In the pink

All year round I help in K’s garden once or twice a week, depending how much needs doing. Mostly I weed, but occasionally I get to move plants about and even plant new ones.

More than three years of graft has taught me about the rhythms of a cottage garden. It’s not the kind of garden I’d ever have at home because there isn’t time for one Mima to tend a cottage garden as well as a fully-productive food garden, but I love my regular hours at K’s.

She has some lovely plants and she’s a big fan of garden art and sculptures.

The first extra is Bean being chief assistant garden look-out dog, next to a wrought iron ‘tree’. She takes the role very seriously, especially when there are no marauding kittens.

They were at the vets being neutered today. “Phew” says Bean “serves them right.”

The main photo is of a beautiful pink-flowered grass-like plant which is in full glorious bloom at the moment. I have no idea what it is. Initially I thought some kind of strelitzia (Bird of Paradise flower) but the flowers are the wrong colour and form. I’ve added a second extra which shows more of the form of the plant.

Does anybody know?