Which, to some readers may seem a little odd.
Actually, it feels a little odd to me as we have had cool, showery days, which is not our usual weather for the season.
No complaints, though! The herbs have kept on keeping on, David Austin’s “Abraham Darby” has rewarded me with over 12 blooms, the best so far.
Over the past few weeks I’ve been tidying and training trying to train a runaway Trachelospermum jasminoides to grow up to the verandah wires, instead of flinging itself into the clutches of the gingers and taking an orchid with it. Eventually, I saw sense and gave up trying to untwist its wiry stems.Out with the secateurs and damn the consequences! Two nights of rain and some warm sunshine and it was off, like a race horse on oats. And one flower already! (Though this picture is a wee bit of a cheat as it’s on a plant up by the back fence.) Everybody, clap your hands and shout “Hoorah!” for this little sweetheart.Why? The nasty basta neighbour over the fence doesn’t like it on the fence.In fact, he doesn’t seem to like anything in my garden! 
I think I may have mentioned that the &*&%#@***ing Eupanacra caterpillars had chomped ALL the leaves off ALL my Spathyphyllums? I have, over the years, mastered the “Gallic Shrug” as, I think , do all good gardeners. We suffer some predation and enjoy the resulting butterflies.Still, it’s disappointing when one loses an entire flowering season! But, ta-daa! The rains and not-so-cold temperatures helped and now I have blooms on 3 white and one purple.
Pigeon peas. Being leguminous they are wonderful for fixing nitrogen. And their flowers are lovely, too. Beautiful dark shiny red buds…
…opening to a rich, golden yellow..
Petunias are a fantastic filler in blank spots. So many gardeners regard them (and other bedders) as too “municipal-type” plants.I can understand that, but I can also see beyond the the regimented colour bands. When I see broad swathes of red, white and purple petunias I feel as if I’ll be shot if I don’t sing someone’s national anthem! Feel free to wander around my garden, with all sorts of bits and pieces. You don’t have to salute here. 
Oops! Did I say “tropical” and then post petunias? My bad…Okay, here’s something that is a tropical plant. A dwarf Heliconia. Sorry, if it had a varietal name, the label’s long gone.But I think it’s Jamaican Dwarf. The bright blue seeds are what draw my eye.
A few months ago, a friend dug up some Canna roots for me. I’ve long admired the brilliant red cannas in her garden. Well, the other day, the first flower bud opened. And there will be more! 
Thank you, Ali.
Other than grubbing out weeds that do not provide much in the way of sustenance for beneficial bugs, I have been busy elsewhere. But I’ll pop in again with, I hope, something entertaining.
What sort of elsewhere busy-ness, you ask? Well, still hammering the writer’s keys , but also reading. I seem to be on a fantasy kick…ask Uncle Google about David Mitchell.
Now…my glass is neither half full nor half empty.I shall rectify that!
