It is far too long since I have written to all of you and I am sorry, We went to Prosilio in Corfu, the last week in September and three weeks in October. The second week we had bad weather with no electricity for three days in the middle which was testing! I muttered crossly that it was like a third world country, but the reason that I love Corfu is that it is not smart like the South of France for example. The one thing that we did achieve is cutting the olive trees so that we now have 180 degrees view which is stunning. I cannot think why we have never thought of this before. It means that I can sit up in bed and have the most wonderful view which we never had before. The same applies to the main guest bedroom where a huge tree had been blocking everything. We have made several improvements to the interior of Prosilio particularly to the kitchen. What I particularly loved was the addition of an icemaker! Amalia, who is a wonderful cook, with a lovely personality, gave us a few of her recipes, which we have tried out with success back here in England.
I have made a lot of changes, I hope for the best, in the par terre which is down the bottom of the garden. 5 roses have been taken out, according to Polly, pretty diseased anyway. I have been buying bulbs. Firstly from Avon Bulbs, species tulips, not expensive as we are at the end of the season. I am excited by them. We have a black cat in the garden who is catching several mice, and I am grateful to him for that as one year they ate all the flowers off our hellebores, which I was upset about as we have a lot of hellebores. A huge rat was spotted in the kitchen last night, and I said to James this morning should I get him a cup of tea and feed the dogs. It is a miracle that I didnt as the rat was. sitting in the bottom of Temba’s big food bag munching away, I would have certainly screamed. I looked out of my bedroom window and saw James in his pyjamas walking slowly down the lawn carrying carefully the food bag, rat, and the two dogs following behind him thinking they were getting a very early walk! James let him out in our neighbour’s field, and came back to make fresh plans for his capture. The best thing in the garden at the moment is Sorbus Joseph Rock. I have never seen them so huge and beautiful and they have berried so well, The other star is Miscanthus sinensis Yakushima Dwarf, only two of them now thank to Eric Tsu, They look like shot silk and are planted underneath the two Sorbuses. The garden looks good in winter now partly because we have lived here for so long all the structure has matured.
Q
Pettifers Garden Blog 