BANKING

Nothing to do with aeroplanes so will not interest Ni.!

With the growth of the plants, especially the grey foliage ones that survived last winter, the dry banking bed in front of the house is becoming more mature.

The soil tends to wash down onto the path - you can see the resulting moss - so it does not get much of a fork over - more a weed and some really old horse muck. (Which reminds me not to put muck on the grasses - they like the soil poor like many wild plants).

I have to admit to a bit of weedkiller to the path.

I have just removed many of the stakes placed to support young trees - several were rubbing despite fancy ties and the garden looks much better without them.

Back to the banking - Lamb's Lugs and lavender, sage and senecio (except they now call it brach - something or other now), pittosporum and and nasturtiums (some going gooey with the frost), and red berries on the contoneaster.

This is the flat one -horizontalis - which was given to us when we moved in and is getting too big - needs moving but as the berries are so bright will get a reprieve - for now. We have the other one on the grass bank.

The variegated plant on the left is mint and perfectly usable though I prefer the softer apple mint.

Before it is too late I have harvested the mint and, after chopping it, rammed it into an old Hellman's mayonnaise jar, then topped this up with vinegar.

TIP - if you like mint sauce sweet then add 1/3 raspberry vinegar to wine vinegar for the preservative - you can do this for other pickles, especially beetroot.

Nao. could this be a sales ploy?