Gardening again!

The good old stellata is flowering fit to bust, so it’s time to get the cornus hacked down.  Ben massacred the one at the back when he was here last week, and if we get some decent weather, I’ll get cracking on the ones at the front, now that the magnolia is providing some interest out there.  I’m slowly working my way round the roses, most of which are shooting strongly.

I dealt with the hydrangea earlier, and tackled a few more roses.  With a more modest plan in mind, I went out this afternoon to dead-head a couple of daffodils, and came back with a bucketful of cistus, sage and rose prunings.  I think we’re getting our money’s worth out of the garden waste collection, and the compost the council makes from it will help the town to stay in flower.

A bit of fresh air and exercise helps to take one’s mind off the aches and pains, not to mention the dire state of world affairs.  Our German conversation group met this morning, and read and discussed a piece about prejudices.  We managed to avoid spending too much time and emotional energy on Trump and his lickspittles, but he is a black cloud over us all the time these days.  But it’s a comfort to be able to spend time with such a thoughtful group of people - even if the discussion of prejudices flushed out quite a few!

That’s one of the u3a groups I belong to.  Our computer group met last week and swapped some good tips round the table as always, before retiring to the Constitution Club for a nice buffet lunch (postponed from Christmas, when the town was virtually without a water supply). I’ve also joined a new scrabble group, and at my first attendance won one game and came second in the other.  I’m going to have to work at it: they’re a smart bunch.