GOINGS AND COMINGS

Let me begin with a flop - or not - sugar solution put out to attract butterflies and here come the black ants!

One planting companionship that works is alachemilla and nepeta (catmint). This border is at a garden in Scotland but at home the alchemilla can seed itself and flop over edges to soften the straight lines.

White is suddenly coming to the fore again whether the thyme (or Doc's hat), elderflowers, white rosebay willow-herb or our two Rambling Rector roses of which below is one.

Mind you, not all is a roaring success. You go away to Scotland for a couple of days and the chard explodes. I think the term is run to seed? R and I have been weeding, deadheading and tidying up today. The aquilegias are almost over so they are being cut back, we are still pulling out goosegrass by the handful and there is still a long way to go. Whilst we were gone S the gardener strimmed the streamside not that there is any water in it. We have had one day with some rain but that is gone and none is forecast for the next two weeks. He has also moved the old compost and begun the removal of the old compost heaps which clever old me made out of willow. So they rooted and do not want to go.

When in Scotland we visited three gardens - the National Trust one at Threave, the almost lost gardens at Arbigland and Elizabeth Macgregor's wonderful walled garden in Kirkcudbright. Her white wisteria was in full flower.

The candelabra primulas at Threave were stunning.

We have a few by our pond and the primula veris plus the usual self sown mimulus guttatus (monkey flower.)

Roses out, peonies about to flower, jungle to clear, grass to cut - I think I shall go away again. Oh! to garden in a window box? A bit small to sit out in though.