The individuals and the masses

I’m glad to see in Orwell’s diary that:-

French & runner beans have germinated very badly, so am sowing some in a box for fill-ups.

My new pea bean hasn’t germinated at all in the veg bed so I have sown the remaining seeds in pots in shelves in the south facing window, and now they are about two inches high. 

I note too that Orwell finds individual flowers:-

sweet william here & there beginning to open

which makes me think that he had the same problem as I have, of individual flowers doing well but there is no rising of the masses so that you get the drifts of bloom that is the desire of the cottage gardener.

I have one lovely white oriental poppy and a few buds:-

 

Where I should have clumps.

I have irises, individually fine, but scattered:-

  

I have one plant of black prince snapdragons, when I should have four or five:-

 

The Mme Alfred Carriere rose is sweet scented, and sparse.

This Daniel Deronda clematis, which used to cover the wall, is giving forth about two blooms (my fault, I didn’t prune it).

 

Blue rhapsody rose is reliable - it will flower until October.

Chives look fine and are loved by the bees.  I don’t eat them, just grow them for the flowers.  Same with the fennel.  I don’t cook with it, but it looks feathery and delicate.

 

Chervil, coriander, lovage – those I do eat but they aren’t particularly pretty (though Hopkins wrote):-

See, banks and brakes
Now leavèd how thick! lacèd they are again
With fretty chervil, look, and fresh wind shakes
Them;

Comments

[Andrew Coates]

Thanks Rosie for getting me thinking happy thoughts again.

I adore Lovage.

Though my favourite at the moment is Red Basil!

[Rosie]

I've tried various fancy basils but they never seem to do well and I always fall back on the Genovese - though that's been sulky as well and has mostly refused to germinate and I've had to sow more seeds. It has to grow inside - it's too cold here to grow it outside.

My vision for the patch I call a herb garden is for neat squares of different kinds of herbs, but some like oreganum and chervil run rampant and others like parsley stay aloof.

[Florist Italy]

Just wondering, if i can use this information for my research paper's project. However, i admire the way you present your words ... Thank u anywys.