Thank you all, so much, for all your comments during the past few weeks. I would have liked to have replied to them all individually, but as you can imagine, I've been scurrying around the garden most of the time, trying to finish off bits of planting here and there, and generally attempting to keep things looking reasonably tidy. (Do I mean tidy? Perhaps I just mean looking as if they're meant to look like that.)In the middle of concentrating on the back garden, I suddenly noticed the front garden was looking a bit tatty, so that's had a bit of mini-revamp too. Not so you'd notice - as a friend remarked, the only thing you ever really notice in the front garden is the bamboo. To my eye, however, it looks a bit fresher and greener. The yuccas that stood on guard either side of the front door have been moved, and replaced by something a bit more boring (spotted laurel - Aucuba japonica - underplanted with Carex oshimensis 'Evergold') but much more welcoming than spiky leaves. After all, it's not as if there is any shortage of spiky leaves for people to look at in my garden.
For anyone who thinks they might be able to come and visit on Sunday 30 August, here are the details (above). If you do come, please grab me and say hello, even if I look completely frazzled. I shall be very hurt if you don't!
If you can't come, and you live in the UK, Emmat has written a lovely piece about it for the Independent on Sunday this weekend (Sunday 23 August). You can read it online here.
Martyn Cox is very kindly also giving the garden a mention in his column in the Mail on Sunday on 30 August and Pattie Barron will list the opening in her column for the Evening Standard next Wednesday. I'm incredibly grateful to these journalist colleagues, as the aim is to raise money for charities that mean a lot to me, and the more visitors we get, the better.
However, I'm also incredibly grateful to those of you who have commented, made me laugh and otherwise encouraged me in my moments of gloom. I don't want to single anyone out for fear of hurting anyone's feelings, but I would like to make an exception for regular commenter Petoskystone, who I am convinced has been sending good vibes from Connecticut to keep my pond pump working without any problems.
