Saturday, June 09, 2018

My big sis


I had the loveliest day on Thursday. I drove over to Lincolnshire to see my big sister. Her garden is in the village open gardens event next weekend and she wanted me to check it over. As if she needed advice from me! When we moved into this place and the garden was nothing but brambles and nettles with a few unkillable peonies and Spanish bluebells, she gave me some plants to begin with.

Her garden is fabulous. I took some pictures, which did not come out as well as I hoped. I think I got the exposure wrong. Whatever, they don't do justice to the vibrant colour, the exuberance and the fascinating design of her garden. It's a cottage garden with rooms - what I've always wanted. 




She only lives 50 miles away but the climate and soil are completely different from here. That's how i comfort myself. They get half as much rain as we do, rarely see snow, their winds are not so biting, and their soil is light and fertile. She has some of the same plants as I do but the leaves on hers are twice as big and the plants are a good foot taller. 






She insists she doesn't fertilise her soil, but she does have half a dozen chickens running around. She also has more energy, and works harder at it than I do. These days I'd rather be out on my bike than pulling up stubborn weeds.

Speaking of which, I told her my right wrist was painful from yanking buttercups out of our hard clay soil, and how were her sore thumb joints doing these days? Were they painful? How did she manage the gardening?

'Oh,' she said, 'they're not too bad, they're just weak. I don't think I could kill a chicken, though.'

I fell about laughing. 

'Oh God,' she said, 'that will be going in a novel, won't it? I only said it because we had a sick one this week and Peter had to finish it off.'

This may be true, but you should know that her widely used nickname is Killer Kath.




Comments are now open.


6 comments:

marmee said...

might killer kath(!) say what is the name of that yellow rose in the last pic?

Sue Hepworth said...

I believe it is Arthur Bell, but I will check.

Sue Hepworth said...

KK thinks the rose is Arthur Bell, Marmee.

marmee said...

Thanks!!😊

Phoebe said...

What accounts for the different climate, and especially the different soil, in an area so close to you?

Sue Hepworth said...

I live in the Peak District which is high limestone country, and she lives in Lincolnshire which is dryer, warmer, lower, and has lighter soil. Her area (only 50 miles away)is crop growing country in farming terms. We are largely grazing country - sheep and cattle.

sorry for the late reply, Phoebe. I am no longer notified when comments are posted.