By Design

Home again from my travels, and now I'm well and truly back in the groove. A walk along the Cam at Grantchester in intense sunshine left me with heatstroke and a lower lip full of cold sores, worse than I've ever had before, but they're nearly healed now. I just can't be outside without a hat and some high factor lip protection, neither of which I had with me on that occasion. Lesson learned? Probably not.

Poppies, poppies everywhere

I've been occupied with the satisfying task of collecting seeds from dried poppyheads, especially the wonderful large pink variety that appeared everywhere this year and splashed the garden with vibrant colour. I've got trillions already, but it's a bit addictive and so I continue to shake the old brown heads and fill envelopes. I've had several requests for them, but I think I already have enough to start a seed business. I'm kind of looking forward to the autumn so that I can get back in control of the garden again. Today my neighbours and friends Mike and Phil, they who watered my garden when I was away, came to tea. We sat in the shade of the umbrella and chatted about the village, other neighbours, the church, the countryside, the usual things, but mostly about my garden. They have a fabulous one of their own, an absolute gem hidden behind a high hedge that made my jaw collapse and stay collapsed when I first set eyes on it. He was the designer while she potters around gently, and I could see at once that he was the man to give me ideas for my own. Every time he's been here before he's assured me that it would be a gradual process, but today, after two slices of cake and two cups of tea, his creative juices started flowing. I couldn't believe it! He paced around, waving his arms, making shapes in the air, and then he called for paper and pencil. He hadn't told me he was an artist. And suddenly I had it, my new template. Curves, not geometric lines; the house and outbuildings provide enough of those. Big sweeps of beds towards the centre of the lawn, opening out towards the pond and view, a bit like a funnel. Only yesterday I had sketched something like it over my scale plan, but not so radical. A balustrade in front of the summerhouse, maybe an arch or pergola hung with laburnum. He was flowing with ideas. All I have to do now is decide on my new design and start achieving it. That'll keep me busy!