Come In, Number 7, Your Time's Up

Back from Albion, Arcadia, that Green and
Pleasant Land. [Oops, left out "This---
England." ] Here's my last bouquet from
Columbia Road...blue, blue, blue, including
some ravishing gentians I can't identify.
If I can figure out a way to compose thoughts,
there will be more to read soon. Also a show
of my weird little Garden Purchases.
Meanwhile, I can't see me own little Patch
for two weeks, as the tenants are still in.
What a lucky duck I am; in being able to go
in the first freakin' place, and in the fact that
my license to spell "colour" with a 'u'
doesn't run out till August.

Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

Spent the day here. Lots and lots of fun.
Unlike Chelsea, I believe Her Majesty
does not stop by. Behind the gilt gates is Hank 8's place,
and on my side, a few nice show gardens and lots of garden
commerce. Want a glimpse of England before these multi-
cultural times? Attend one of these shows. I counted about
5 people of colour the entire day. Picked up much more
stuff than I can get home. Brought my own lunch. Avoided
the loo lines all day long! Got snookered into subscribing
to Amateur Gardening [I'm actually not that sorry].
Got some fabulous cane toppers. I'll write about my
opinion of the modern English back patio garden in the future,
but it's not a high one. Saw the toff in the tweeds and the two-
hundred fifty quid Irish suede waterproof boots, who, like at
Chelsea four years ago, was standing in a tub of water
all day. Lots of weedy green roofs--yummy. Some wild
flower fields. There is always a wrecked car in one of the minor
show gardens at these things, I've noticed. Here, too. All in all,
a good day was had by--me. My humble gratitude knows no
bounds. For all this joy, I am positive it has been previously
arranged that I will burn to a crisp in hell for all eternity...
and it didn't rain!

First things first...

Want to know where the money goes? A
small glass was four pounds eighty! Did that
stop me? No.

a crispy bower under which to relax...

now, that's a compost heap [look in center]

What English back garden is complete without a gypsy wagon?

at least the crowds are polite!

Be still, my heart: a stall of nothing but astrantias

bamboo cloche [ how am I to get this home?!] and empty
Pimm's glass: picnic lunch at Hampton Court Palace
Flower Show...

just a note that the larkspurs in this bouquet are three
weeks old, the monardas are two weeks old.
the flowers at the market are so fresh!
note the milk bottle: it is the type once used
for home delivery, and the blue tits learnt to
pop off the milk tops and sip the cream on top. And
taught their progeny to do so...I haven't seen a
blue tit, but here's the bottle I've heard about all
these years...

What A Swell Party This Is

week 3, Flower Market: globe thistle, stocks, nigella,
peonies...fainted dead away after this snap was taken.