UK, Here I Come!
We're leaving in a few hours for the airport, and soon we'll be winging our way to the beautiful United Kingdom! I'm so excited! This will be the first trip out of the country I've taken in about 8 years. As many of you know, I almost never go anywhere or do anything, so this is going to be a real kick in the pants. Looks like we're going to hit the tail end of a heat wave just in time for rain. Whatever.
We have our Good Gardens Guide and our Good Pubs Guide, so we have the two most important bases covered.
We're going to pick up a soccer ball first thing for the Spawn so Geoff can kick it around with him while I do speed-tours of herbaceous borders. It's not ideal, but I can't go to the UK without bagging at least a few gardens. In fact, on the way to Mull, we're going to visit An Cala and Arduaine. Once on Mull, we're hitting Torosay.. I forget where we're spending the first night on Mull, but I think it was within striking distance of Ardtornish (no website, imagine that), if we can catch the ferry from Fishnish to Lochaline.
Of course, there are two heartbreaks. One is leaving the kitties for two weeks. Poor dears. We have a petsitter coming in once a day to feed and play with them and keep their litter box fresh. Geoff comforts me that they are only awake for about 2 hours out of each day, so over the course of two weeks, they will only be aware of missing us for a total of 28 hours, and for much of those, the petsitter will be feeding them.
Even worse (if I may say so) is leaving my garden for 2 weeks! It's at yet another peak of glory, with the alstroemeria (peruvians lilies) in full-flame; the strawberries yielding a dozen toothsome berries warmed by the sun every day; my vegetable garden is just sprouting and worst, WORST OF ALL, my 60-foot border of bush sweet peas, planted from seed, is just beginning to bloom. I'm going to miss the entire sweet pea show! *sobs uncontrollable tears*
And so I leave you with this picture of the garden in all its glory:
We have our Good Gardens Guide and our Good Pubs Guide, so we have the two most important bases covered.
We're going to pick up a soccer ball first thing for the Spawn so Geoff can kick it around with him while I do speed-tours of herbaceous borders. It's not ideal, but I can't go to the UK without bagging at least a few gardens. In fact, on the way to Mull, we're going to visit An Cala and Arduaine. Once on Mull, we're hitting Torosay.. I forget where we're spending the first night on Mull, but I think it was within striking distance of Ardtornish (no website, imagine that), if we can catch the ferry from Fishnish to Lochaline.
Of course, there are two heartbreaks. One is leaving the kitties for two weeks. Poor dears. We have a petsitter coming in once a day to feed and play with them and keep their litter box fresh. Geoff comforts me that they are only awake for about 2 hours out of each day, so over the course of two weeks, they will only be aware of missing us for a total of 28 hours, and for much of those, the petsitter will be feeding them.
Even worse (if I may say so) is leaving my garden for 2 weeks! It's at yet another peak of glory, with the alstroemeria (peruvians lilies) in full-flame; the strawberries yielding a dozen toothsome berries warmed by the sun every day; my vegetable garden is just sprouting and worst, WORST OF ALL, my 60-foot border of bush sweet peas, planted from seed, is just beginning to bloom. I'm going to miss the entire sweet pea show! *sobs uncontrollable tears*
And so I leave you with this picture of the garden in all its glory: