I'm now home from my pre-op and in isolation (as compared with the restrictions of lockdown) for 14 days whilst I wait for my procedure to replace my kidney stent.
I'm perfectly happy. I have enough in the way of provisions for 14 days and if I run out of anything (milk being the most likely) I am fortunate to have friends and neighbours who will shop for me.
It will give me the opportunity to catch up in Blogland and, if the weather will calm down a bit, get into the garden to start some autumnal clearing up. I last posted about my garden on the 20 July and it is astonishing to look at the photos then and the photos now. This is the garden as it was at the end of last week. Having said that the Lavatera has far more flowers and there are far more poppies now but the weather is too wet and windy to take a photo.
The rose is a 'Peace' and is the first tea rose I have ever grown. In fact this year is the first year I have ever grown roses. My Dad and my Maternal Grandmother were both successful rose growers.
Wow, your garden is a real feast for the eyes! I hope you get some more beautiful garden days like that during your isolation. And perhaps a few rainy ones for Blogland as well... :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Monica. In the few days since I've been home the wind has been very strong and the showers frequent and the time has flown by.
DeleteWhat a beautiful garden you have Graham and if I had to be in isolation like yourself, there would be no hardship in being able to look at these blooms daily. Hope all goes well for you and thank goodness for great neighbors and friends.
ReplyDeleteBeatrice, I enjoy my garden and this year have had all the time in the world to be kind to it. Thank you for your good wishes.
DeleteOh, GB - everything is so beautiful! That one rose is worth a million bouquets of store-bought.
ReplyDeleteThinking of you every day, and hoping your procedure goes well. Sending hundreds of hugs across the ocean, the kind that carry love but don't wrinkle your shirt.
Thank you Marcheline. I love the idea of a hug not crinkling my shirt (although the crinkly ones are usually more fun). Your missive arrived yesterday. The response is in the post. Good old snail mail.
DeleteWOOT WOOT!!!
DeleteBeautiful garden! I hope you will be comfortable and engaged in doing things that you enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThe Peace rose is also the first rose I ever grew.
Maywyn, after almost 6 months of lockdown I've had plenty of practice. It's just a shame that for two weeks I can't see anyone close up.
DeleteWhat a beautiful garden and view of the bay you have, Graham! You should be well-prepared mentally for the medical procedures after 14 days isolation in such a gorgeous setting.
ReplyDeleteI'm very fortunate, Bob. The procedure is just replacing the stent between my kidney and bladder. I'm supposed to get it done every 6 months but Covid-19 delayed it.
DeleteYour garden is nothing less than superb. I have no doubt it will give you solace and satisfaction during your period of quarantine - and beyond for that matter.
ReplyDeleteDavid, I am fortunate in that, despite the proximity to the salt laden winds and. plenty of gales, the garden has survived very well this year and is still giving plenty of food for the bees and other insects and, of course, is providing seeds for the birds who live here.
DeleteHi Graham, I hope you are like your garden - a picture of blooming superfluous good health. I'm sure all that beauty will keep you fit and well and ready for that op. Take care.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pauline. The garden certainly keeps me fit both mentally and physically.
DeleteYour garden is so pretty with all those colourful blooms. Take care in your isolation period. Hugz Mxx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Margaret. Apart from not seeing friends my biggest disappointment will not be seeing my son and family - my son will return tomorrow from being away for about 3 months.
DeleteGood to see you back.
ReplyDeletePity about the isolation; what have they given you this time?
Adrian I was hoping that you would have said "Good to see you're back" and I could have responded that my back was my best aspect. They've already given me a new plastic and stainless steel ureter they just have to replace it again. If they give me anything else I might not be in a position to tell you!
DeleteGraham there is nothing wrong with English as me writ it. My English is near perfect. 'You're' would be fine but 'your' is frowned on by pedants like what I am.
DeletePedants what like you am, Adrian, just spoil my feeble attempts at jokes.
DeleteLet me join the choir of praise of your garden that is very beautiful indeed.
ReplyDeleteOf course I love the rose - is it scented?
I hope all goes well during your pre-op isolation and then with your op.
Thank you, Meike. The rose should be scented but I have a very poor sense of smell and I've not been able to detect it. That's not helped by the strong winds.
DeleteWelcome home, so to speak :-). That first photo is quite sublime - so much still in bloom, sea and headland in the background, absolute stunner.
ReplyDeleteHope your isolation continues well, and that you get done all the things you want.
Thank you, Jayne. I'm very fortunate in where I live and even more fortunate that, despite the weather, my garden has survived.
DeleteYou should be proud of yourself for creating such a lovely garden in what is a challenging location. As I believe I have said before, I admire your matter-of-fact stoicism in the face of ongoing health procedures. Some people would be going bananas and self-pitying too but not G.B.Edwards. Are you related to Eddie the Eagle?
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you comment and views, Neil. I was fortunate to be born optimistic and I've never seen the point in doing anything other than look forward and live through the health problems and make the most of things. It's the only way to stay happy. However, I've never had the courage to be as optimistic as Eddie the Eagle.
DeleteNot sure if I have missed a post, I didn't realise you were having some more medical procedures. I hope all goes well for you. Your garden is looking really beautiful. I Love your Peace rose. I read a book about the Peace Rose a few years back when in NZ. For the Love of a Rose by Antonia Ridge.
ReplyDeleteSerenata, I'd have to go back and see what I've said but it's just part of my life now. I have always admired all your roses but the soil here isn't suitable and the weather is a bit on the violent side for them too. This year I decided to get suitable soil in a big pot for the Peace rose and see what happened. Then I got four more container roses and they have really flourished beyond all expectations on my relatively sheltered back patio.
DeleteIt's good to see a post from you and I hope your time in isolation passes quickly. Your garden is still looking beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI hope all goes well with your op. X
Thank you very much, Jules. I've been trying to catch up in the garden for the last few days despite the weather but I'm hoping to catch up with everyone in Blogland soon.
DeleteThat could almost be a Mediterranean garden in the top picture. Good to see you at home again and posting. I thought of you in Glasgow.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rachel. The garden is looking sorry for itself this morning after nearly a week of gales and rain.
DeleteI'm envious of your garden Graham, we sell that rose "peace" at my work. Sadly most of my plants are in pots as we are only renting this property.
ReplyDeleteAmy, I have several friends who are very keen gardeners with quite big gardens who use a lot of pots. The advantage is that you can always have your favourite plants with you.
DeleteYour garden is lovely, Graham...the blooms are blooming beautiful...and beautifully! :)
ReplyDeleteKeep taking good care....as I know yo are! :)
Thank you, Lee. The bloomin' blooms are being bloomin' blown about this week.
DeleteWhen I open your page there is always a number '1' right at the very top; any explanation? Beautiful garden; mine is mostly foliage now.
ReplyDeleteCro, I've used Chrome for Blogland for a while now after a lot of problems with Safari and Firefox. However, your question made me go through all my browsers this morning (and update Opera and Vivaldi whilst I was at it) and the issue that you mentioned doesn't appear in any of them. I'm wondering if anyone else has the problem. I fear that after the gales and heavy rain this week unless we have a good bout of sun my garden will be well past its best too. There's still quite a lot of colour today but the plants are all looking very sorry for themselves.
DeleteI have never seen a "1" at the top of your page, Graham.
DeleteThe rose is perfect! do you get disappointed when the weather batters the garden?
ReplyDeletei wish you well with the isolation and the procedure, two weeks isolation at every juncture is so very tedious
Thanks for your good wishes, Kylie. Yes, sometimes I get a bit disappointed when something is looking so good and then gets destroyed. When I planted my yellow pansies at the start of the season some plants actually blew out of the ground and blew away. There were no more yellow pansies available so I used cream ones to fill in. It turned out to make a really good blend. They have carried on thriving all summer. At the moment it's sunny and I'm going to survey the damage after a week of strong winds and battering showers. It's good to marvel at what has managed to survive.
DeleteI don't mind the physical isolation occasionally. It gives me time to catch up. On the other hand my son has been away for three months and arrived home on the Island yesterday. I won't see him and the family for several weeks.
An assortment of colours (flowers) with that water body as a backdrop...... wow..... wonderful.
ReplyDeleteYes, time for all to catch up on the blog vine.
Thanks for your comment, Haddock. Colour is so important in life and happiness.
DeleteWhat a fabulous scene. Your beautiful, colourful garden with a picturesque backdrop.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Diane. Apologies for the late acknowledgement.
DeleteI love the bright colors of your flowers, they pop against the greens and the blues in the distance. What a cheerful place to spend time.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Terra. Apologies for the late acknowledgement.
DeleteWhat a fabulous garden! All the colors are so bright and cheery.
ReplyDeleteWe just moved to a house with an established rose garden (almost 500!) but the problem is keeping the introduced possums from eating the leaves!
Hi Betty. It's a while since our paths crossed on one of our blogs. Oddly I have always recalled one of our first encounters because I had just taken an almost identical photo of a garden fence in, I think, Norsewood on SH9, about which you also blogged.
DeleteI rather envy you the rose garden. I have never tried growing roses on Lewis until this year when I planted 5 in pots on the relatively sheltered West-facing patio to my house. They did exceptionally well so I am encouraged. Possums were not a big problem for us where we lived near Napier although we did get the occasional one in our traps. I do hope you manage to overcome the problem.