More Garden Notes...with a slice of pineapple...

"Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May",  according to Shakespeare and he was right, May can be outrageously inclement, but I rather prefer, Richard Hannay’s - well, John Buchan’s technically – description from that fine yarn, The Thirty-Nine Steps, “It was fine May weather, with the hawthorn flowering on every hedge”.  Not the most complex prose ever written but an apt summation of the joys of May.

May was apparently the hottest on record. Didn’t seem that way though there were certainly a few hot spells. That combined with several wet days has seen an explosion of greenery. Even my lavender which I feared for, given my clumsy preening,

is thriving since my last post, albeit in a rather eccentric shape. Sadly, for technical reasons, I have no pictures to prove it. On an even sadder note, my delightful chive flowers’ days are numbered. Chives flowers’ lease, to paraphrase Shakespeare from the afore-quoted sonnet, “hath all too short a date”.

Our “pineapple tree” is also thriving. Not real pineapples of course, this isn’t Kew Gardens – do Pineapples even grow on trees? – but very exotic flowers, which, my friends, the bees love. No idea what the actual tree is called but its flowers are spectacular, though they do distract the bees from what I have on offer, but it’s not all about me. Bees are a bit like cute babies. Don't be upset if they ignore you, just be happy if they're happy. Besides my Buddleia (Buddleja according to some people, no names mentioned, Fe Morris) haven’t yet bloomed and from my experience not many flowers please bees more. It’s a bit like immigration. No controversy intended here; let me explain. We have nice food in this country, there’s some good stuff, but let’s face it, Indian and Chinese are probably better. Maybe the bees feel the same about Buddleia which is also an immigrant, coming I believe from China, a century or two back.

            Regarding the herbs, yet again, my mint is almost destroyed again within a month of planting. I’d been led to believe that was mint was indestructible, but for the third summer in a row it’s been destroyed by one or various beasties or “little bastards” as they’re alternatively referred to. My regular thyme is also looking a bit pasty despite its profusion of flowers recently but my lemon thyme, with the most extraordinary perfume, reminds me of an ice lolly from my childhood, is thriving. The vagaries of plants.

            We did have our first summer summer visitor which is exciting, however, it’s a bit of a cheat as I occasionally see a Blackcap in winter. I've written about them before. It's maybe not the same one, but although, effectively a summer visitor, they often overwinter, mocking our assertions, or maybe they just reckon that a winter on London is easier than flying to the south of Spain. As a wannabe ( and for one year, some time ago) ex-pat, I can confirm that winter in the south of Spain is far preferable, as long as you avoid the Irish bar. The point being, I live in hope of seeing the odd Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff or Garden Warbler, all true symbols of summer and less confused about their lifestyle choice.

            The swifts have been prevalent, I counted 7 yesterday, flying high in the blue sky. Often revealing the presence by their screeching, I never tire of watching them. Today, they’re no-where to be seen as it’s very grey, but they’ll be back as soon the blue sky and warmth return.

            Elsewhere, it's pretty quiet on the bird front. Robins, Tits, Blackbird and so on are still singing a bit and I’m beginning to see the odd fledgling but it’s still pretty quiet. One particularly bedraggled Blue Tit that I see from time to time has my genuine sympathy. For birds, like humans, raising young is pretty tiring and all-consuming. Well so my friends who are parents keep telling me...