A Happy Friday and the Colour Orange.

So, life post-Bernina is returning to normal now. Actually, I have already become so used to it (her?) that it feels as though 'she' has always been here. Thank you all so much for the lovely and very encouraging comments regarding the newest member of this tiny team - no doubt there will be many more discussions about the wonders of Swiss technology (!!!). In the meantime, this is what has been happening at Poltisko Farm: Isabella scoffing a chocolate mousse which arrived home from work yesterday with Daddy alongside a bottle of wine...hurrah!



Looking out of the window this morning - and hurrah again as it is Friday, my most favourite day of the week - I noticed that another year of bad planting has visited our garden. Ever summer I plan to move things around so that we do not have swathes of one colour throughout the garden, but of course I never remember. Spring heralded all yellows from daffodils through to primroses. Late spring brought purple aquilegia, pulmonaria, bluebells (ahh, the bluebells...) and now we have orangey reds. Nothing else really, just tones of red and orange. From nasturtium...



to the strong red of these Lucifer which are actually so much deeper than they look here, but the morning is so dull.



to the Black Prince marigolds which we somehow underplanted with yet more orange nasturtiums and which sit close to orange day lilies! Hmm.



There are the beautiful white daisies now flowering away next to yellow loosestrife and er, white lychnis, but mostly there is orange. Next year...



Well, that was written early this morning when the sky was particularly dull, but Isabella and I have just returned from the most lovely walk along the shore. The beach was ours alone and the tide was gently ebbing leaving a trail of pretty shells in its wake. No camera with me for once, but this is the some of the treasure we brought home with us.



A mixture of swirly whelks



flat winkles of all colours from softest sandy-brown to orange; the orange theme continues.



Many, many tiny crabs had been thrown against the rocks and are now resting against the ugly gravel outside the bathroom window. I am slowly interplanting this area and softening its harshness with frothy lime alchemilla, forget-me-nots which are still flowering here and bright, shiny marigolds. Scatterings of limpets, crab shells and sea-softened stone can only help.



The beach was so beautiful today, calm, quiet and restful just as in this photograph from another time, another walk



but now I have a very tired young lady wanting a sleep and looking very cute in her sleepsuit, so I must be off.



Happy Friday all x