Refreshed

It's been raining this morning, and all the greenery in the garden is soaking wet. But the garden looks nicely refreshed, and the garden visit is getting closer. Am trying to make things look - nice? cared for? interesting? all of the above? - for my visitors.

 by the water race.
Lupins Flowering

Right. Am off to take photographs of the garden. Back soon, probably with wet feet. The pictorial recording of the garden's beauty goes on regardless.

Later...

Aargh! Back with wet feet, dozens of rose photographs, and a sinking heart. There are aphids. And soooooooo much Alkanet to remove. The things I do for my bees!

 Started off with 7. Hmm...
One Allium

Oops...

Made the mistake of checking out the Herb Spiral. Oops. Oh dear. Not a good look, a huge contrast to the beautiful Clematis and Crepuscule rose above. And one solitary Allium in the perennials garden. Just one! Hopeless. Lots of pretty blue Aquilegias, though. Be thankful for what I've got?

Am going to change into my shorts and sort this all out. Don't care how wet I get. A Herb Spiral is the sort of feature that the visitors will probably notice, and want to look closely at - eek!

Three hours later...

Ha! The spiral gardens are weeded. I've collected two barrowfuls of mess and just dumped them under the hedge. I crawled around digging out all the rogue chives and dandelions in the path. I resisted the idea of using a weed killer - the spiral path is spiritual. I planted some Calendulas and Marigolds in the garden gaps. I am a legend.

 What a pretty pair!
Crepuscule and Clematis

Next morning...

Speckled cat visited overnight, did his cat-talking, ate his food, and left. I'm in a bit of a dither - should I be feeding him, or throwing buckets of water at him? I love his pretty round face, and the fact that he talks to me. Sentimental old me! But he's definitely not tame. And if he's a genuine feral stray he won't be de-sexed. He could be a female? Able to have kittens? Eek!