Life must be filled up

roses and philadelphus are flowering together like this.



The rose is one the French call 'Cuisse de Nymphe Emue' but as Vita Sackville-West wrote, the English have no truck with the thighs of nymphs, so we call it 'Maiden's Blush'. The great advantage of this old alba rose is that it flowers in shade, as does 'Queen of Denmark'; if you think your garden is too shady for roses, think again.



This corner of the garden is heavy with scent at the moment as there's also a rambling rose, the notorious 'Kiftsgate', nearby and a mass of honeysuckle. The philadelphus is called 'Beauclerk'. When I decided to plant one there I picked this because I'd seen it in a garden open to the public and loved that purple stain at the centre of the flower. And, of course, the smell.



In other news, I went in fear and trembling to see my dentist today but he could find no cause for my nagging tooth. Even though it still hurts and I have to have scaling done in case it's caused by gum problems, this news made me feel so lighthearted that I bought these shoes.

Half price in Clarks' sale. Highly appropriate for my current lifestyle, as I'm practically living on strawberries, which are the same colour.