First cut of the year

Yesterday was a perfect gardening day – no wind, no sun, just pleasant warm weather – the first time for months and months I was happy to garden all day – and I cut the grass for the first time – that must be a record – 21st May!!!

It put me in a pleasantly nostalgic mood, fondly remembering the garden I left in 2005. I had a large orchard and was able to mow a huge 7 circuit grass spiral

It was just wonderful to see the grasses grow and change throughout the seasons. I walked the spiral each morning for about 2 years.  Children nearly always ran into the centre and out again, shrieking with joy.

Andy Goldsworthy (one of my favourite artists) says the best way to observe change is to stay in the same place; and watching the grasses grow, in the spiral, and flower and go to seed and notice what bugs and beetles, birds and butterflies were attracted to the grasses at each stage, was a brilliant way to understand what he means.

Early morning dew:

January

Mid-summer party

I had a wonderful 10 years in West Dorset and it is the garden and the grass spiral I miss the most.

So when i moved to where I am now I mowed a spiral

It could be seen on Google Earth!

And on what seemed like the only warm day of that summer (2oo8), after the paddling pool was put away:

I could not resist a play myself

  Goodnight!