Day of the Triffids

Alien-looking buds are emerging from the tips of the stems on our tree peony. There are two tree peonies in the garden. This one is enormous, well over two metres high and just as wide. I don't think it has ever been pruned. Last year it had very few flowers so, just like yesterday's Chaenomeles, I gave it a really hard cut in the autumn and I'm hoping it will produce some nice yellow flowers in a few weeks time. We've made a lot of progress today: the new soft fruit plants (raspberry, redcurrant and loganberry) are all in the ground and the fruit cage has been erected. I just need to get the netting on tomorrow.