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Sadly no aurora but still a pretty pre-dawn sky. I hope everyone is sleeping soundly & dreaming sweet dreams 💤

Today's Old #Rose is the Bourbon 'Mrs Paul' (George Paul, 1891), a seedling of Mme Isaac Pereire. Large scalloped double blooms of blush pink fading to pearly white. Repeat flowering & said to get better with each flush. Strong fragrance. One of my all-time favourite #roses 🌹

Is there anything nicer than homegrown peas?🫛🫛🫛

Today's Old #Rose is the Painted Damask, Léda. Iridescent milky white double flowers flushed with crimson on the outer petals. A button eye. While Pink Léda is thought to be a natural sport, rosarian Graham Thomas wondered whether it might be vice versa. x.com/netherfield34/…

Just moving a few friends away from my kale bed to some rampant nasturtiums (4 handfuls). Hungry future Large White butterflies, I never hurt them just move them to something else to eat. They are very naughty as my kale was already under insect netting. I'll bet there are more..

First of my windowbox turnips (Tokyo Cross). They have done amazingly well. Lovely & peppery with bonus turnip greens 🌱

Sunset. A huge orange sun refracted through Canadian wildfire smoke dipping down behind the hedge.

Today's Old #Rose is the gorgeous 'Duchesse de Montebello' (Laffay, 1824). Full quartered blooms of blush pink with a strong old rose perfume. A hybrid between a Gallica & a China rose, she is a beauty. 🌹

Breakfast of champions: homemade apricot tarte tatin & greek yoghurt 🍽

Since it is #RoseWednesday 🌹 here are some of my rose hedges, looking at their best. Rosa gallica complicata, R. alba maxima, R. gallica officianalis & Rosa Mundi

After an indulgent breakfast lunch was a cheese & red onion omelette made a few yards away from the hen house where I collected the eggs (in fact some of the hens came to watch). Cooked in a cast iron skillet on a small butane camping stove 🔥 Dinner will be pea & mint risotto 🫛

Today's Old #Rose is Arthur de Sansal. A low, compact (max height 3ft) Portland Damask with crimson to purple rosette-shaped double blooms. Bred by Scipion Cochet before 1855. Intensely fragrant, highly floriferous & repeat flowering, it is a beauty. Perfect for a large pot🌹

Harvesting Swift first early potatoes. A few signs of scab (who cares?); I think I underwatered them in the drought. I will weigh the yield but it's a good one. #GrowYourOwn #Food 🌱

Angry sky 💦

Freshly harvested Swift potatoes, chives & a giant spring onion. It has to be a gorgeous potato salad for dinner 🍽

Today's Old #Rose is Madame Hardy, a pure white Summer Damask with cupped blooms packed with wrinkled petals & a green button eye. A cross between a Centifolia & a Damask it was bred by Julien-Alexandre Hardy, 1831. Prickly & very disease resistant with a strong fragrance 🌹

Looks like I am about to get soaked again (the plants are loving it).

Harvest day for the turnips. Greens with garlic for dinner tonight (along with Swift potatoes). The turnips will be sliced & pickled in a sweet 'brine' of apple cider vinegar, a little brown sugar, garlic, peppercorns, bayleaf to eat with summer salad. More turnips being sown now