Yesterday and today the air has been intoxicating with apple blossom richer than any I can remember, even on an ancient tree (left over from a former cider orchard) that we thought had died. In a few days every plant, grand or humble, has thrown itself into manic Spring growth. Our so-called lawns have, for various reasons, not been mown at all yet. Every day this continues will make the cut harder but what a joy to see the waving grasses dotted with Ladies’ Smock and many other natural delights.

We have decided never to leave our domain during May if we can possibly help it. Pure magic.

The top stone here, as a found sculpture, has sat in the middle of a herb garden for many years. One morning I found that it had been knocked over and, falling on another stone presumably, had broken. Deer are to be suspected, I reckon.

I used some metal spacing material from the printing office to turn it into a different sort of a sculpture. So far the deer seem to have stayed away!

I am planting some grass here, in front of last year’s box hedge of which I am inordinately proud. The little lion head feet under this pot (and three more for another pot) were the only purchase we made in Florence. Fine enough but it did mean that we had to go out and buy a couple of pots. It was then clear that, if the pots were on the ground, they would be quickly hidden by grass and so on. So . . . out we went to get round stones for the pots to sit on. Now it only remains to decide what to plant in them!