Thomas Hardy born today in 1840

Thomas Hardy and friend

Max Gate the house Thomas Hardy designed for himself and his wife Emma in Dorchester.

The study in which he wrote Tess of the D'Urbervilles and other books.
The Hardy family cottage where he grew up in Dorset.
Thomas Hardy one of the poets and writers of England who has always been much appreciated for his understanding of rural life and the subtexts of that intense existence. He trained as an architect but devoted more and more time to writing and after the success of Jude the Obscure he could do it full time and build Max Gate to live and work in.

June First Full Moon

Luna was spayed/fixed/done today at the Vets and we were shattered!
First of all taking her there along the long Roman road and she was crying out in her hot pink voyageur while I was singing cover versions of practically all the songs I know but with pussy cat references instead. The favourite was Because the night...
I had just heard Patti Smith at the Sage after all!
She then had to be picked up in the afternoon with a huge shaved area and a cut with stitches.
She seemed okay. Hillary the vet said she was in good form and that she just needed rest and time from the kittens. Hard to arrange! By the time we got home she had eaten up the stitches and had a gaping hole! I almost fainted, called the vet and got instructions...Luna seems to be handling it much better than we are. It has been a stressful day and night, and now they are united again in a basket with a soft blanky.
No more days on heat and extra affection, no more kittens, and no more looking out for suitable fellows.
I will look out for a photo I can post.

Leaves of Grass

Walt Whitman born today in 1819, one of the great American poets.

Sheep Cottage yarden

Rhododendron

Potentilla

New Dawn rose and blue clematis

Rosa Rugosa

The yarden at Sheep Cottage is both historical, i.e. inherited from previous gardeners and also new. These shrubs are planted by Jean many many years ago. I enjoy them immensely as I am planting a herb garden and recovering a small rock garden which divides two levels of my "croquet lawn". I am thinking mini-golf these days! Mainly I am planting herbs because there were none here and because I want to have them handy for cooking and drying and they are also very beautiful and fragrant. I always dreamed of having a herb garden and although this patch is small it is perfect for me.

She had a way of creating her garden and I am noticing and learning about it as the seasons pass. I feel as though I am getting to know her on a certain level.

Gardens of my life 1

I want to share some images from the gardens that I have enjoyed in my life on this blog.

First in New York City I loved going to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens at Easter time.

The blossoming trees and the leisurely walking through the various gardens was like healing balm for frayed city nerves. A Japanese garden, a Shakespearean herb garden, the Palm House. Year after year I visited BBG since my very first time when I went with Geoff and Bracken Hendricks to go to the cherry blossom orchard on a sunny May day and I promptly fell in love with the place.

JFK today

JFK and JFK Jr. Today is the formers birthday. What does this image make you think of?

Le Jardin des herbes

I am planting a herb garden here at Sheep Cottage with the waxing moon.

I have put in French tarragon, Sudbury rosemary, thyme, sweet marjoram, sage and seeds for chives a whole long row of them. Hidcote lavender by the milkchurn and the rosa canina. The milkchurn is the postbox inspired by a trip to Australia!

I have put down flat stones to step on and all this is in the sunniest location facing south and west.

I am hoping the fierce south westerly winds will let the garden settle in.

I can not imagine anything tastier than going outside to pick herbs for the cooking of that evenings meal!

I will put more in as the beds are getting prepared.

It is all shaping up albeit slowly and I am keeping the wilderness feel to the place. Well djungle really!

I have always dreamed of having a jardin des herbes and voila it is happening!

Silent Spring

Rachel Carson author of Silent Spring was born today in 1907 on a farm in Pennsylvania.

26 May 1926

MILES DAVIS was born. We just named our cool kitten Myles.