WHURARWEE AND HALLIANA

So I am going to start with white and two of R's favourites, the white campanula that seeds itself everywhere and the white rosebay introduced to the wild banking and also spreading but under the ground. Soon it will be her birthday and she will be 21 yet again!!! I suppose this could make me a dirty old man!

I am in cheerful mood as I have yet another 6 month reprieve from Christies in Manchester so roll on the summer. It is wet as it has rained - good for the garden but not for scything - what a shame. More good news is that England are out of the World Football cup and I can enjoy a few bits of the rest of the event without stress.

I am in a not so cheerful a mood as there were three squirrels on the shed roof this morning and one then went into the trap, took out the bait, left and ate it without it going off! And there were rabbits on the lawn. And, despite all my attempts to net the red currants something has got in and scoffed the lot - there is a bird dropping here and there so blackbirds or/and thrushes? Or am I dealing with devious woodmice?

These two images show after scything by the stream (pretty dry and feeble) and the grass on the banking in front of the house - Whurarwee tribe stuff. (Old joke - get their name from being short in stature and living in area of very tall grass so all you can hear is Whurarwee, whurarwee!)

There are some better pics to come but here is one of the oriental poppy bed after assassination. Everything cut back to the bottom - but it will regrow and we might even get some flowers in the autumn. The question is - do I leave it looking like this or bung in something to pretty it up? I have just bought two erigerons at half price from the supermarket but I am not sure this is the right place. I shall have to muse upon the subject.

Let us have some pics of flowers and things - this is the banking bed below and west of the house.

And these are some of the shrub roses in front of the crambe chucking scent in all directions.

Talking of scent, I went to the shed today and wondered what the heavenly pong was by the dustbins. The clematis montana is over so - ?
Then I saw the flowers of Lonicera halliana a yellow honeysuckle with an evocative aroma.
Many years ago when the children were children we used to go to Pembrokeshire on holiday and there is a pottery in Wolfscastle where, in those days, you could throw your own pot. (Mine were such that they definitely got thrown - away.) There was an enormous halliana both outside and inside the building. That scent and the plant has followed us from garden to garden and I had forgotten I had planted one thy the shed. There are a couple of others about the place.

Good news - the rhubarb is reviving.
Bad news - the asparagus is still poorly.
We have decided to give it a stay of execution for now.

The tree sparrows are on their second brood and depositing little messages all over our bedroom windowsill - and they make a din from sunrise on.

Oh! And finally I have had to close the wooden walkway around the pond as I have put my foot through it in a few places - a mite dangereuse - un petit bit.

So I have bought some Wainwright beer in bottles and the thought is tempting - perhaps a bit later - perhaps, perhaps . . . .