Fringe benefits

Some of our Support Group had planned a car boot sale in our car park today, choosing a time in the middle of the day when the adjacent car park of the neighbouring hotel would be less full and we could divert extra cars there.

The charge for the tables would go to the garden. Unfortunately, the day, starting dry, turned wet and the event had to be abandoned. A great shame because by early afternoon the sun came out and it stayed mostly dry, but by then everyone had gone home! We'll try it again another time.

So instead of being a Blip of an event, it's turned out as another plant photograph, this time of the very beautiful but rather rampant Silene fimbriata. I thought we'd dug this all out, but this year there's even more of it than before! As well as being rather invasive it also flops just when it's in full flower and to add insult to injury, dies down early leaving a gap in the border. So really its main claim to fame is the beautiful fringed flower.

While walking round the garden Rosie the cat was chased up a tree by a free-roaming dog. We allow dogs in the garden only if kept on a short lead, but unfortunately some dog owners are not very responsible and the newly weeded or planted beds are soon covered with dog prints. Rosie shot some 20 vertical feet up a Japanese cedar and had some difficulty getting down again. She did provide me with an extra picture, however!