Peony "Rose"

This is the only other peony in the garden that is going to flower this year. We planted it last year, and it has some way to go before it reaches "profusion" levels. This year just two flowers, and four stalks. Hopefully double that again next year. There are two other peonies in the back garden and we have hopes for them next year. It's a long game that you have to play.

I managed to take a few photographs of the garden in early morning sunshine, and I also did a bit of tidying up here and there. That was the best of the day. It was grey by 10 and then cold and raining in the afternoon. I've had to change our duvet back to one that is warmer. We were both cold last night and had to put blankets on top of the duvet. What a ridiculous year it is turning out to be.

I read more articles today, which was fun, and there weren't any bad pieces of news dropping into the inbox. I also managed a short peloton ride, but I must confess I've not been outside the premises, unless going on the road in order to sort out the brown bin and do some weeding of the top bit of the front garden counts.

I enjoyed listening, over the last two nights, to the episode of Private Passions featuring Olivia Laing, including her recently published book about gardens. While our front garden is not a classically "walled garden", it none the less has walls and these provide some of the pleasing aspects of the experience of being in the garden and observing it through the front window. I think I would like to read that book at some point. I'll put it on the list.