Damson Days and Straw Strimming.

We must have harvested about two thirds of our damson crop.

As it`s a miserable wet day, I will be making the next batch of jam, if I can find enough jars.

We`ve probably had about 15lbs so far.

A brilliant crop.

We have also dug some more potatoes....very odd shapes.

 After the rain the newly planted lettuce are looking good.

Lots of butterflies around still.

They are loving the marjoram and buddleia.

I love the colour combination of rudbeckia and marjoram.

The nicotiania sylvestris is towering over the surrounding plants and smells sweet.

In the herb garden, which I cleared recently, the growth is all new and the angelica needs thinning out.

The sweetpeas continue to perfume the garden.

I carry on deadheading but do not use them as cut flowers any more.

Apart from cutting the grass under the orchard trees, we used the strimmer to dessicate straw with a view to using this finer material for our next cobbing efforts.

A lot landed on the surrounding area.

Last week Anne, Steve and I dug some clay from the Woodland yurt area and we hope to make a plaster layer for the cob shed, starting this week.

Another project is to use the willow arch trimmings to continue our new bit of wattle fencing.

One idea I had yesterday was to fashion viewing windows in the construction.

Watch this space!!!

Pumpkins are ripening far sooner than is usual.

And this lovely flower is called erodium.

I must try to remember the name.