Oh, the wit of Walpole!! I find myself reading his letters with a perpetual smile on my face. . . . To Richard West, Esq., "About two days ago, about four o'clock in the afternoon, and about an hour after dinner, —from all which you may conclude we dine at two o'clock,—as we were picking … Continue reading Select Letters of Horace Walpole
Tag: summer
Adam Bede by George Elliot
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Today, if an agent were presented a query letter and the manuscript of Adam Bede, they would have rejected it over and over again and society would have lost a fabulous story. But I doubt that many people today would have the patience for this book. It took 100+ pages for me to get into … Continue reading Adam Bede by George Elliot
Fragrant Abelia
"...do plant Abelia Triflora. It flowers in June, grows to the size of what we used to call syringe [lilac], and is smothered in white, funnel-shaped flowers with the strongest scent of Jasmine." -Vita Sackville-West In Your Garden; June 18th, 1950 I waited all summer to buy the Abelia. As you might know, shrubs are best … Continue reading Fragrant Abelia
In Themes Of War…
Preparing One's Garden For Winter
Life After Deadheading
My liking for gardens to be lavish is an inherent part of my garden philosophy. I like generosity wherever I find it, whether in gardens or elsewhere. -Vita Sackville-West March 26, 1950 In the quote above she speaks of pruning. From her books I gather that Vita thought pruning in the Spring a foolish way … Continue reading Life After Deadheading
A Peculiar Fight For Turgidity
The tame, too smug, I cry; There's no adventure in security; Yet still my little garden craft I ply, Mulch, hoe, and water when the ground is dry... -Vita Sackville-West The Garden; 1948 The other day I was looking up odds and ends when I came across a word I have never heard. … Continue reading A Peculiar Fight For Turgidity
An Ode To The Innocent Ones.
A Dedication To The Innocent Ones Of The Orlando Tragedy.
Only the Good Die Young…
The charm of annuals is their light gaiety, as though they must make the most of their brief lives to be frivolous and pleasure-giving. They have no time to be austere or glum. They must be youthful because they have no time to be old. And so their colours are bright, and their foliage airy, … Continue reading Only the Good Die Young…







