Well, I went for my manicure, but the beauty salon was locked up tight. Seems no one had bothered to enter my appointment in the computer. I was quite annoyed, but when I finally got hold of someone, she was so apologetic, I couldn't stay mad. And it meant I got to work in the garden for most of our day of sun.

So much needs doing after all the rain. The shrubs have loved the moisture and have burst beyond their boundaries so I had to cut some back quite hard. Probably the wrong time of year but oh well. I inspected my project at the back to see what further changes I can make. We used to have a gigantic leylandii hedge that was dead at the bottom and was starting to look hideous. Two years ago while I was visiting my family, hubby had it chopped down. No problem. We still had some huge trees -- a pine and a willow. Well, the storm in January nearly uprooted the pine so it had to go and the willow was rotten in the middle so it had to go. Which left a lot of roots and not a lot of privacy. We planted a cherry tree, a magnolia, and a huge rhododendron last year, but it's still quite bare and I can still see the lady at the back in her bathroom. But in the bareness, I can see what I want to do with the border. A couple more trees, possibly birch or rowan. More rhododendrons, some ferns, some Japanese anemones. Just have to get rid of the tree roots and these lily-type things that must be from prehistoric times because they have such huge bulbs.

I also inspected the blackcurrent bushes. They are bursting with fruit and need to picked NOW. But what do I do with all the blackcurrants? In the past I've made jam (quite runny but good) and cassis, but I never drink enough cassis. Does anyone have any ideas? My lettuce is also loving the rain and cool weather, but other vegetables aren't looking so good, like the courgettes (zucchini). The tomatoes and cucumbers in the greenhouse are progressing slowly.

I love being in the sun and tending to my garden. I could spend the entire day doing it but can't. And I must watch it because I did my back in a couple of weeks ago trying to dig out the lily-type things.

And isn't it a good thing I didn't have the manicure, which no doubt would have been ruined by all the work in the garden? Sometimes things work out for the best.