The Ghostly Garden

I am on my way to Pythouse walled garden and decide to call in at Sprout & Flower to see my friend Sarah and to buy some pumpkins.

Sarah - who I have always secretly thought was a white witch - has her broom parked outside the shop in between the pumpkins and the crate of heather.

She tells me business is good. And whilst I am there the shop is buzzing with customers looking for fruit and veg and fresh bread.

At Pythouse garden they are busy getting ready for a Halloween party.

Most of the pumpkins have now been decorated or Matt the chef has got his hands on them for a big batch of pumpkin soup.

There may not be many pumpkins left to buy but there are splashes of autumnal orange all around the garden.

And in the potting shed there are loops of Halloween streamers,

and ghoulish ghostly faces.

Perhaps my favourite though are the Halloween cup-cakes.

Not to be outdone we head home with our pumpkins,

although I have to admit I think 8 year old Elena, who is staying with us, makes a better job of it than I could have done!

Looking for Flowers in Prague

My best friend Pip has taken me to Prague for the weekend. What a friend! She is in search of art galleries, I am naturally in search of flowers.

Early indications are good; a purple and blue skirt of salvia and yarrow around one of the many monuments that populate the city.

But flower shops? Not that I could find. So I make do with admiring the beautiful buildings,

... and spotting a rose carrying bride.

(What a dress!)

But far and away the best discovery of all is Tom the barman.

I do love a man who puts orchids in my cocktails!

So if you are ever in Prague, remember to call into Tretters Cocktail Bar and ask for Tom. (I can thoroughly recommend a 'Romance' which is a mixture of crushed blackberries and raspberries, with a splash of cassis, raspberry syrup and lemon juice, topped up with Champagne. Heaven.)

But do not make the mistake of asking a rather drunk Russian to take a photograph of you and your friend afterwards!

Mothers & Daughters

I am running a workshop at Pythouse Walled Garden for mother and daughter - Ursula and Esther.

We are in the cool of the Potting Shed with a breeze coming in the open door, as the sun beats down on the garden outside.

It is time for autumnal colours. But with the weather this warm and wonderful, I have chosen bright seasonal shades - like this Cherry Brandy rose.

Esther is a natural!

On a day like today, everywhere you look the colours seem to sing out.

In the garden the parasols are bright buttons of colour.

With the piles of pumpkins adding an extra glow of glorious orange.When Ursula and Esther finish their workshop they sit in the sunshine with their family sampling Pythouse Garden cakes.

All around I can see mothers and daughters playing in the sunshine. And I do miss my daughters so.

Alex is currently in Australia, so is a long long way away. However I did get to lie in the sun with Libby in Hyde Park earlier in the week.

So I have to add some photos of her to make this mum feel better!