Good people and great plants!

An interesting day today. I’d arranged to meet my nurseryman/gardener friend Dave this morning to have a look at a garden in Glen Lonan. I must have passed the end of the unnamed track so many times, yet had no idea that several hundred yards in was an amazing garden that reminded me of a smaller version of Arduaine. Plenty of large rhododendrons, both species and early hybrids, azaleas and many other shrubs and trees. Beds of candelabra primulas and plants of all sorts both on and around the house. To add to the fun there was a fluffy dog and a ginger cat who were obviously best pals! We had a wonderful guided tour with the lady owner - altogether quite astonishing!

Popped into the tunnel to plant some courgettes, melons and cucumbers, then after a picnic lunch in the car further along the Glen I called into the Walled Garden at Glencruitten to plant some pot grown peas. The midges there were absolutely staggering – I haven’t been so tormented for years! All the folk working there were wearing midge nets! I planted the peas, did a quick bit of weeding and hot-footed it out of the there!

While I was at the other Oban garden yesterday I stupidly drove over a stone edge while attempting to turn round, and got the car stuck! The garden owner and I had to stack up some slabs to enable me to drive my car back down to ground level! There were some nasty noises from underneath so on the way home today I called in at my local garage in Oban, where I met the owner coming out. He kindly agreed to put it up on the ramp there and then and told me to come back in half an hour. When I returned he said that there was no damage, thanks to an ingenious flexible undertray – and told me that there was also no charge! Just like old times – it made my day!

When I got home there was a gentle breeze blowing and not a midge in sight!

Quote of the Day:

Richard Branson -  “The key is to set realistic customer expectations, and then not to just meet them, but to exceed them — preferably in unexpected and helpful ways.”