Back yard blues

Saltaire Festival 2019
It sometimes shocks me to realise that I've lived in Saltaire for 20 years this year, longer than I've stayed anywhere else. I love it and one of the things I love most is the sense of community, how I have a social network fostered simply through bumping into people in the street, or at events in which we have a shared interest, or even through being 'friends of friends'. One such acquaintance is Viv. I wouldn't exactly say we're close friends, as we've never been to each other's houses (in fact, I didn't even know where she lived until recently) but we've stopped and chatted at various times over the years and I'm always pleased to see her. We met a week or two ago in the village and had an amicable chat. She mentioned then that she was opening her garden as part of this year's Festival and invited me to visit, so of course I did. It was only when I arrived at her house that I realised I'd taken a photo of it before - HERE.  She's clearly a lover of blue and white. Her pretty, walled back yard had a selection of blue glassware, blue and white pottery and fabrics, as well as some lovely plants and a fine selection of succulents, nurtured by her partner.

I've never really paid much attention to succulents until recently. I was interested in the amazing display they have a Cliffe Castle (HERE), and then noticed the variety of plants in the alpine house at RHS Harlow Carr. I've even planted up a small stone trough with some this year. The leaf forms are fascinating: whorls, crinkles, spikes and layers. It's magic too when they suddenly throw up a flower, intricate and vibrantly coloured. I think I'm rapidly becoming a succulent fan.