VISITING THE KIFTSGATE

The Kiftsgate rose is gradually taking over parts of Mum's garden, and is a destination of choice for some of the insects.

Alan, her last gardener, spent hours trying to keep the garden under some sort of control, but young Harry, the new man, has visions of flowers and colour and a bit of wildness. Mum loves the flowers and colour, but she does like a bit of discipline when it comes to keeping the borders in order and Harry hasn't been around long enough to realise how incredibly rampant everything is. For example, all the boundaries of the garden have grown inwards at least 6 feet and upwards by at least 10 feet since Dad died and Mum couldn't keep up with it any more, about 12 years ago. What with the roses, the 50 foot wisteria and the encroaching laurel and beech hedges it's all in danger of becoming like Sleeping Beauty's castle.