Pip's gift of a banana plant

Looking out of the window whilst drinking tea in bed I could see the rain falling gently under dull grey clouds. Bomble joined us after his breakfast for a cuddle having spent the night in another bedroom thankfully. He has been rather annoying since we have returned with his demands for food and Woodpeckers says he has to be trained.

She didn't feel well this morning, although she did put in a request for an almond croissant from Waitrose, so I went there soon after it opened which at least got me out of the house. Sadly there were no almond croissants left for sale, so we had to make do with warmed chocolate croissants to go with strong coffee and The Observer. I listened to cricket at the same time, then browsed blip journals before slipping back into slumbers. The rain was still falling.

I got up to make scrambled eggs, fried carrots, courgettes and small squash in garlic, all to accompany a small salad (the squash, courgettes and lettuce all came from the garden!). Feeling replete I took my camera to the garden to try to catch some bees feeding on the array of flowers outside the dining room, in the drizzle. I didn't get too very good results and ended up dead heading all the nasturtiums and morning glory flowers, as well as clearing the rash of snails and a few slugs that seemed to have invaded while we went away.

I then heard some strange bird noises from the end of the garden and went to investigate. I saw a large head with a long beak high in the old ash tree but couldn't get a clear view through the foliage to identify it. So I walked around the house and down the path to stand on the steep hillside below the rear garden. I must have been spotted as the bird had disappeared but I enjoyed standing quietly in the scrub looking at all the wild vegetation and the tracks on the ground.

On my return I picked some more courgettes, filmed Bomble standing guard on the raised beds and then looked down into the top of the banana plant that Pip gave to me when he came a few weeks ago to help with the garden. I religiously pour water down the the top of these unfurling leaves as he has instructed me to. I haven't planted it into the garden yet, but will do so soon, I have delayed doing so, as the weather was so hot and dry before. But now I think the transplanted cutting is doing well and will be happy to be moved permanently. It even has an extra plant which has sprung up from a separate part of its root system. I have grown banana plants before, but only in pots. This one was grown in Bristol and having admired its parent for many years, Pip surprised me with a cutting. I am delighted it is doing so well.