Gravel

New gravel is down and herbaceous border in its first year.

The Countess

La Comtesse de Bouchard flowered today.

Jackdaws

The first thing I did on returning home from hospital was to walk around the garden. My arrival was met by screams from the rooftop where two agitated jackdaws were positioned. They were not screams of joy. Their fledglings were sitting along the trunk of the wisteria, in the middle of a flying lesson. As I walked past, the young birds jumped down from the trunk and hopped across the lawn to the magnolia, their parents shrieking as I giggled.

Perfection of the day

Whilst many local roses are past their first flush, this is the only flower on the thirty bare rooted rosebushes which we planted in March. It's a shame I can't send you a whiff of its heavenly scent.

Pet service

No stick insects were at the pet service at our local church this year and, unusually we were informed, humans outnumbered animals. Three ponies waiting to be blessed chewed the odd blade of grass, heads being yanked forward whenever a graveside rose caught their attention. Numerous labradors eyed each other gleefully, each willing the other to cause a rumpus. None succeeded. They missed the hilarity of 2011 when one of their companions, since departed, bit the vicar to avoid his blessing.