. Two pictures of my garden, taken from the road. Little could she know - I’m speechless. I had successfully put the garden out of my mind (though not my poor neighbours who still get constant texts from me just as if I had never left). But seeing it?

Even these two phone photos of it…

Photograph from wonderful Becs

Photograph from wonderful Becs

Then she told me that the Barn is on the market, as the landlords had suggested it would be. And look! In the estate agent pictures - taken, I would guess, a month or so ago - you can see my irises in bloom! I thought I wouldn’t see them!

Photograph: via Hamptons

Photograph: via Hamptons

Photograph: via Hamptons

I think you can just about see both ‘Quechee’ and ‘Action Front’. And even, in the final picture, the single Benton iris I bought from Polly Nicholson when Rukmini Iyer and I went to her open garden - they were sold as mystery plants (though Benton Irises, all) and I never got to see her bloom. Of course I wanted to take her with me - I wanted to take it all with me. The grief of the downsized.

Photograph: via Hamptons

Photograph: via Hamptons

Photograph: via Hamptons

(Accepting that I am at peak PMS) this all made me quite tearful. The borders looking so full and floriferous, the tree you bought me… I am so relieved that they didn’t immediately dig everything up (which was suggested at one point) and that it is maturing exactly as I had imagined.

Bad Seed(s)

Now, it is time I came clean about how my planned annuals are going.

In short: not well.

Here is an updated graphic: