37 years on

It being our wedding anniversary, Caroline picked roses for our breakfast table. With all the rain we've had, it's been such a year for them! The photograph shows just part of one of our two Rambling Rectors: on the other side of the house, there's Buff Beauty, New Dawn and Graham Thomas (supposed to be climbing, but refusing to do so). On the boundary, we have Madame Alfred Carrière, Souvenir de Claudius Denoyel, Lady Hillingdon, Zéphirine Drouhin, Félicité et Perpétue and (my favourite) an enormous Compassion, amongst others. Henry Robinson gave us one of his rare ramblers when we first moved in, which is all over our outbuilding (neither he nor I can remember which one). Oh, and the Albertine I thought had died is in flower again this year. Up the apple trees we have climbing Iceberg. By the arbour Sweet Juliet is going great guns as always.

The broad beans are enormous, and I have started digging early potatoes (Annabelle): we had both for supper last night. The leef beet and rocket have bolted, and there seem to be absolutely no parsnips coming up.