The Bard of Govan

Hello again, sorry it's been such a long time, but the talk is all about cuts and if I hear the phrase "tough decisions" once more I may forget I'm a lady. It's just too, too dismal for words. So I cheer myself up by singing a little ditty I once heard on a late night bus in Glasgow. I've translated it into English as well as I could, and I hope you get the gist.

I'm a wee, wee Weegie and true to my roots,

I love the clatter of tackety boots

 And I still recall the last dying fall

Of the ships on the Clyde at New Year...

I'm a Red Clydesider, I stick to my guns

And I ne'er trouble trouble until trouble comes

But if you get my back up against a wall

I'll  "gie ye the nut", stick my knee in your balls

Cos I get a bit bolshy if you give me a fright

And in Glasgow even hippies have to learn how to fight

For we know about trouble, we know about grim

And we know that the main thing is never give in.

They can beat you, they can batter you,

You just keep coming back,

Keep your eye out for the weak spot then into attack.

And if your still defeated though you've tried your best

Remember - the greatest revenge is 

Success!

Sad though it is to say goodbye to Summer, I'm trying to focus on all the things I like about Autumn. The colour of the Virginia creeper is one of my favourites and the crunch of beech mast underfoot is another. Then there's the winemaking, redcurrant, plum and elderberry are bubbling away and as soon as there's a frost I'll gather rosehips. The Egremont russets are ready to eat and the pears are almost there. So it's not all bad, despite the dark mornings. Talking of which, I'd best be on my way, I've got 5 minutes to get to work.(Ah, the pressure, the pressure!)

Memories Are Made Of This

Just a wee picture showing the overall layout of the annual border with the veg beds in the foreground.

Easy Does It

We've been quite busy growing the winter bedding, pruning, weeding and re-arranging the areas where we keep the shrubs, but every day I find myself just standing and staring at the big annual border I sowed in June. This is the "hot" section, with eschsoltzia, cosmos and Shirley poppies which I love to watch unfold. It was all a bit of an afterthought when it became apparent that the planned herbaceous border wasn't going to happen, so I just drew drifts with sand and sowed hardy annuals in a rainbow pattern . Easy Peasy. Now I'm thinking I like it so much it might become a regular feature.

Went up to town to-day to buy wine-making supplies. While there I thought I should avail myself of some of the delights of the Festival, but there's so much on offer you feel saturated just reading the programme. I reckon the best show in town can be enjoyed by watching the ebb and flow of  humanity: the look-at-me's, the wannabes, the ninja- like black-clad techies. But I dragged myself away from all this and visited  the Impressionists' Gardens, courtesy of the National Galleries of Scotland. It includes work by pre- and post-impressionists, from Corot to Klimt and recognises the debt owed by artists to horticulture. One Monet in particular stood out, and I envied the gallery attendant as he can spend from now till October looking at it. This Berthe Morisot, "Child Amongst Hollyhocks", was new to me and has embedded itself firmly in my all-time favourites list. I am that little girl! After Edinburgh the exhibition transfers to London. If you can, do yourself a favour and spend the day with these paintings, I know I'll be back.

Lammastide

Lammas, the third quarter day of the year, was traditionally the celebration of harvest and came under the dominion of the sun god, Lugh. So it seems appropriate to pause and count my blessings. The potager has lived up to its name and given us wonderful peas, carrots, beets, onions, shallots and leeks, with potatoes and beans still to come. The Future Jobs Scheme boys did a magnificent job of preparing the ground, trenching and barrowing in innumerable loads of manure, and the results have been impressive. A nice by-blow has been Ped's conversion to growing veg, he's planning raised beds and has meantime sown some phacelia to green manure his garden.
The hanging baskets have also been outstanding this season, Fi1 did a great job of them and she and Jesus have looked after them well. No, she's not become a Holy Roller, Jesus is our summer temp from Spain.
At home it looks as if the celery is going to be the top crop. The walnut trees in the park have set well and I hope that later on we'll be enjoying homegrown Waldorf salad.
A phrase I haven't thought of for years comes to mind, my old school motto : Ah, qui'l est bon, le bon Dieu!