Project 365 day 204: Rose Revealed

I've been watching for a while as this simple and lovely white rose has produced occasional flowers, which have soon fallen. I can see it from beside the outside door into the utility room, when I'm filling the watering can at the outside tap, but it faces in the wrong direction for photographs. I didn't know it was there until this year, though it must have been planted by previous owners; some overgrown shrubs were cut back and removed a couple of years ago for a small extension to create our utility room and large pantry, and in the winter P cut back the lycestria outside the dining room windows, which is very attractive but had grown so large that it was obscuring most of our view. I can see the white rose from the window, if I stand close and look sideways, but I wanted to photograph it, so after lunch I decided it was time for some very overdue cutting back and nettle removal to open a path to the outside of the window. Who knows, this might even lead to some bonus window cleaning! The extra shows what I removed to make this photo possible - additional evidence of the value of blipping. Some of the nettles were taller than me. My greatest regret about our garden is that the time and effort we have put into creating and cultivating the vegetable and fruit garden since we moved where nearly eight years ago has left little opportunity to tend and develop what were once flower borders and beds. They were already in serious need of attention when we acquired them, and are now badly overgrown. It's a two acre plot, most of which was long grass when we moved in, and we simply don't have enough hours to look after it all as it deserves. However, even in its semi-wild state it's a beautiful place to live in a wonderful location and we live in constant hope that we will manage to do more and improve things further.

Today has been a little less hot, and J has had her PA supporting her for some of the day, so I've been more productive - a few more of the about to run to seed lettuces are cleaned, chopped and in the freezer for future soups, a big bowl of currants and raspberries are on the way to being summer pudding filling, I picked tomatoes and chives for lunchtime salad, and stripped a blackcurrant bush - three more to go. I also managed to sit in the garden with coffee and poetry for a while, though I was rather distracted by the cat trying to lick out my empty coffee cup - after testing the rim, he went for the full paw to the bottom, wipe and suck, making me wonder how he would respond to caffeine. P made ajo blanco for lunch, a new (to us) alternative to gazpacho  made with ground almonds, cucumber, garlic and breadcrumbs, all blended with lots of ice. It was delicious, and will definitely be repeated. He tells me it's a Moorish recipe, pre-dating the arrival of tomatoes and peppers in Spain from the Americas which heralded the better known gazpacho. A positive day, concluding with Friday evening white wine and a bit more catching up with Sewing Bee on iPlayer - I will find out who won eventually, but really I just like seeing what they make.