Flowerbombing...

Late May & early June on our daily walks is like being bombarded with fragrance & colour & indescribable beauty... I don't know how it's possible to walk in such places without feeling overwhelmed by it all!

Roses are everywhere too....it's been a difficult year for many plants because of the dry spring & wet cold early summer (the hydrangeas are still not out, & I can tell that there won't be much to see if and when they are)....but the roses are amazing. The cultivated ones (these are my beloved Gertrude Jekyll) and the wild briars that are everywhere on the hill...

There are so many other things to see too...

wild thyme, which carpets the lower slopes....and now, the tiny wild strawberries that no one else seems to know about

I feel slightly guilty for picking & eating them as we walk along....but the birds and deer have plenty to eat, and they are so good!

One of my favourite things every morning is the view that overlooks the vale...all spread out like a gigantic patchwork quilt. It's different every day, of course...

sometimes when it's warm, I sit and hug my knees while Alice snuffles and sniffs in the undergrowth, and drink in the gorgeousness...

The garden, too, is burgeoning - almost out of control. It seems that something new pops up if I turn my back for a minute...I spend little pockets of time every day, whenever I can, just pulling weeds or deadheading flowers. I find it very calming & satisfying.

The irises are over for this year, but they were so magnificent that I had to show you how glorious they were...

the purple ones are small and very prolific...

while these bronze beauties are huge and only produce a few blooms.

It's such a wonderful time for everything that grows...I hope you're taking time to enjoy it too. It won't last long...the longest day has already passed, although it's hard to believe. We are trying to cling to every minute!

Happy week x