Hello, lovely lovelies♡ February. The last month of summer, here at the bottom of the world. But, I won't think about that now. For there is another month to enjoy summer sunshine, warm days and a continuation of a profusion of colourful blooms sashaying in the garden. Roses, dahlias, sweet peas, cosmos, anemones, nigellas, cosmos........ and my favourite, the beautiful hydrangeas.
Though, the hydrangeas haven't been as bountiful as in other years. At the end of last winter Pete was rather macabre with the pruning shears. He bandied the shears with no fear of the murderous looks coming from his wife's direction. Nor did he appear to have any concern of the disdain that his wife might regard him. He was savage. He was ferocious. Normally, divorce papers would be served, but, his wife had to suck it up knowing 'the gardener' knew best. She, who normally gives the hydrangeas a light clip each year, had to admit, as devastating as it was, a brutal pruning had to occur as the hydrangeas had become much too leggy. Deep down she knew severe pruning revitalises old woody plants and, even though flowers would be scarce in summer, ultimately the hydrangeas would bloom profusely in the coming years. So me thinks my marriage to, he who is a little heavy handed with the machete-like pruning implements, might just last a little while longer. I can wait till next summer when the hydrangeas will be back to their magnificence. For, they are indeed the queens of this garden.
The garden was decimated in wild storms last winter, but not to worry, the gardener is slowly working in it, restoring each little section at a time. Slow and steady seems to be the adage we live by these days.
