Olfactory sense alert:
Drawn by honeysuckle
Entangled
Night scented stocks
Mingled on the air
Still and damp
Without light to confuse the senses
As dusk steals in
Slowly;
It’s late at 10pm to walk the lane-
Quiet and hallowed,
The hoot of an owl-
A call without reciprocity
Hangs on the breath
Of
Air;
A resonance
That draws
Me in to the hidden world
Of a summer’s night.
Fire Crested Sky
Fire crest
Flame-thrower
Streams ribbons
Across the sky
In gold threaded tapestry
A woven snakeskin
A mackerel sky
Under silvered scales
The winds of change
The tide turns
The gauntlet thrown down.
The Garden in June
New puppy – Pepper 
New swing seat 
The top border 
Flowers from the garden 
The new greenhouse 
Broad beans catching up after May storms
It’s been a strange Spring . May was wet, cold and stormy which wrecked early growth – even the trees have had to sport new leaves. The broad beans were destroyed but the warmth in June has seen a huge catch up especially brought with heavy showers last week. Now the days are really hot and sunny and how the borders have grown. The red of the poppies is stunning.
We bought a new swing seat at bargain price and it’s perfect for a bit of afternoon shade . It compliments the arrival of the greenhouse which is a slate grey. I am just beginning to use it properly this weekend ,now that the automatic windows are operational and shading is attached. I feel very lucky – but this is a garden that deserves it- and the rewards are great.
Through Fog which Deepens
we can can see The weather of ‘Great Expectations’ fame
Lingers;
That mist envelopimg shrouds the land
The trees with branches silhouetted
In the gloom weighed down
And sough a muffled sound
Through fog which deepens
And dulls the fingered trees
As I protected by the glass
Can see a gloom
Impenetrable and deep
To end the day
A dampened air to cloak the earth
Anon.
Short and to the Point
Drizzle and the cold
A walk short and to the point
Return to bed.
Ebb of Sunlight
Ebb of sunlight
Lost from dawn
Rolling blanket
Grey returns.
To be Out Early
Shafts of light filter through open trees
Dainty beads of colour
Of dew-spangled jewels
Thread through the bank,
Winding a tapestry;
Silence is
Held on the breath of the wind
Until murmurs and shuffles
In the henhouse are heard
And the spell is broken
By a sharp blackbird call.
Out early with whippet puppy – there are advantages – feeling blessed.
In dappled Sunlight
Shadows dance under thinly leaved branches
Making patterns on her smooth fawn fur
Ripples of light on the fingers of the breeze
A caress of warmth and a flush of cool air wafts across
Her fine body
Tickling
With the lightest of touch
Baby- soft skin
The whir of the grass cutting machines
In the fields
Cause her ears to flex
And sweet smell of the first cut
Scents the air.
She breathes deeply
And takes it all in.
Such a joy to watch her
Day 2 with whippet puppy – Pepper
Sharing our Space
Our daughter has wanted a whippet for years; our cocker spaniel is 8 – perfect time for a new addition and for me to get to know a new breed. Plus we have never had a puppy – just a line of rescue dogs.
Yesterday was just a joyous day in the garden. The greenhouse is being put up and we shall finish it this week. Lunch alfresco saw us with both dogs at our feet snoozing in warm spring sunshine.
After the Spring we have had – just magical.
Abandonment to Garden
Like Socrates,tread I barefoot on the ground
Drink deeply, elixir of the soil
Strengthened by every grain imbibed
Connections rooted deeply from the core
The elemental smell of rain- freed earthy spores that cleanse and heal;
A living substrate made for growth
In simplicity, softly drawn within
Where we, with nature, seemingly at one
Are held,
Protected by the earth and riches found within;
Sustained and energised from to toe to finger tip;
To toil the soil
Anticipation and sortilege spun;
A web of faith
Assured and humbled of wisdom that will flow.
Immersed, alone and freed from other ties
Pure joy it is-
Abandonment to garden hoe.
Ruth Partridge 