A STRATAGEM, A DISEASE

Now back from Scotland and still 
remembering the sheer scale of the redwoods in Drumlanrig Castle gardens, the strangeness of the formations at the Crawick Multiverse including these rocks from the bed of the river Nith - from the Permian period - a bit before my time I think.

Sunday and I change the sunflower seed feeder to try and reduce the seed on the ground underneath - the great tits are the worst casting aside one after another until it gets the one it likes best. So I wire a plastic plant dish underneath - an old one with a hole in so it will drain - and the bullfinches come back!
Unfortunately the grey squirrel returns also.
I move the feeder until it hangs from a wire but this does not deter the tree rat.
Time for a squirrel trap baited with peanuts.
First arrival a jay which does not set the trap off - then the tree rat and voila!
  Now we wait to see if there are more greys around - there are - I am at my desk watching two cavorting in the old ash tree outside my window.
  Out to Langholm Mill at Lowick and the garden open under the National Gardens Scheme for charities. A stream lined with azaleas and rhododendrons. It was created by Dr Walter Gill who succeeded my father as GP in Penny Bridge. (Many years ago).
  Home, plug in charger cable to car. Fall over cable and land on right shoulder. No break but it is seizing up already - ten minutes later. The older I get the more adept I have become at falling.😕  
 Monday to Abi and Tom's at Halecat, Witherslack, and bought 4 perennial plants for new bed - a garden centre well worth visiting.
  Back home the garden is looking not bad. 

The asparagus is almost over and the May blossom is starting to recede. The trees turning one green instead of all shades. 

The weeping silver pear I assassinated - raising its canopy, is looking a bit sad - but will recover. And it rains a lot, I grasp handsful (or is it handfuls?) (probably) of goosegrass and bindweed from the big scabious, cut the very last of the asparagus, watch yet more grey squirrels arrive on the feeders, expand the list of must dos and plod on, shoulder a nuisance.

Quick stroll around the garden and find we have been attacked by pocket plum disease - all the damsons are affected, about 70% of the fruit - distorted, no stone in the middle - struck down by Taphrina pruni, and they say it will always affect our trees. 😧
Advice uselesss - like removing and burning all affected fruit - up a twenty foot tree (and we have eight trees)(and I have a dodgy shoulder)(and I would probably fall out of the tree).

Sigh!!