To Devon and back.

It seems an age since I wrote a post. Weeks fly by, and family/visitors come and go.

Today I have just returned from Devon. I took my husband to this beautiful Veterans Nursing Home, where he will be staying for a couple of weeks. This is known as Respite Care here in UK, but I'm not sure who benefits most! 

I know it gives me a chance to rest awhile, but it also gives him the opportunity to meet other interesting people, be looked after by very caring Polish staff, and be extremely well fed!

It isn't that far from home, maybe just over an hour and a half, but I choose to stay a night nearby rather than drive back after settling him in. I had a delicious Sunday lunch with him and a charming group of residents, and then moved on to a pretty little hotel.

The peacocks and ducks wandering about were fun to watch, and I was told that they might wake me up early. They didn't! 
I chose a light dinner, smoked salmon and Rye bread.

I slept in the most comfortable bed, and was grateful for the chance to have someone prepare breakfast for me. I was glad to have stayed as the drive back was hard, in wind , rain and mist.

Now of course, I am missing him, but have a plan to do so many things, particularly in the garden. And also getting a room ready for my daughter who arrives next week from Vancouver. So exciting.

Late flowers.

Feeling a bit sad because my house was bereft of flowers, I pottered into the garden to see if I could find a few bits and pieces.

Amazingly a bunch of shades of red grew in my hand .

There are the last two Dancing Queen roses, Red Kaffir Lillies,

a few heads of deep crimson Hydrangeas and some Alstromeria.

Mixed with a few big Sedum blooms I felt I had a beautiful arrangement for the sitting room.

That's so much better than buying a bunch of flowers.

Sweet peas.

Where did September go?

Here is October, bringing its own colour range, with tawny leaves, scarlet berries and just a few late flowers.

Leaves are dropping from the old Apple tree, falling into the bird bath.  A busy little Toad skittered across my foot yesterday. Was he looking for a Winter hideout?

My Sweet Peas amaze me.

Every other day there is still a little handful of gorgeously scented flowers. I gather them, thinking that they must be the last ones, but a few days later there are more.

What a joy these few plants have been.

In a couple of weeks time my daughter will be flying in from Vancouver for a week. I so look forward to that.