Myth Busted

A few comments on my last post from loyal (God bless ya) readers of my blog made me a bit concerned. I fear you guys might think that I have a beautiful, tidy and weed free garden. Really nothing could be further from the truth.

I had a few visitors here at the house in August. These were people who I've met through blogging and they stayed here at Whitelees and I was really quite anxious about their arrival. I knew that coming into the drive might have been a let down for them. I'm sure they thought, as I suspect other readers may think, that my garden is a glorious oasis of gardeny perfection. It ain't. It's a mess. I do try to keep up with it, but as I try to hold down a full time job, keep the house from sinking into chaos, maintain a few friendships and try to claw out a bit of time with my family, the garden is last on my list of priorities. Did that just sound like a list of excuses? I do LIKE the garden but I am easily distracted and disheartened by cruddy weather.

I know I do go on about the weather here in Scotland, but it has been very rainy for a second summer in a row. It has rained almost all of the month of August. I'm glad we got away for a few weeks in July. That seemed to be our quota of sun for the summer. The lawn is almost up to our knees, weeds have taken over the vegetable patch and . . . well see for yourselves. I present - the August recap video.
Other gardens near us seem to manage just fine . . . This is the second year in a row that things just haven't worked out for me and the garden. It started off so well, I was so full of enthusiasm as the days started to grow longer and warmer. But the rain started and apart from a week in July, it has never really let up.

What I'd like is a month or two of dry warm weather where I don't have to go out to work and I could get my teeth sunk into weeding, planting and organizing things. I have even thought about hiring somebody to come in, but that would involve money that we just don't have.

As it happend last year and again this year and we've had week after week of relenting rain, I sort of throw up my hands and start thinking about NEXT year. That's the thing. There is always the hope that there will be better weather in the future and I'll be much more able to get on top of things.