Every time I’ve thought that, Elvis Costello’s, Good Year for the Roses, runs on a loop in my head!
Yet it has been a marvelous year for the roses. I’ve never known so many, so early, these are just a few, it must be down to the wall to wall sunshine we’ve had for the last two months.
It turned today, it’s far cooler with the bonus of a sprinkling of rain, I’m hoping for more as the garden is utterly parched. We’ve just has our wettest winter, now our hottest/driest Spring and once this cooler, windy period passes, it’s back to a heatwave.
Single peony.
The climbing roses are beginning to engulf the ancient apple tree, this is just the start.
Manuka flowers close up. How the bees love it.
Poppies bursting forth, it’s a shame they don’t last longer.
Honeysuckle is joining the fragrance party, the heat kept the potent scent lingering in the air for days.
It also looks like being an excellent year for fruit. Apples, pears, plums and cherries are growing well. I do hope they survive the wind.
My neat and tidy raised bed area now looks ramshackled, as I’ve have to gather random barricades to keep Buddy out, as he’s taken to jumping into the beds and back-kicking, sighs.
Happily, the veggies are romping away, along with the soft fruit. I’m now enjoying picking rocket, spinach, chard, salad leaves and spring onions.
In other news, a few pandemic photos…
with all the good weather we’ve had, going out has become challenging to say the least.
Groups of non-self distancing teenage cyclists have been growing in number and are powering around the country lanes at speed, accompanied by booming ghetto blasters. They also gather in the lanes to swig a beer or two, forcing us to walk through them.
I’m quite sure I’d have been guilty of similar behavior if I was that age.
However, the amount of times we’ve rounded a bend with the dogs and found ourselves surrounded by large groups, and having almost been run over was becoming seriously stupid, so we took to walking the many unknown paths through the woods on Formby beach instead.
Sadly, we’ve had to avoid the beach as it has been invaded by hoards of non-self-distancing people, who leave even larger hoards of litter behind.
Anyway, while meandering through the off the beaten track paths, we discovered that horses are now roaming free in many areas, it was almost like being back in the New Forest.
After restrictions eased, we took our first drive into Liverpool, it was basically a ghost city, with only people carrying shopping bags out. No shops, other than food shops/newsagents were open.
Southport, however, was a very different story. Cafes, art galleries, kiosks and clothes shops were open, and everywhere, especially on the prom was pretty crowded. I did wonder what people thought had changed!
Queues outside Costco go around the shop and car park.
Starbucks drive through opened and the cars queued all around the car park, some even had their bumpers sticking out on a busy dual carriageway. Really…..for a cup of coffee?
And Finally…
us gals sure are mastering Zoom!
Hahaha….you are more than welcome to sit in the garden and watch the potatoes grow!xxx
Yes, certainly a great year for roses — even here with a scattering of scorcher days. And, by the way, all your images are right-side-up for me.
Your comment about Starbucks had me nodding in agreement. I was going to a new-to-me fast food place that promised gluten-free goodness and saw a huge line. Thankfully, it was for the Starbucks next door!
And about those queues at Costco… they’ve just about weaned me from my annual membership. The too-tight and always-packed parking lots and queues to pay are bad enough. But 20 minutes for the privilege of entering the store?
I’d rather sit in your garden and watch the potatoes grow 🙂
The roses and other flowers are beautiful. My garden also looks nice right now. I think that I have more flowers that bloom in June than in any other month.
Thanks Sheryl, our garden is the same with most flowers blooming in June. I’m hoping for a second flush of roses.xxx
Beautiful blooms. I know what I’ll be humming for the rest of the day.
Amalia
xo
Thanks Amelia…..it’s so annoying when you have a song on a loop going around your head!xxx
Your roses have given me an extra incentive to plant another climbing one along our fence this year. I’ve had hollyhocks, but they’ve been problematic, so I want to put in another rose and have been researching David Austen climbers for our area. So, I’m curious about the horses. How is it that they are now wandering about as they please?
Climbing roses seem to do really well here. We always get rust on our hollyhocks which is such a shame. I have no idea why the horses were turned free, they are lovely and friendly though. There are plenty of warning signs up so they are owned by someone. Thanks Brenda.xxx
What a beautiful selection of roses! I look forward to seeing all that fruit when it is ripe and luscious (and cooked into jams and pies).
Thanks Jason. It is looking like it will be a good year for fruit!xxx
I am a recent convert to roses, better late than never! Yes…we are sticking to our own decisions, as we did from day one. It’s crazy how many risks people are taking, especially the older folk around here! Thanks Jan.xxx
Lovely photographs of your garden, it is looking good. I just love roses and it’s always so nice when we have a good year for them.
This social distancing seems to have gone by the wayside for many, which is so annoying when at the start of Covid 19 everyone seemed to be doing well and taking care… which Eddie and I are still doing.
Enjoy your weekend.
All the best Jan
I don’t know the reason, but all of your photos are sideways, now. I had to laugh at that — the world itself seems sideways, so why not? The roses, however, perfectly clustered, and that peony is gorgeous. It’s not what I think of when I hear ‘peony,’ though. I suppose it’s a different species, but it certainly doesn’t suffer in comparison.
Things here have been opening since May 4, in stages, and at least in my part of the world, it’s working well. The number of active cases is falling, and both hospitalizations and deaths are essentially flat. Some wear masks, while others don’t — when I visited the farmers’ market today, it was about 50/50. The fear over being out and about seems to be lessening; there was quite a crowd. On the other hand, the peaches, blackberries, blueberries, and summer veggies are at their peak — how happy am I to have some of all on my counter!
For some strange reason pics have suddenly turned sideways for several readers…I just cannot figure it out, maybe it’s just a 2020 thing!!! Good to know your area is becoming safer and you got to buy all that delicious soft fruit and veggies, our supermarket fruit and veggie buys are weeks old when they arrive, obviously they have been lying in the fields, given the shortages of pickers. Hopefully, my veggies will be better. Thanks Linda.xxx
Sounds like a wonderland there in your garden. So many lovely and nice fragrant blooms. Especially love that peony.
Your raised veggie bed is looking great too! Ha ha, Buddy must have thought it’s amother playground for him.
Over here in our country, a lot of things are already back to normal There are lots of people everywhere. Some people are just too relax and don’t even wear masks at crowded places.
Finally, wish you and all your loved ones well and happy always!
Thanks Jade, the roses are so gorgeous this year, and the scent of them and other plants is such a treat! Oh…the raised bed area looks like a junkyard now it’s Buddy proof….that dog!
Good to hear Malaysia is getting back to normal, as we are, please be safe….normal isn’t normal anymore. xxx
Good morning Dina….
Your garden looks fabulous and yes it is the best year for roses and just about everything else. Fortunately I live in a very green leafy area and so walks are lovely plus I am surrounded by trees – (trees that are screaming for lots of water). It’s cooled down here as well which pleases me greatly.
As for the hoards of non social distancing people…I don’t have any right where I live but spoke to a friend the other day who wanted to walk the tow path from Kingston to Hampton Court (one of my favourite walks) and. he said he literally couldn’t move thru the crowds….and people were throwing litter around with no car at all.
I think it is shocking and wander what on earth has happened. I remember when I was young being told to pick up any litter (and there was almost none) and bring it home if there wasn’t a bin….Today there are a million bins and still so many seem not to care.
Not sure what it will take to wake these people up but wake up they MUST. As for the lines millions of drivers queuing to buy coffee and other fast food crap….again when will they learn. We don’t need it.
Anyway as you can see I am on a rant…can’t help it. Personally I believe a second wave is coming and frankly it won’t be a surprise given the way people are behaving.
Sending you and the family big virtual hugs. Stay in your bubble and I am staying In mine. Janet XXXX
It really is a golden year for roses, not just mine, everywhere I walk they seem to be blossoming! I’ve never known a year like it! I’m glad you have so many trees where you live, yes, same here, a two month drought has everywhere screaming for a drink. Like last year, the grass is brown! The beaches around here have been totally trashed, thankfully a bunch of people keep cleaning them up….why can’t people take their litter home? It’s a mentality!
I’d love to walk the canals, but know they are too crowded!
Just nodding away at your rant, I scream the same day in, day out….remember that song…where have all the flowers gone…when will they EVER learn…thanks Janet, love and hugs.xxx
Great roses and interesting images. Getting cold down under now.
Thanks Peter, keep warm, good to hear how well your country is doing. xxx
Your roses are looking gorgeous! This Lockdown period seems to bring out the best and the worst of everyone, at some point. We have two different kind of bike riders here, the first is just a normal person going on a bike ride, the other is speeding along trying to beat some world speed record….it would be great to have one path for bikes and one for pedestrians. Small problems compared with world problems these days! We are working on the garden…blissful…… and meeting up with six friends regularly for soup lunches….so good to talk to friends again!
Hope you are keeping well, and enjoying friends and gardening too!
Yes, every crisis brings out the worst and best in people! I agree about cyclists, hubs and I have been cycling for 30 years here and have never seen such an increase in bikers before, I’m sure it’s down to people wanting to exercise given all the gyms have have closed.
Oh…how lovely your gatherings and soup lunches sound!!! Thanks Gerrie.xxx
The roses are now getting a battering. It’s much easier and safer to make your own coffee. We have had to rethink dog walks to avoid being around too many people. I think the easing of restrictions should have been phased in more gradually. If numbers increase again they will have no idea which part of the easing has caused it.
Hopefully the roses will dry out. I don’t drink coffee but hubs does, he certainly wouldn’t risk the rear end of his car sticking out on a busy road to buy one! It’s so weird around here, we find a new walk, it’s all quiet, then suddenly it becomes busy, so we switch again, and again…I think all dog walkers are doing what we do! I’m surprised the numbers keep dropping given how many people are back in work, on public transport and shopping. Thanks Sue.xxx
Your sideways picture of the raised beds had me fooled. I thought your home etc had been hit by a mini tornado.
Your roses are a treat as are your Manuka flowers. It’s the first time I have seen those. Honeysuckle is glorious.
The description of your restriction lift-off makes me doubly glad that we are moving at a slower pace. Like you, we have searched out ‘roads less trod’. Many are full of surprises and worth the find.
I remember a very enjoyable visit to Southport and its Victorian elegance, many years ago. I wonder if what you have witnessed are symptoms of cabin fever.
Take care. xxxx
Noooooo, more sideways pictures???? I have no clue at all why this is happening, I’ve googled myself stupid trying to find out! That tornado comment did have me laughing though! The bees love everything that’s blooming now, so hopefully the garden is helping the pollinators. Whatever the advice hubs and I make our own decisions, so certainly won’t change a thing until the numbers come down. I think people have been heading to beaches, proms and parks for a while now. I’m surprised the cases haven’t doubled since VE day. Maybe this thing is slowly dying out…thanks Menhir.xxx
What magnificent roses! Here, as the heat arrives, they immediately get sick and take the “rust”, then all the leaves fall and then reappear … in short: a dog that eats its tail!
A strong hug :-)c
Oh, we’ve had heat here too, and no rain so rust has kicked in but hasn’t affected the roses.
Hugs and love to you all.xxx
Oh, my, if I didn’t love you so I would be pea green with envy for those amazing roses. No luck here, with Japanese Beetles eating everything they like, but how wonderful to see yours and know that somewhere there is such beauty on earth! And it’s in the garden of a dear friend!!!
Yes, I guess people have had enough of staying home and so, done and done…What a worry, since the effect here has been dramatically climbing numbers of Covid-19 cases, and I’m afraid our police-inspired violence and subsequent protesting will have made it abysmally worse.
But there are gardens; there is art; there is healing; there are great changes coming and they’re not all bad. I have hope. And visiting your wonderful blog always increases it, for which I am very, very grateful, dear one. xoxo
Oh nooooo…sorry about your roses, here it’s always the lilies that are destroyed by the lily beetles. I have no doubt that cases will soar here too, some people have done their thing from day one. I haven’t heard of any cases in people I know directly, until today, two people.
Yes, I have hope too, goodness, I don’t see how I spread it! Love and hugs to all,always.xxxx
Well, I think we’ve now covered all our beetle woes and can move on to another pest. I am happy to say, the jumping worms, so dreaded and feared, have moved on after two years…We did, however, notice a lot of excessively chubby robins. Who knows?! But I think our intrepid sleuthing has solved the worms’ diminished numbers. Case closed and the robins will go uncharged, as we’re pleased with story’s ending.
Jumping worms???? Goodness me!!! They don’t sound good, thank goodness for the chubby robins! xxx
I love your roses! I just have two little ones, yellow, which are presently being elbowed out of the way by very enthusiastic lavender! And I love honeysuckle. What a lot of joy (and what a lot of work) your garden brings. xx
Thanks Gill. Oh…gardens are endless work, sometimes joy, sometimes frustration, but they are living, breathing, self-willed entities, they decide what grows or fails, I’m always astonished at how little influence I actually have! xxx
Lovely garden pictures, and as you say the roses have brilliant this year.
Queuing at a drive through for a coffee seems so pointless. xx
Thanks Flighty. I am surprised the roses are doing so well in a drought. We haven’t had rain of any significance in over two months. Given our soil is sandy I’d expect the roses to sulk. I’m not a coffee drinker, but if I was I wouldn’t have the rear end of my car hanging out on a busy road! xxx
Your garden must look a picture and the fragrance of the honeysuckle and roses will be wonderful. It’s annoying that people are doing their own thing especially when the majority of us have been sensible and sticking to the rules for the benefit of everyone. We’ve been in our own little bubble although it was nice to be in our local daughter’s garden for an hour or two. Our granddaughter sent us photos of the sunset over Crosby Beach as she went there with her friend one evening. It looked totally empty so it must depend on when you go to avoid the crowds. Local grandson is able to cycle more now and being an athlete that’s good news. He’s doing a sponsored cycle challenge organised by his football academy in aid of the NHS so some good things happening in our family and I’m hoping he stays safe. There are some crazy motorists out there. Take care Dina as you go out and about. xxL
Oh, people flouting the rules are annoying! Lovely that you got to enjoy your daughter’s garden. I’m pleased your granddaughter visited Crosby beach when it was empty, daughter has driven there several times with the baby only to find it packed! Good news about your grandson, you must post a link so I can donate. Thanks Linda.xxx
Your roses are beautiful, that song came into my head too when I saw the title of your post. I am sorry to hear that you have bumped into large gatherings of people it is upsetting isn’t it. I think that people are getting a little fed up a making up their own rules, I don’t expect the fiasco with Dominic Cummings has helped at all.
Thanks Sustainablemum. Oh, yes, it’s awful when you find yourself surrounded by groups of people with nowhere to go. I think people have made their own decisions since lockdown, some informed, some not! xxx
I’ve seen so many beautiful photos of roses around Blogland and people saying it’s such a good year for them, yet I’ve had one solitary bloom on my rose bushes. They had a great year last year but I left the pruning to Mick and I suspect he may have been over zealous, it’s not the first time he’s pruned something to within an inch of its life. Eleanor met her boyfriend last weekend for the first time since the 8th of March. They met in a park and stuck to social distancing guidelines. It makes me so annoyed to see people flouting the rules, especially those in vulnerable groups who we’re trying to protect by observing the rules.
Oh, sorry to hear about your roses, no doubt you’ll have a wonderful year next year. Ahhh, how lovely that Eleanor and her boyfriend met up, yes, it’s a real pain seeing so many carrying on as normal. Thanks Jo.xxx
Your roses are glorious. I’m currently after a strongly fragranced climber for the front of the house. There has been a conifer there since we moved in 20 years ago and R cut it down this weekend as it had got a little out of hand and we were worried about the roots. It will take some getting used to as it looks a bit bare at the moment. All rose suggestions gratefully received. :o) It does seem to be mainly youngsters that are flouting the social distancing rules – probably encouraged by the fact that they’ll have milder symptoms. I wouldn’t queue up for one but I am craving a good cup of coffee! Interesting the difference between Liverpool and Southport. I haven’t been to Southport since I was a child – is the tide still miles out?! xx
Thanks Veggiemummy, oh, I’d go for a David Austin fragrant rambling rose, there are many, maybe google them. It’s always odd when a large tree comes down isn’t it, the landscape totally changes. Here, it’s the kids and the elderly flouting the rules, and all sorts in middle.
I’m not a coffee drinker so maybe don’t know what I’m missing. Oh yes, the tide still goes out for miles in Southport.xxx