Strip the Willow

I've been running around from Gardening Scotland on Friday, where I saw some amazing show gardens done by friends,got to talk to a few nursery people that I know and bought some plants, which I didn't really need, but were to fabulous to live without and had to be snuck in the back gate and planted before "budgetary control" spotted them, and then to Glasgow yesterday for my SIL's 50th birthday party.

It was a lovely day, the sun blazed and the food and company was great and we had ceilidh dancing with an African drum section. And I met Larry Butler there, he's a friend of Colin Will's, but I didn't know that he's also a friend of my SIL's. Scotland can be a very small pond at times.

This is my SIL birling.

These Days

Oh I do love May in Scotland. Everything looks and feels like it is at the height of its possibilities. I'm spending as much time as possible outside and in the garden, banking all this lushness against a dark, dank January day.

I'm also ticking off my things to do and starting to look forward to my break on Harris in June. The weekend Herald had some great pictures of the beaches up there and I can't wait to get these tired old feet shoeless and on those white sands - even if it does rain.

The economy issue of qarrtsiluni is coming together, and Pam and I are slipping into a good rhythm over reviewing submissions.

I attach three blooms from my garden, although it goes against the grain these are hand held JPEGs taken on automatic setting, as I never get time to process RAW files these days. So if they are wobbly please accept my apologies.

We have my SIL's 50th birthday party this weekend. I can't believe my husband's kid sister is 50. Boy have we all done some living since we were fresh-faced teenagers back in the 70s. There will be four generations at the party and it should be a lot of fun.

Anyway what are you doing reading this, get outside and enjoy the sunshine, while it lasts........

Projectitis

Well I'm bumbling along trying to clear my backlog of projects, while still trying to weave in wee things that I actually like doing.

So I dodge out into the garden and do bits of weeding and then return to the computer to crunch out planting lists. One of the nice things that I've been doing is looking at some shots that I took of my nephew when he stayed. (It is my SIL's 50th next week and I thought I might give her a few photos as an addition to her present.)

I thought I'd try and make each shot look a wee different. And as my nephew thinks Obama is brilliant I decided to give this one the Obama portrait treatment. Let me know what you think.)

Oh and my brassneck scored another victory this week when the former chairman of the "big garden", who is also head of RGBE in Edinburgh, agreed to help us replant the alpine trough dedicated to the garden's founder. So on Tuesday one of the RGBE's alpine plant experts called out with plants, grit and leaf mould etc and completely redid the whole thing. It looks fantastic and will be another attraction for the Open Day.

Excuse any typos, my brain is very tired at the moment, so my mistakes are many and varied.


Off to clean .............

Be back soon!

Sorry not to post. My MIL's house hand over is today, so we've been busy tying up loose ends. And the plants for the "big garden" turned up and Pamela, a fellow trustee, and I took two days to plant them. Me in factor 30, as that part of the garden is in full sun.

Plus the editing of the magazine is going on a pace.

I will write more fully next week, meanwhile ........


if nature twittered…

spinney’s warblers announce
all singing is now
in Dolby surround sound

mosses say you won’t
believe the pin-cushioned
wonder of this wall

And the loch whispers
hush, hush, hush

Rag Bag

I'm really enjoying the qarrtsiluni guest editing spot, if for no other reason than it gives you a really good insight into how well presented work must be to stand out from the crowd. I am also discovering what a great resource google docs is for managing a large amount of disparate material and what great managing editors Dave and Beth are.

Yesterday I was at the National Galleries in Edinburgh to receive my runners up awards in their Inspired? Get Writing! competition. It was brilliantly organised and a really good evening with great readings by all concerned. I was really touched that so many friends took the trouble to come along and support me and I'm still dipping into the lovely goody bag of prizes that I received.

On the big garden I've been badly let down by one of the herb supplier and if they don't come through by early next week I will be spending much of my daylight hours running round local nurseries trying to get replacements plants.

This weekend I have my MIL and 9 year old nephew, who has already eaten some of the wild garlic in the garden, and is now breathing on the poor dog, making his poor old eyes water! Looks like I'm in for a fun weekend.........

May at qarrtsiluni

I'm one of the guest editors for the new submission theme of "economy" on qarrtsiluni so I hope some of you will be sending some things in. Please click on the link for full details.