Little House in the Big Tree

We stayed deep in West Sussex,

in a room built

in the arms of a Sweet Chestnut tree,

with this view from the shower into the canopy.

Surrounded by jungle birds,

jungle plants,

and jungle cats, one Bengali and one Abbyssinian.

Weekend away

camera at the ready.

So I don't know why I'm looking so forlorn!

Our garden

may not have the acreage, or the views, 

the mature beech, box and yew  

 the old brick paths, 

 restored conservatory and perennial meadow, 

a Katsura Grove or Plantsman's walk, 

a cut flower and Silent garden (too many barking dogs for that),

no pleached limes

but it does have these flowers,

and 

it's ours.

So no entrance fee and no closing time.

Dream garden

The Walled Garden at Scampston,

North Yorkshire,

designed by Piet Oudolf,

photographed in early July last year,

where even the cabbages co-ordinated.

The seats in weathered oak were both U and B.

I had the idea that I would recreate a bit of this look in a corner of our garden,

but the apparent simplicity at Scampston 

belies the complexity of the planning and planting. 

Their plant list runs to 1405 specimens, 

with 6000 plants needed for the molinia grasses, 

4,500 beech plants for the hedges and 

200 lime trees.

Still - I can dream.

A Huf

house, with

a grove of Cornus Kousa chinensis trees,

grasses and spent alliums,

and a dark reflective canal.

Swinging in the

rain.

The swing seat

'Wouldn't it be nice,' I said 

'to have a little swing seat in the garden this summer.'

So I ordered one online from a well known department store

 and booked a delivery date.

'Wait in from 7a.m until 2 p.m,' they said.

 It didn't come.

'We can't find it,' they said.

'It was sent from the warehouse but hasn't arrived at the depot. 

They've washed their hands of it. It happens all the time,' 

said one of the many customer services staff I hung on for while trying to trace it.

'It might arrive on Saturday if it's on a later trailer. Fingers crossed.

I've accelerated it for you.'

It didn't come.

'It should be here on Wednesday. Wait in from 2 p.m until 9 p.m.

We'll give you a 'financial apology' if you don't cancel it.'

I didn't cancel.

It came.

'It will take 55 minutes for two people to assemble it,' 

said the 10 page instruction booklet.

The diagrams were imprecise, 

but we're used to self assembly and stayed calm 

even when we had to disassemble the main frame.

It took 4 hours.

Here it is.

Every strut, bar, connector, rail, arm, leg, stretcher, support, panel, pole, bolt, screw, bracket, washer, nut, barrel nut, bolt nut, locker, hanging post, hook -

140 components in all,

wrestled and manipulated into position by our own poor ravaged hands.

Would anyone like to hazard a guess as to the weather forecast for the weekend?

It must be summer

I have finally been parted from my jumpers.

Little Summer Poem

Little Summer Poem Touching The Subject Of Faith

 

Every summer

I listen and look 

under the sun's brass and even

into the moonlight, but I can't hear

anything, I can't see anything -- 

not the pale roots digging down, nor the green 

stalks muscling up,

nor the leaves

deepening their damp pleats,

nor the tassels making,

nor the shucks, nor the cobs.

And still,

every day,

the leafy fields

grow taller and thicker -- 

green gowns lofting up in the night,

showered with silk. 

And so, every summer,

I fail as a witness, seeing nothing -- 

I am deaf too

to the tick of the leaves, 

the tapping of downwardness from the banyan feet -- 

all of it

happening

beyond any seeable proof, or hearable hum. 

And, therefore, let the immeasurable come.

Let the unknowable touch the buckle of my spine.

Let the wind turn in the trees,

and the mystery hidden in the dirt

swing through the air.

How could I look at anything in this world

and tremble, and grip my hands over my heart?

What should I fear? 

One morning

in the leafy green ocean

the honeycomb of the corn's beautiful body

is sure to be there.

 Mary Oliver