IT CAN GET WILDER

But slowly.

Go away for a while - and the grass is a bit longer, some new weeds grow, some flowers go over but the wild garden is unchanged in such a short time.

I have extracted the watercress from the top settling pond - built in a vain hope that the silt and mud washed down the stream would stay there and leave the bottom and larger pond unclogged. The last of the candelabra primulas have been dead-headed and the seed sown - best when fresh. I would like the whole hedge ditch full of them (sort of Harlow Carrish).

The land between our track and the field fence belongs to a local Town Trust and is rented to a local farmer. Though the lambs escape earlier in the year and dine on the grass, later a lot of it is taken over by thistles and nettles - but not all. One banking by an elder tree is covered in yarrow and harebells. I have been out with the sickle cutting down the nettles and thistles - but too late as usual - seed is set.

The House Martins are still returning to the nest for the night. This is above one of our bedroom windows and in the early morning, cup of tea in hand, I can sit in bed and watch them flying in and out. Yesterday I filled in their details for the BTO survey. Up to now they have always nested at a nearby house but last year they painted their walls and woodwork destroying the old nests. So a search was made for alternative accommodation and we were chosen.

On the path to the Wendy House we have an old log pile - this has been unused and is now some 7 years old - a wonderful habitat.

If the paper says once more that the heat wave will be soon over I shall scream. What heat wave. True we have had a little less rain and it has been warmer but heat wave?!

Even the pheasant has been bedraggled and birds have had to shelter where they can.

Now I am planning winter jobs - not just muck and digging but more the paths will need rechipping (is that a word?), some repairs will be needed to walkways and the stream needs revising. I will also have to think about drainage. (I would not have to if it had not rained so much this year.)

Plans are afoot for transplanting crocosmia thinnings onto wild bankings to keep grass down and for variety. When I dig up overgrown perennials I cannot just throw away the unwanted material - it goes somewhere - or other - a remote overgrown corner where suddenly the grass is topped by japenese anemones or sidalcea.

The sky, so blue this morning, is darkening again.