Return of the Sun.

The sun made a welcome reappearance today which together with a brisk wind made it a good drying day. It was one of those days when it was lovely and warm in the sun but the minute the sun went behind a cloud it was somewhat on the chilly side. By late afternoon when I got around to taking photos the sun had gone for good.

Today I concentrated on the front paved area, sweeping up all the leaves and fallen rose petals as well as picking them off the raised bed. Then I turned to the other side of the porch and did a major trim of the winter flowering jasmine. It had been covering half the window and at the front it provided the snails with easy access to the hanging baskets. When I tied up the fennel that was flopping out of the cane tripod the air was filled with its strong anise scent. I cut down all the aquilegia flower stalks and before dumping them I shook them over the wild bit of ground on the other side of the stream. Who doesn't like aquilegias in a country garden?

Peter did all the mowing, something I'm relieved not to have to do any more. I was happily sniping the dead snow-in-summer flower stalks when I remembered I still had to do the ironing. Determined to get that job done I went from carefully snipping a few stalks at a time to wholesale chopping and not worrying too much about cutting the leafy stems. I've found that it doesn't grow much after flowering so I wasn't too wild with the trimming.