We’ve spoken often about our back garden since moving in, surveying what we have and talking around plans to ‘improve’ it. It looks as though we’ve fallen in love with it much the way it is and that, apart from tidying it, taming it a little, and removing a couple of over-grown shrubs that are not to our taste, we’re likely to leave it be.
The killer has been this past couple of weeks when a large spread of a pink-flowered shrub (don’t know the name of it) outside the two bedroom windows has been in full production, attracting the close and busy attention of a crowd of bumble-bees. You can’t help but love a garden that’s friendly and attractive to wild life and we have a variety of insects, birds and small critters that would bring joy to any naturalist, amateur or professional.
But, busy, buzzy bees are special:
| I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made; Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee, And live alone in the bee-loud glade. |
—
It’s the ‘bee-loud glade’ that I take as my image of course. I have no ambition to build a cabin now, nor plant my own beans. And I have little need to live alone.
So, then.
A day spent getting the house ready for Graham’s departure. And getting him ready. And getting me ready. Dolly the mega-cat is as ready as she’ll ever be, not that she’s going anywhere.
I think we have our plans and our approach pretty well mapped out but I’ll document as we go along rather than sketch the unsketchable.
Graham has already started making a list of the jobs he wants to do, and the order in which he wants to do them, when he returns in the autumn.
That’s a good thought. A very good thought.
10 responses so far ↓
Wendy, NC // June 23, 2009 at 6:09 pm
I was really hoping this leaving would be over, but understand that Graham needs to do what he needs to do. Are you closer or farther away in this house?
Kate & Jim // June 23, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Hummm – will you be driving when you visit, or taking the train?
I’d love a ‘holiday’ at St. Audrie’s. Especially to take a walk down those paths that you showed us, John. And walk along that beach! Um hum.
wayne // June 23, 2009 at 6:41 pm
I would, at this moment, prefer the bee-loud glade to the tumult and rumble in our home,
Mary Lee McClure // June 23, 2009 at 7:26 pm
I’ll take a bee loud glade any time. Speaks of warmth and sun and relaxation and gentle breezes and gentle naps, and ——- Oops! Must’ve ‘gentled’ myself into a wee nap right then and there.
Bonnie // June 23, 2009 at 8:41 pm
I could of used the bees as the sunflower seeds provided again did not produce so I shall no more try to be part of the bee project. We do have bees around here on other things and they are so important.
I didn’t remember Graham was going for an entire summer. Why I was thinking only a couple weeks.
novie // June 23, 2009 at 9:50 pm
We have been like Pitcairn Island when it comes to bees–no imports, even from another province! Do you have that restriction where you live? I do love bees, but there seems to be a problem lately with failure to thrive in these parts.
gary // June 23, 2009 at 10:54 pm
I shall have to look and see what St Audries is.
Monique // June 24, 2009 at 12:49 am
There are quite a few honey bees about here, but bumblebees are rare.
I thought of Emily Dickenson’s poem when I read your entry:
To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee,—
One clover, and a bee,
And revery.
The revery alone will do
If bees are few.
~ Sil in Corea // June 24, 2009 at 2:29 am
Bees are few in the city here, but I can always see some if I can find a Rose of Sharon bush. They’re relatively frequent in apartment complexes as the Rose of Sharon is the National Flower. It’s called “moogoong-hwa” in the Corean language. I’m guessing that might be your flowering bush, if it has a rather obvious blond “pollen-brush” sticking up in the middle of the pink blossom.
Mage Bailey // June 24, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I too understand but am sorry he’s going back to work. You and dolly will become commuters on that two hour drive. Hopefully we will see wonderful photos of St. Audrie’s and the new Caravan?
Like gas stations in rural Texas after 10 pm, comments are closed.