Rain has fallen, the plants are grateful. Yesterday Rod and his wife, gardeners who cut the grass in the church yard, came and did ours. Yes in the rain, they used a thin wand like heater, about five foot across before the mower, and the lawn is cut. Except when you examine it, the creeping buttercups lie flat and uncut, their strong stems refusing to yield to the cutter. That is what comes of a house built on a field, we have inherited good and bad weeds.
I hate the word weed, it demotes so many pretty wild flowers, in the lawn there are 'good' weeds but the bullying habit of the buttercup is a problem.
Yesterday I listened to podcasts whilst I wove, firstly on America, very downbeat, and then something on Charles Jenck and architecture. His garden in Scotland, Cosmic Speculation one is a revelation in green lawns. Do I like it? no is the response. It looks as if he has taken prehistory by the throat, and formed Iron Age forts and round barrows. Philistine that I am, the question springs unbidden to the mind - Why mess with the natural world? - it can create beauty on its own just look at the trees in the background.
Charles Jencke and Christopher Alexander also an architect (American), create buildings, they are both philosophers at heart. The picture is soothing enough, there are traces of the Glastonbury path there as well, symbols of a new pagan cult. But Glastonbury rests on age and that ruined church tower at the top. On a more practical level, fancy mowing those curves. Two thousand years hence will those curves still be as jagged? As an aside Charles Jencke's wife, Maggie, who sadly died of cancer, also wrote a book, but on Chinese Gardens and the symbolic use of how they were created. Expensive to buy unfortunately. But something did come out of her death, these were the Maggie centres.
We are going through a wretched time of austerity, whilst those in office argue interminably about leaving Europe, there are those in the community who live on the edge. Part of the thoughts on Jencke come from an article in the Newstateman, about how as we get older what type of end house and care do we require. Given good health many are fortunate enough to stay in their own homes, but state funded care, comes out at about £600 per week in a care home, £800 per week in a nursing home and probably £2000 a week in hospital.
Someone talks of compulsory extra money taken from everyone to help towards this crisis, but then you look at the other problems - disabled, living homeless on the streets, young children turning feral in bad social conditions - who do you spend the money on?
And who would have thought that Magid Magid, the now ex-mayor of Sheffield has managed to win a green seat in the European elections. Hurrah for the greens! Yes I know it is only for a short time, or maybe not, who knows? But he doesn't half give a kick in the ribs to the question of immigrants and immigration. That sense of humour rubs off on everyone :)
We are going through a wretched time of austerity, whilst those in office argue interminably about leaving Europe, there are those in the community who live on the edge. Part of the thoughts on Jencke come from an article in the Newstateman, about how as we get older what type of end house and care do we require. Given good health many are fortunate enough to stay in their own homes, but state funded care, comes out at about £600 per week in a care home, £800 per week in a nursing home and probably £2000 a week in hospital.
Someone talks of compulsory extra money taken from everyone to help towards this crisis, but then you look at the other problems - disabled, living homeless on the streets, young children turning feral in bad social conditions - who do you spend the money on?
And who would have thought that Magid Magid, the now ex-mayor of Sheffield has managed to win a green seat in the European elections. Hurrah for the greens! Yes I know it is only for a short time, or maybe not, who knows? But he doesn't half give a kick in the ribs to the question of immigrants and immigration. That sense of humour rubs off on everyone :)
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ReplyDeleteSorry, I hit publish too soon. I like some weed flowers in early spring, especially the delicate, small blue flowers that dot the landscape of the farm next door to us. I am not a big fan of dandelions, but I really don’t mind them in the fields or on other people’s lawns.
ReplyDeleteThe lawn/garden created by the architect is certainly interesting.
Dandelions always rule the roost at this time of year here to. Great swathes line the verges. Jencke has indeed created an unique garden (30 acres) but it is only open about 5 hours per year, or so I have read Arleen.
DeleteWhen it comes to the practicalities of life in old age I am afraid that I cover my ears and don blinkers. It's a time bomb ticking away for all of us. My mother lived prudently all of her adult life, scrimping and saving, squirreling money away but in the end most of it disappeared in care home fees. Flamborough cliffs might be more appealing but I guess I would be charged post-humously for the clear up.
ReplyDeleteA bit drastic the cliffs, something medically quieter here ;). Problem is, is that everything has become too expensive. When I was a child, my nanna had a two up, two down terraced house. In the front room lived an old aunt bedridden, loo outside and a cold tap in the kitchen, but they managed, the four of them. Doubt if we could do it today.
ReplyDeleteCosmic Speculation is certainly not to my taste. As to wild flowers - so called - I adore what I call 'Bird's Eye' -I think it may be a Speedwell - it is the most beautiful blue and finds its way into everybody's lawn around here.
ReplyDeleteIt is certainly very pretty speedwell, there is a tiny orangey/pink flowers that also comes out at the same time.
DeleteI don't think I've heard of an 'old age' tax here - not sure it would go down well. We do have similar problems with the distribution of monies though. Each government department would love to have more allocated to them.....there's only so much to go round though so it's a bit like 'rob Peter to pay Paul'. You get some - you lose some'
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't like to be the fella in charge of the mowing of that conical (?comical) shaped lawn!
Cathy
Hi Cathy, taxes are a fraught subject I suppose, as is those who pay a little tax but have a lot of money, and those who have only a little money, distribution and all that.
ReplyDeleteThe councils run the everyday to day financing on such things, but are gradually being squeezed by government of funds, that is part of the problem. Sometimes though I should get off my high horse on things ;)