Hidden Gardens

Hello Everyone! It’s July already and I can feel this year softly slipping away. Where does the time go to? When I was a child, it seemed days were endless and the summer lasted forever, Now, I blink and it’s the middle of next week.

Last time we spoke, I told you of my ceiling painting escapades and the beautiful floorboards I uncovered in Franki’s old room. I didn’t include any photos so I thought this time I would and here they are. The first picture is of the floorboards in direct sunlight and the second of them in the shade. As you can see, they are gorgeous. And then there is one of the lovely freshly painted ceiling.

I am just about done with the decorating. Franki’s old room has the furniture back in and looks amazing. I won’t be sharing photos on here yet though. I want it to be a surprise for them so I will put the photos on after they’re home and have seen the rooms. So, the middle bedroom is done. There are a couple of tweaks, but on the whole, it’s finished. I have run into a bit of a drawback with the boxroom – Franki’s new bedroom – though.

Space is an issue in there so for the last few weeks I have been looking on the Argos website at bedroom furniture and comparing the dimensions. I finally found a set of furniture that is attractive and compact enough to fit into the space. A small wardrobe, a chest of drawers, and a pair of bedside chests went onto my shopping list. Along with a double bed and mattress, a laundry box, and three narrow bookcases that, slotted together, will fill the alcove in the middle bedroom. All of this plus bedding, a mirror, and a barbecue cover were going to come to quite a bit of money and that is why I want to get them from Argos. I have a store card with them and know all of these items ordered in one go will get me twelve months of interest-free credit. Many of the items were also in the sale, perfect.

Last week I went to order the lot thinking to get them here sooner rather than later. They are flatpack, so I wanted to be able to spread out having to assemble them all. I put everything in my basket and went to finish the order. Nope. Almost everything was out of stock. What?! Everything? I checked again, yep. Out of all the items in my basket, only the mattress, the duvet, and the mattress protector were in stock. Strangely enough, all of these things are not in the sale. I clicked for them to email me when the items came back in stock. So far, I’ve only been notified of two things now being available – the bed and the barbecue cover. Oddly, just as those items came off sale they were miraculously available.

It’s annoying and worrying. Franki and Rys are home on the 31^st of July, and they currently have no furniture in their room. I tried looking elsewhere such as Amazon to see if I could find similar furniture, but it’s all too big to fit in the room, plus I would have to pay upfront for it. I still have a week or so before I have to decide, so I’m holding my nerve and keeping an eye on my list. What’s the betting that the second the furniture comes off sale they will suddenly be back in stock? I did Google the situation and it seems everyone has the same complaint about Argos – nothing is ever in stock. The general feeling seems to be “Don’t have these items for sale on the website if they are not available for the customer to order, Argos.” I will keep you posted.

So, how is my new job going? Well, I must admit I am struggling to cope physically. Standing all day in heavy work boots is killing my knees, legs, and feet. The lifting side of the job isn’t bothering me. I always make sure I lift correctly and yes, I am covered in bruises all the time, but my back and arms aren’t hurting or anything, no, it’s my feet, legs, and knees that seem to be bearing the brunt of it. I am also growing tired of coming home broken, drenched in sweat, covered in bruises, and so filthy I have to climb straight into the shower. I do love the people I’m working with, but is that enough?

Last time we spoke, I told you I was doing the Hidden Gardens of Bury that day and I’m happy to report that a good time was had by all. We met on Angel Hill at 11 and bought our tickets. They were only £7 each and all of that goes to the St Nicholas Hospice charity. The sun was shining but it wasn’t too scorchio and it was breezy. We were issued a map (how exciting) and off we went. As many of the gardens were gathered in the medieval grid about Angel Hill we decided to do all of those first and then break for lunch.

I took lots of pictures, but they’re all jumbled up and I can’t always remember which photo goes with which garden, so I’ll do the best I can, and I hope you enjoy them.

I have done the gardens many times before, but it was the first time for my friends, and I don’t think they had realised the scale of some of the gardens we would be visiting. There would be a small wooden gate or doorway down a narrow street. “Hmm,” you’d think, “there can’t be a very big garden behind that door.” You’d duck your head and enter, and space would bend to reveal a massive garden with towering trees, a large lawn, and mature flower beds. Sometimes though, it was the opposite. A teeny, tiny space that the owners had transformed into a mini paradise complete with a water feature.

One garden was accessed down a narrow alleyway running alongside the house. I had visited this garden before so hung back and let my friends go first so I could watch their faces as they turned the corner at the bottom and the garden was revealed. A mahoosive garden with a long pond and waterfall, several palm trees that soared many feet into the air. A woodland trail with statues and grottos. A couple of different seating areas. A lovely little garden house with a pergola-covered patio. A large lawn – and I mean large. Wandering down to the bottom we found a carport large enough to park at least six cars and a gravel car park that could easily accommodate the odd coach or three. Utterly gorgeous and two minutes away from the bustling town centre. Incredible.

One garden had a pond with a bridge and a mini beach. One garden had a fantastic grotto made of ancient stones and bits of masonry probably salvaged from the abbey. It had nooks and crannies containing animal skulls and candles and all kinds of arcane bits and pieces. It looked used and I wondered if the owners were frequenting this grotto at midnight, lighting the candles, dancing naked, and summoning up demons.

The gardens of the Guildhall – one of the oldest buildings in town and where I had a stall for the Christmas Fayre with my fellow authors in 2019 – and where the U.K.’s first-ever Indie Literary Festival will be taking place (more on that later) – were open. They are beautiful and crammed with amazing flowers. There is also a sensory herb garden which is a delight and a lovely lady in full-on medieval costume (she must have been baking under all that wool) was on hand to explain what the plants were and what they could be used for.

The sheer imagination and commitment to their gardens by all the owners took my breath away. I came away with so many ideas. We managed to see about fifteen or so gardens before we broke for lunch at two. As my friends live close to where the second cluster of gardens was located, we bought some snacks and nibbles from Marks & Spencer and sat in their courtyard to eat and gulp down much-needed liquid refreshments. Revived and refreshed, we set off again and did the four or five closest gardens.

Consulting the map, we realised we’d missed a garden down by the cathedral. I had assumed it was the cathedral herb garden, which is open all year around and we’d seen it before, but no. Not only was it a never before displayed garden, but it was one belonging to this amazing set of houses built into the walls of the abbey ruins. I have seen the outside of these homes and heard about them – they are so protected that you are not even allowed to hang a picture up inside them and must ask permission before doing any kind of decorating or renovating work. The chance to visit the garden of one of these homes – and maybe catch a glimpse of the interior of it – was one we couldn’t miss, so we walked back down to the cathedral. It was a lovely courtyard garden with interesting pots and garden sculptures by a local artist. The cathedral loomed at one side and over the low garden wall was a stunning view of the rose garden in the Abbey Gardens.

We consulted our map again. There was another cluster of four or five gardens about a fifteen-minute walk from the town centre. Was it worth the trudge? We were tired, our legs were aching, and it was coming up to three o’clock and the gardens closed at four. Could we be bothered? One garden offered homemade ice cream. Another claimed it was a tropical paradise. One stated it had been given over to nature – I always think that just means the owners can’t be bothered to cut the grass or weed – and another stated it was “just a garden” with usual garden features. This modesty intrigued us, so we decided in for a penny, in for a pound, we might as well finish strong.

We took our time wandering the backstreets and admiring the architecture, front gardens, pots, and hanging baskets. I’m usually either in a car or rushing to get somewhere so don’t have the time to appreciate what a truly pretty town I live in, and how much effort and love most homeowners lavish on their properties. Anyway, we reached the gardens and wandered about. Disappointingly, the only ice creams left were made of banana so only one member of our party could indulge, but he said it was delicious. The garden handed over to nature did exactly what it said on the tin and was a haven of wildflowers, bugs, and bees. The tropical garden was astonishing and there was even a little added-on indoor tropical wall in the conservatory that was magnificent.

And as for the garden that was – “just a garden with the usual features” – well, if that was just a garden mine is a hole in the ground. Little paths twisted away through shrubbery higher than the average man. Within the shrubbery were things of interest – a family of white porcelain pigs, a tiny pool with a fountain, a mysterious door leading to Narnia perhaps, a little table and chairs, an interesting statue – it was all rather wonderful.

And then we were done. We hobbled back into town and stopped at mine, I poured glasses of water for us all which my friends gulped down as I got in my washing, fed the cat, and grabbed a cardigan and a bottle of wine. We then walked back to theirs and sat in the garden. We had thought about going out to eat but were so exhausted we couldn’t face it so ordered a Chinese takeaway instead which we ate in the garden. Then the firepit was lit and we sat around in the deepening dusk, drinking wine, gazing into the fire, and telling stories. It was the perfect end to the perfect day.

The next morning, I was wind and sunburnt, and my legs, feet, and calves were aching, but it was worth it. I pulled on my scuffs and set to with the final push of decorating.

And now about the festival I mentioned earlier. I am very proud to announce that the Writers of Bury & Beyond have organised the very first literary fringe festival ever to be held anywhere in the UK. It will be happening in Bury St Edmunds on the 7^th and 8^th of October. For two fabulous days, the town will be host to extremely talented indie authors (including me) along with several independent publishing companies. All things indie in the book world will be showcased, along with workshops and Q&A sessions, book sales and signings, and many other interesting and informative things.

This is beyond wonderful, and I am so excited to be a part of it. As more events are announced I will of course, keep you all updated and if you live anywhere near or fancy visiting for a weekend of indie books, then book your accommodation early to avoid disappointment.

What else have I done since we last spoke? Well, my cherry tree cropped and last Wednesday I began picking. The tree needs a good haircut so many of the cherries were too high to reach and I must admit, I was a little disappointed at how few I got. Spotting my neighbour over the fence, I asked if it was okay if I came into her garden to pick the cherries I couldn’t reach and of course, would give her some. Receiving her consent, I took my bowl into her garden and couldn’t believe my eyes. Four massive branches reaching almost to the ground were draped over the fence into her garden and they were simply dripping with fruit. So, that’s where all my cherries were, in her garden! I picked and picked and picked. In all, I got almost 20lbs of fruit off that tree this year. I gave 4lbs to the neighbour – or rather, I left my full bowl on the ground and ran to answer my door when I heard the doorbell and by the time I came back, she’d found the bowl, assumed it was her share, taken them indoors, emptied the bowl, washed it up, and replaced it on the ground. So, that was that.

I made delicious frozen cherry yoghurt. I also made cherry compote to go over ice cream, and I will dig out my old recipe for ice cream and try making cherry ice cream, and, of course, I will be making cherry vodka and brandy this year again.

The tree desperately needs cutting so I will make sure the tree surgeon does something about all the fruit-bearing branches over the fence. I’m not being mean, but I would like to have some of the fruit on my side.

I think that’s it. So far today (Saturday) my niece called around for coffee and to drop off my birthday presents – I turn 56 on Monday – and collect her presents – it was her birthday last Monday. Honestly, June and July are full-on months for me. Both my parents have birthdays, as do I, my niece, my lodger, and two friends. It was also Father’s Day in mid-June.

This afternoon I have a video chat planned with an author friend, which will be nice. Say what you like about technology, but it does help to keep people connected. On my birthday I am going out for lunch with a friend, and then there are all sorts of other shenanigans happening during the week culminating with a big lunch outing plus Shakespeare in the park on Saturday. But I will tell you all about that next time – and I may have an announcement – or I might not. It all depends on what happens next week.

Anyway, take care, everyone.

Julia Blake