The end of an era

Well I've been sitting out in the sun all day, roasting, relaxing and reading. Actually that's not true - that's what I'd like to have done! It's been wet and windy some of the time, damp and breezing some of the time and bright and sunny, rather briefly, in between!

At least I finished one of my recent London days - pictures sorted, wanderings written up and special places described. Now for the next one. Then I realised that I didn't do my two spring visits - how could I have forgotten! A job for another week!

After lunch while the rain was off I drove down to the Walled Garden to see if my veggies were doing anything. The answer - No! I don't understand - I've always had great crops! The runner beans are hopeless - one plant has reached the top pf the canes, some are still only a foot high! One or two flowers beginning to show. The place is looking quite abandoned, as today's Blip shows.

I picked a few peas off the one plant that had any - enough for a couple of dessert spoons full! The other 40 odd plants are dead. Of the many dozens of chitted potatoes that I planted I could only see three, about 9" high - the rest have disappeared!  The worst season ever - something odd going on!

Popped into Poppies Garden Centre and bought an Argyranthemum frutescens - a white marguerite - which I'll plant in my newly acquired fake terracotta chimney pot. It almost looks real from a distance!

Quote of the Day: 'Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative' - Oscar Wilde.

(Sorry Oscar - I'm guilty as charged!)