July 2025

The old lavender bushes growing here are now as tall as I am! Why they are so big I have no idea; the thousands of flower spikes are alive with bumblebees of all kinds, a joy to behold. Each year I cut some of the flowers to hang indoors in bunches, their scent becoming very much a part of our house in summer. Each year I am amazed to see the variety of insect life in our garden, from the tiniest brightly patterned moth to the weird and wonderful sabre wasp, which I saw for the first time in my life only last week. As I sit sewing in our little summerhouse on sunny days, I love to hear the sounds of the birds and insects all around me; I realise more than ever how precious each spark of life truly is.