December 2021

Well, December has come and gone.

We had quite a bit of rain and it’s been cool so the garden is looking ok. This is evident by the generous growth on our Cercis ‘Forest Pansy’ and Cornus collection, who usually have started showing signs of crispiness by the end of the first month of Summer.

Earlier in the year we planted a hedge of Hydrangea ‘Blueberries and Cream’, one of our better moves.  Unfortunately, we forgot that it is near a group of Clivias, orange flowering ones.  Not the best combination. They were given to us by a friend and at the time we were grateful.  We would never have bought them otherwise, as we’re not particularly partial to them.  Plants from others is a double-edged sword.  You should be grateful, and we generally are, but sometimes they are just not a plant you want yet obligation dictates that you have to put it somewhere in the garden just in case you are asked about it.  At least it wasn’t a ‘present’.  That is the worst.  Especially when the plant dies.  It’s as though upon its death, it is also the death of the relationship with the person who gave it to you.  The Clivias were planted in a dark corner, whether because this is the conditions they need or we just decided to pop them in the darkness corner we could find so we could forget about them – who knows?!  Still, as previously mentioned, the Hydrangea ‘Blueberries and Cream’ more than make up for it.

To be honest though, in our household in December, everything is put on hold due to Christmas. 

Christmas Day at Crofton was the usual pandemodium, with 17 people for lunch and the usual dramas.  Last years drama was the Grandson having gastro but still feeling like he should come and give it to everyone else, which he did.  This year one of the other Grandsons, who doesn’t think he needs to chew his food, stuffed his face with Salmon and proceeded to choke.  Apparently it was touch and go.  We weren’t there.  We were out on the veranda admiring Jenny’s fetching new skirt, which really is a spectacular skirt, but back to the drama.  The Son, who is Father to the choking Grandson, has nerves of steel, except when he gets stung by a bee then he goes to pieces, saved the day by numerous hits to the back of the Grandson and reminding everyone that this was the THIRD person he had saved from death by choking in his lifetime (sad but true).  However we had all heard the stories before and thought it might be time he showed a bit of humility as only family can. 

Good news is that was the highlight of the day, we all made it through lunch safely and no one came down ill the next day. 

As for the garden, things were now starting to look a bit dry but we’ll worry about that next year…