BEAUTY AND THE BLIGHT

So, straight in with poppies, papery petals, fantastic colours and they sow themselves whither they wish. Just as the main roses go over out they come and lift the soul.

R and I dead-headed, weeded, cut back and tidied yesterday. The seed heads of the aquilegias (now ripening) were dispatched to the lower banking where, we hope, they will spread. Geraniums got cut back to the ground so we can have a second flowering later in the year. I picked another 3 pounds of black currants and popped them in the freezer. The raspberries are a feeble disaster so when they are over, out they come and onto the bonfire. I will have to dig a new bed and plant new stock, as virus free as possible. How can one exist without home made raspberry jam?

This white mallow is known in the family as H's flower - H being my younger sister - she gave it to us in both white and pink and this (a mallow) also seeds itself freely. It is such a pure white and has delicate foliage.

A parcel arrived today - 3 Clematis montana I had forgot I ordered - so now I will have to think of where to put them.

It is still sticky and hot so I have spent half a day watering - we have our bore hole so no trouble with wasting water - anyway this is not wasting it - is it?

Disease is ever rearing its head - greenfly on the red currants I can take, but one of the wisterias looks decidedly sickly and I suspect one of the tomato plants may have the dreaded blight!

Having said that the courgettes are loving the hot weather and romping ahead as are the broad beans. The latter got to six feet high before the first signs of blackfly at the growing tips and the necessity to pinch out the top growth.

The horse manure heap has become overgrown with weeds and I began to clear them before they set seed, and then realised what a Herculean task it would be. (And it would make a good site for a new raspberry bed.) So I bowed to poison and rounded it all up. I am now waiting for the weed killer to work. If I had a posse of gardeners to help and unlimited resources then I could have done it the other way.

I have put in this image of an Astantia (Masterwort) to show how beautiful flowers can be if you look at them closely.

The last image shows massed flowers and foliage giving soft shades on the bank immediately below the house.

Now, as I sit here typing, the Duchess of Cambridge is pushing out a new heir to the English throne, poor lass. All are speculating over sex (nothing new there) and names.
She is, we think, overdue and a Caesarian section is not out of the question. (I prefer the old diphthong in Caesarian to without (Cesarian)). What would life be without diphthongs?

In this time of supposed sexual equality, (do not go to northern Pakistan!), perhaps a boy should be Prince Elizabeth or Prince Carole and a girl Princess Philip or Princess Michael - hang on - that has been done before!
From William's father you could get Prince Charlene!

Enough, whilst she pushes out I will push off.