COMETH THE TIME

Cometh the man they say but where is he?
So much to be done.

It is my birthday (Saturday) and what did I do?
Not in any particular order.
Bit of shopping.
Mowed the lawns.
Bit of scything.
Got invited to a Silver Wedding Party.
Met NC in the Co-op.
Had a wonderful rendition of Happy Birthday on the answerphone from I A J and W.
Accepted emails, Facebook messages, texts, phone calls etc.
And then spent most of the day aged 68. (I was born at 10.30 pm.)(So I was told.)(Memory going so do not quite remember.)
Got lots lovely books and a DVD.
Caught a squirrel.


Now to blog on -

The big sycamore (our notable tree) is already preparing to scatter seed far and wide and everywhere. They hang in clumps from every twig.

The rose bed is getting going magnificently and as each bush is scented the perfume fills evening air.

As I sit here and look out the window we have a juvenile greater spotted woodpecker on a feeder vying with a cock bullfinch and a male pheasant heading into the alchemilla.
He is so skittish.
We have nesting birds in the privet, the beech hedge and, I think, a shrub on the banking.

One class of plants that is in full flow at the moment is the geraniums - not the red pelargoniums but the hardy perennials.

Two plants that clash rather are the dark iris and yellow day lily. One or both will need moving.

We have three types of comfrey in the garden - a small blue one given to us by S, the common one and this one with blue flowers and variegated leaves. All of them seem to self sow and need to be kept in check as they can get out of hand.

I have not made any comfrey fertiliser this year - steep the plants in water to produce and evil smelling concoction - and after diluting with water use as plant food.

Speaking of fertiliser here is some unwelcome natural stuff on the lawn - rabbit!

And whither the weather - whatever is today is different tomorrow - it is raining steadily outside, soft soaking rain bending the grass over with the weight of water. Scything will be difficult with the flattened blades pressed to the ground. Yesterday was sun, tomorrow is forecast to be dry and Tuesday to be HOT! Hot is not a word that springs to mind here very often.

And finally a pic of the pond now well endowed with its water lilies.