For weeks Dave has trudged down to the woods each night and perched somewhere quiet to wait for badgers. He’s heard the occasional grunt, snuffle and scuffle, but no sightings. Tonight Dave, Holly and I sauntered down to look at the bluebells, taking no care at all to be quiet, and there on the path in front of us were three of them. They scurried off, but we stood still and waited and were rewarded with about 6 or 7 seven sightings, two of them no more than 10 feet away.

It was my day off today – so I went plant shopping at a couple of nearby nurseries and wholesalers and came back with trays of baby herb plugs. I’ve been asked for them loads of times so I was pleased to find them. It was good to chat to other local nursery owners – I’ve found them all remarkably open and supportive. There seems to be a kind of nursery owners camaraderie – us against the world of garden-centres-turned-gift-shops. I guarantee I will never sell an inflatable santa.

I think this is the best part of the garden at the moment. It’s just a little corner, but the clematis montana forming an arch and climbing high into the trees looks simply stunning, and the foreground of the ferns, hostas and ilbertia has an unfolding freshness that I like. Note to myself for the future – form is primary, colour is secondary…..

May 8, 2007