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The garden at ten at night

The longest day brings a kind of permission. You can still see the roses clearly at half past nine. The climbing one by the back fence is showing off, those fat blooms almost luminous in the dusk. The light won’t quit.

At ten o’clock, you’re still out there. The air has cooled just enough. The blackbird is finally quiet. You deadhead a few spent flowers, not because it’s urgent, but because you’re there and the day hasn’t ended yet.

This is the week when the garden refuses to sleep. The sky holds onto that last pale strip of blue above the roofline. You can make out the shapes of everything: the pots by the wall, the fork leaning against the shed, the dark bulk of next door’s apple tree.

Some years you stay out later still. A glass of something cold, a chair dragged onto the patio. The roses keep their colour longer than you’d think. The light fades so slowly you barely notice when you can’t see them anymore.

Then it’s tomorrow already.

Do you sit out late on Midsummer? What's blooming in your garden right now?

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The garden in Richmond at midsummer

The garden in Richmond at midsummer

The garden in Richmond reaches its peak in July, when the air thickens with heat and the borders crowd with colour. Lavender spikes stand tall along paths, their purple blooms humming with bees. Roses sag under their own weight. The lawn, if you have kept it watered, glows a defiant green. This is the moment […]

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The lavender is out in Richmond gardens and the bees are everywhere

The lavender is out in Richmond gardens and the bees are everywhere

The lavender is out in Richmond gardens and the bees are everywhere. You can hear them before you see them: a steady hum rising from the purple spikes. They work the flowers in a kind of methodical frenzy, dusted yellow with pollen. The scent thickens in the heat. It hangs in the air around benches […]

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The shady corner in Richmond gardens where lavender meets old walls

The shady corner in Richmond gardens where lavender meets old walls

The shady corner in Richmond gardens becomes a refuge when the sun is at its worst. You find it behind the south-facing wall, where lavender spills over brick and the air smells sharp and sweet. Bees work the purple stems with a low hum. You sit on a bench that has been there longer than […]

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What survives a heatwave in Richmond gardens and what doesn't

What survives a heatwave in Richmond gardens and what doesn’t

What survives a heatwave in Richmond gardens and what doesn’t becomes obvious by mid-afternoon. Lavender stands firm, its grey leaves designed for drought, while the bees work overtime in the purple spikes. Sedums, salvias, and anything with a Mediterranean backbone keep their composure. Roses droop but recover. Hardy geraniums fade to papery wisps. Hostas give […]

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The first tomatoes in Richmond gardens

The first tomatoes in Richmond gardens

The first tomatoes in Richmond gardens are ripening now. You notice them one morning, a flush of orange breaking through the green. The smell hits you when you pinch out the side shoots: sharp, green, faintly chemical. It clings to your fingers for hours. This is the moment gardeners wait for. The fruit has been […]

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The Bench

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