GARDENING BY THE MOON? ELEPHANTS IN THE GARDEN

This is the full moon, a good time for planting root crops, perennials, bulbs and transplanting. And do I believe in this - I am not sure but the hint of Astrology does make me uncomfortable. As a man of science, somewhat, it does smack a bit of hocus locus.

The seasons are, of course, relevant but gardening by an orbiting satellite? - in 2003 Which Gardening magazine investigated this and found no scientific evidence to support the claims made.

To move on - the roses are coming again in all their glory - here is a heady Emma Hamilton.

and two others.

 The door is open and R is working in her shed down by the pond.

She is not the only thing down there - the grey heron is back and looking for a bite to eat (or rather a swallow).

The pond is looking good at the moment - especially after the heavy rain of the last two days. However there is some bubbling algae at the margins - not so attractive. I am sure this is a good home to many creatures but it is a bit manky.

I have mown a rough track down the banking to give some idea of the route the steps might take from the house. Since I began keeping the grass there a little more under control the main weed is the ribwort plantain.

And then it is Monday and the stream is across the lawn, the pond overflowing and we are back to soaking weather. It has rained all night so we need a dry day or ten. My mower crossing is washed away, branches block the road to Pennington, the golf course is shut and the village is a waterfall. S is away with his family in Corfu - 34C - he is missing all the fun!

The rain is stopped and we have one sunny warm day so I weed, avoid the wasps picking plums and collect first windfall apples. R murders the buddleia outside the kitchen window - well amputates its limbs - but it will survive. (I hope.)

And after the rain the bird feeders are full of gooey peanuts - so a scrape out, was, dry and restock.

And then there are  microbeads of plastic - in fact there seems to be plastic in everything and everything is in plastic - is this the cause of "modern diseases" like dementia, cancers etc?

Out with the small mower - grass still to sodden to use sit on mower. I had to remove many stones from the grass so the blades would not get ruined. R dead heading.

C coming to stay - hooray!

I pray for a few dry days to get the garden back on track.

And then as I come out of the back door this, on the left, is crawling on the tarmac, heading from its feed plant rosebay willow herb to ? forming a chrysalis. It is an elephant hawkmoth. It turns into the pink beauty on the right.