Two months on from the last writing and a lot has happened plus I’m two months older and trying to keep up with all the demands as if I was fifty years old so am feeling tired and rather stressed.

Much of the happenings are all good. There is a new helper, Teresa, someone I’ve know for a long time but not well. She is very easy to work alongside (I may have said before that I’m choosy about who I want to work with), Her knowledge is pretty good and we get a lot done in the three hours she is here. We seem to be having a much better years sales wise, maybe because I’m doing a bit more social media posting which is bringing in local people who didn’t know we were here. If the sales keep being good I will be able to afford her for more hours.

The weather has done lots of extremes recently but we have had quite a lot of rain which has meant that the growth in the garden is significantly more than last year. Consequently more cutting back and more weeding needs to be done. Many plants have grown very well this year and most things are looking lush and healthy.

The two coach loads of Dutch garden visitors have been and gone, the second group bought lots of plants to take home with them. Such friendly people who all speak English luckily because my Dutch is non existent. I made lots of cakes (they didn’t know what flapjack is!) which was served with tea by Daughter-in-law Laura, granddaughter Molly and Julie from the village.

The garlic is all lifted and cleaned and prepared for making into black garlic, some is cooking now and some is ready for sale. I sowed some French beans where the garlic was growing and they are now beginning to flower, at least those that the rabbits haven’t eaten or dug up.

Ben from Higgledy Garden has planted his few successful hardy annuals done from a late sowing which are now starting to flower. Not as many as we would have liked but that was due to faulty compost which meant that many of the earlier seedlings were thrown away because they just wouldn’t grow. He is now on his way to pastures new. It was good to meet him and work with him from time to time. It’s his influence which has encouraged me to use social media to promote the business.

I’m leaving the best bit til last….earlier this week Clive Nichols called in along with Annette Warren. He is one of the most brilliant garden photographers and has had many of his images in most (all?) of the glossy garden magazines and books. Annette is a freelance garden writer. They said they had been meaning to call in for some time. It was wonderful to hear their noises of delight when they first entered the garden, all the more surprising since they must have visited some of the greatest gardens around the world. We had a lot to chat about, I could happily have all day talking to them but they had to go elsewhere. He indicated that he might come back to photograph the asters when they are flowering so that is something to look forward to. If there was a chance of getting some recognition for all the work that has gone into making this garden then it would be just wonderful for me.