AND HEAVEN IN A FLOWER

Well, yes, I know, sorry Blake, "Heaven in a WILD flower." So below are a lot of garden flowers. The red currants are netted but when I go down there is a clatter of blackbirds. I pick some and all the time they are scolding me from the damson tree.

But first the bad news - these have appeared on our lovely lilium regale and I hope I have caught them before they lay their eggs. The larvae have the delightful habit of covering themselves in their excrement to deter predators. Now there is an idea, better let the SAS know? Them I look and have to rub off the gooey black larvae!

Flowers outside become flowers inside, especially roses and peonies.

Speaking, well writing, of roses here are few of the roses now filling the garden with scent.

And other flowers, cosmos purity and philadelphus belle etoile.

The senecio as was, now brachyglottis are coming into flower. There is something about the grey foliage and the yellow daisy like flowers that I like.

Lambs' lugs, Stachys Byzantina silver carpet is another plant where the colours compliment one another - purplish-pink and grey add to which is the soft downy feel of the leaves. It divides easily and spreads slowly.

The pots by the door are overflowing with violas, petunias and euphorbia and will do so as long as I remember to feed and water them.

And I have just put three, yes three! sweet peas in a vase in the kitchen. 

Been to the supermarket and bought two osteospermums to fill a gap in the bed at the back of the house then lopped two lower branches off the grey poplar as they were encroaching on the weeping silver pear.

The geraniums in the garden are so valuable - flower for so long with little care. 

However this one has goosegrass (cleavers) growing through it and it is surprisingly difficult to pick the weeds out from the rest of the growth.

Finally - this is the maple that Sue gave us and we can remember her by, growing at the back of the rotting tree trunk that was made into a seat and above self sown foxgloves, a wild flower surely welcome in all gardens?