Patriotism is…

Call me an old cynic, but I believe that patriotism is believing that my country is best because I was born there. I say this because, wherever I’ve travelled, everyone says “This is the best place to live; it’s got (weather/food/culture/freedom) etc., etc.” Now, with the world cup almost upon us, I see England flags sprouting all over the place and it makes me a bit uncomfortable.

I love England; I love its damp, cold weather that suddenly turns into bright Summer or breaks into storms. I love its people and the way we do things. I love the sense of fairness even though I bemoan the mob mentality and our venal newspapers (News! Hah!). But, growing up politically in the late 60s and 70s, I came to associate the flag of St George (who he?) and even the union flag with racism, white supremacism, English nationalism and all the things I hate. I see nationalism as the great blight of the 20th century and I’m not sure it’s going to be any better in the 21st. As far as I’m concerned, “the more we do together, the merrier we will be” (sic). I don’t know what it proves to drive around with tiny flags of St George fixed in your car windows – “…more patriotic than thou…”?

Anyway, to happier things; the Olive tree we thought we had killed by not keeping it wrapped up during the pretty hard Winter is springing buds! And there was me thinking it had gone to the great olive press in the sky. We’ve been giving it a bit of feed, though I wouldn’t normally do this with an olive. Hopefully it might get off to a start and build up its strength before I have to move it into the Summer House for the Winter.

The May blossom is now out on all the trees opposite and the scent is overwhelming.



Our black tulips are just about hanging on, but the Lilac is a picture and, for the first time, the Wistaria, Cinensis Alba, that we bought after seeing the one at Wisley, is in flower.

We’re still buying plants for our huge collection of pots. I went down and supported the Gardeners’ Association – “…the more we do together…” and bought enough to be going on with but haven’t had time to pot them yet.


Ought to have a bit more time now that the Lord Mayor’s year for the charity of which I’m vice-chair is coming to an end. It’s been hard work, but I think we’ve done well. Now we have to think of our ongoing fundraising without the help of the Lord Mayor’s Committee.

http://www.justgiving.com/Charity/Donate.aspx?cid=188152

... And when you come home

Of course, at this time of year, the garden is going mad. It seems that while we were away, the weather was fairly dry, so I'm glad I put all the new pots on the irrigation system. I even put a sprayer into the small plastic greenhouse we use as a temporary shelter for tender plants. It seems to work well and everything gets wet.

The Irrigation controller

Nice surprises are that the new clematis (Avalanche) that we thought would only have a small, bell-like flower, has blossomed into a real stunner. Next year, when it's grown a little, it should cover about half the trellis and set off the roses very well.

We also invested quite a lot in Tulips. We're both very fond of Tulips, though I favour the original, simple, elegant, closed cup types; Marea loves the more extravagant parrot types and the brasher colours.

The Texas Scarlet Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles Japonica) always produces the goods and, this year, is more laden with flowers than ever. It makes a good rear entrance to the garden.

And just under the Quince is our Lily-of-the-Valley. This took such a hammering a few years ago when we had the courtyard paved that it's good to see it recover so well. The scent as you enter the garden is wonderful. It is, of course, the base for Dior's 'Diorissimo' perfume. It always brings back memories of the days when Marea was a perfumery consultant and I was a display artist (window dresser) in all the best department stores in Leicester. I still only wear Dior cologne - 'Fahrenheit' in Winter and 'Eau Sauvage' in Summer.

May 1st is the Fête du Travail in France - see our attempts to buy a replacement tyre over the 1st May period here http://livingvillage.blogspot.com/2010/05/week-in-aveyron.html. The other thing about 1st May is that everyone buys small pots of Lily-of-the-Valley to give to their mothers.

"May 1 is also La Fête du Muguet, and the tradition is to give the ones you love a little bouquet of lily-of-the-valley, for good luck and to celebrate the arrival of spring. Originally the idea was to take the kids into the forest and lose them pick your own muguet together."
Chocolate & Zucchini
http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2005/05/1er_mai_fete_du_muguet.php

The new Magnolia is looking good and will slightly obscure the square corner of the Summerhouse/studio when it grows a bit more.

I really love these 'black and white' tulips. They've really lasted well and look both elegant and slightly wild.


However, out in the fields it is the season to be... a dandelion.

I don't know why, but the village is overrun with pheasants this year; they keep coming into the garden and you can hear them in the fields all around.

And fledglings are everywhere - this one can't quite reach the water in the pond, so is pecking the splashed water off the rim.

As the weather warms up and the northerly winds change to south-westerlies, the air is filled with the heady scent of May blossom (Hawthorn) and, of course, with its pollen!

I don't know the name of this particular shrub and, indeed, it belongs to our neighbours, but I love the way the flowers are held high off the branch almost like shiitake mushrooms.

Finally, among the herb post, the Angelica (Angelica Archangelica) is living up to the 'Arch' bit of its name and growing like a tree outside the kitchen door. It's very tempting to candy some of it, but it seems very labour intensive, boiling it in sugar syrup for hours, etc. Perhaps that's why it seems to have largely disappeared from the shops?

"From the 10th century on, Angelica was cultivated as a vegetable and medicinal plant,[2] and achieved great popularity in Scandinavia in the 12th century and is still used today, especially in Sami culture. A flute-like instrument with a clarinet-like sound can be made of its hollow stem, probably as a toy for children. Linnaeus reported that Sami peoples used it in reindeer milk, as it is often used as a flavoring agent.

In 1602, angelica was introduced in Niort, which had just been ravaged by the plague, and it has been popular there ever since. It is used to flavour liqueurs or aquavits (e.g. Chartreuse, Bénédictine, Vermouth and Dubonnet), omelettes and trout, and as jam. The long bright green stems are also candied and used as decoration."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_Angelica

Not Smelliblog...

With the improvement in the weather, all the daffodils are finally out, in the gardens and in the hedgerows




What's slightly unusual this year is that, because the daffodils are so late, we've gor the tulips out at the same time - it's an ill wind that blows nobody good.

The Finches are clearing out the feeders and, because the weather was so cold, we've left it too late to cut back the laurel hedge. We'll have to wait until neting is over before we can have a go.

As I walked over to the main University campus this morning, I was almost overwhelmed by the scent of May blossom. I didn't expect it to be so powerful this early. What a pity this isn't a smelliblog!


In fact there's blossom bursting out all over the University...

Though I have to say, I think this is a bit lurid!

Down by the School of Museum Studies, the cherry blossom is out.


And, if you look carefully, you can just see that the Magnolia is about to strut its stuff.

But we're going to have to wait a bit for my favourite: the Rowan (Mountain Ash) two of which flank the entrance - it's always a bit late, but as magnificent as any cherry blossom, and then there are all those wonderful berries which make a great almondy white wine.