Chelsea

We've been away. First we went to the Chelsea Flower Show in London. Then we had a few days in Salisbury - I wanted to see Stonehenge. Then we went back to London, to look after Littlest Granddaughter's guinea pigs while she and her parents were visiting the other grandparents. 

Chelsea was lovely, particularly as we had Daughter 2 with us. We've been before, and knew what to expect. There are innovative show gardens - not always quite what we'd design ourselves, but interesting. There are always tall people at the front of the crowds, but if you're patient, the people in front of you eventually go away and you can get a good view. To be honest, you get a better view from watching it on television, but the atmosphere isn't the same. Sadly, the general public doesn't get to walk into the actual show gardens - wander along the paths, sit in the seats - but you can get pretty near to them.

This is a seaside garden, purportedly - this is supposed to be a dune, with thrift and other coast-tolerant plants, though frankly I've yet to see a dune with anything like this variety of plants in it. But, you know: artistic licence. 

I can't now remember what the theory behind this one was...

or this,

but I love these poppies. 

For me, though, probably the best bit is the show tent, where lots and lots of specialist growers make displays of their best plants, giving you hope that some day, you might achieve something similar. I do love streptocarpus - look at all the different varieties. 

These lilies smelt wonderful. 

Of course, they're all prepared to sell you plants and bulbs, and of course we bought some. 

Lovely, lovely clematis. 

This Gertrude Jekyll rose has a wonderful scent. I must get one. 

 And who doesn't love peonies? Well, probably someone. But not me. 

So that was the first day. 

Then and now

The exhibition about James VI and I and his times was excellent. Look at the embroidery on this woman's waistcoat! 

And the detail on this painting!

I have been horrendously busy with choir stuff and other things, but meanwhile the garden has been blooming away. Self-seeded foxgloves...

alliums 

irises and lupins 

and more irises.

We had lunch at Swanston yesterday to celebrate the birthdays of Mr Life and Son-in-Law 1, and then went for a little walk. 

All very peaceful, and a beautiful day. We've had an unusual run of beautiful weather but the garden needs rain. Shouldn't complain, really; it's been lovely. And it'll rain eventually. 

 

Doing lots of stuff

Last Tuesday the Edinburgh Two were on holiday so Mr Life and I took them up to Perth (the real one) for the day. They came up on the bus by themselves and met us at the station, which was a first. Transport enthusiast Big Grandson goes on buses by himself quite a lot - for bus inspection and exploration purposes - but he doesn't normally do this with his little sister, who's less intrepid. He was told not to stride off without her, so here he is, holding her hand firmly. Look at his long hair! He has really nice hair but I think it could do with a cut...

Anyway, we had a good day at the museum and by the river. 

"Look at the lovely view!" I said. "There's a Citylink coach going over that bridge," replied Big Grandson.

There was an exhibition about Macbeth - mainly the play, not the man - at the museum - with some amusing cartoons about it, as well as some interesting information. 

Apart from that, my life has been full of fairly mundane stuff, such as making seating plans for our choir's impending concert. It's not as easy as you'd think. And then people complain...

The garden's coming on nicely, though needs a lot of work. Gardens always need a lot of work.

Look, Margaret G-F - your father's famous cousin, Christopher Murray Grieve aka Hugh MacDiarmid, made the Scotsman again last weekend. 

Right, it's Mr Life's 77th birthday today so we're off up town to see an exhibition about James V1 of Scotland, aka James I of Britain. We're getting old... but still doing lots of stuff. 
 

Hope

I'm very busy with stuff for the choir of which I'm chair - we have a concert, a come-and-sing and a social to arrange, and I'm not that good at thinking of three complicated events at the same time. However, I'm doing it as best I can. Time will tell if it's enough... .

Meanwhile, it's been lovely springlike weather - though frankly we need the rain - and we took a walk down to the local park. It's not quite in its spring glory, but it's still lovely to stroll round. By next week there will be lots of these alliums waving in the breeze. 

There's some pleasing topiary -  

not up to the King's standard, but still rather jolly. 

A bird!

And quite a lot of colour. 

It's a historic place, but then I suppose everywhere is, really. It's just not all mentioned in King David's Charter of 1128. 

The world news is very depressing, but then there are flowers, such as this little bunch from the garden. And, this holiday weekend, a lovely visit from the UnBloggables, who had a nice time ice skating and going to the Minecraft movie with the Edinburgh Two on Saturday, and visiting the Edinburgh Two at home and then going to an adventure playground with friends on Sunday. We visited Saughton Park, but the playpark bit, this morning. And now they're away and I'm making choir arrangements. 

So we just have to keep singing, keep gardening (haven't had time to get back to the quilt yet) and hope that someone, somewhere out there, will see sense.