ASTRANTIA

I often miss these flowering because they are so delicate compared to the rest of the herbaceous border. I went looking for them today, knowing they ought to be in bloom about now. My lovely oldest brother, who died five years ago, gave me them. Every time they flower they are a happy reminder of him and his over bounding enthusiasms and generosity to his baby sister.

Minimal gardening going on because of the rain. I pricked out biennials in the shelter of the greenhouse and later, when the rain stopped, harvested the garlic. I have lost about a quarter the crop to something - thought at first it was onion fly, but no sign of maggots so now wondering about white mould or white rot. This is the first time it has happened, but as I have grown garlic with great success for the last 5 or 6 years, I am not too disappointed. Maybe I don't grow it next year to clear the ground.

Baked the Professor's birthday cake this morning. Very Small Person is coming tomorrow to help ice it before the rest of the family arrive. I asked him what sort of cake we should have for Grandad. After a few moment of delicately steering him away from Sponge Bob Square Pants, he announced it should be a rainbow made out of Smarties. Now for the mathematical challenge:
x = number of Smarties in a tube
y = the Professor's age
We therefore need to buy his many tubes of Smarties: y/x + z
z being the number of Smarties that Very Small Person and I will eat in the process.

THREE GOOD THINGS:
A quiet day - haven't had one of those for a while
The rain has stopped
The blackcurrants are ready to harvest - just waiting on them drying out.