It’s strange to see an area that was overcome with grass and trees, cleared. It was spiky and painful in bits and mad crazy privet and ivy was hidden too! Eldest daughter was leaving it to nature but too many areas have been taken over for it to continue like that so I’ve pulled out lots and I’m going to refill it after taking and snipping. Cowslips sound very pretty and bucolic, even naming a nearby Letchworth street, but they are weeds if you don’t want them. All over the garden…

Car washing is happening as I eat lunch. I’ve got to find my thornproof gloves but I’ve put them down somewhere to dry… maybe I’ll find them when my hands are too pricked to continue gardening? I hope not and maybe by writing it down I’ll find them! My prediction of a wet Halfterm didn’t come to pass, except for Friday when we got soaked canvassing a Hertfordshire Main Street as a Marshall. But that’s a story for another day.

And those gloves were found! I have really sore fingers and my nail varnish needs removing. I have always been a nail biter but have recently grown actual nails. But varnish and gardening doesn’t compute – so messy I need to remove it. And just then I stuck the secateurs into the fleshy part of my thumb. Luckily not my dominant hand but it involved cold water, pressure and antiseptic (those secateurs were the lost and found ones in rat territory) but smaller daughter helped to plant some more of my plant purchases. So we have a pretty cleared bed and a little trough with sunflowers and chili. We had talked about cooking some rhubarb tomorrow (but we’re going to see grandma) so I have convinced her to make rhubarb pudding to take with us! Result!