autumnal mode, roses & Rino

The garden is in autumnal mode - despite the rain much has had to be cut back and sadly I am about to say goodbye to many colourful plants. As I muse on the coming autumn and dare I say winter I realise there are two things dear to my heart, one is gardening and the joy of caring for plants - facing the challenges of wind, rain, hot sun and hail and the other is food - always guaranteed to find my better side.

So Rino if you are out there reading this - this is just to say I think you are the best chef in the whole of the UK and your bright smile lights up even the dullest day! Your roast potatoes are to die for and in my opinion no one else makes Yorkshire pudding like you.

They say August will have some hot spells too, but we shall wait and see - the pleasant temperatures of the last few days have made gardening a joy even if this has meant cutting back so much that has gone.

I thought Rachel de Thame's programme for BBC Gardender's World on Roses was absolutely wonderful. As a rose lover I couldn't have asked for a more absorbing programme and as always with Rachel very well done. Happy gardening.