This year, the pond mostly looked like this –

a bit flowery, but mostly overgrown, and frankly out of control. So last week we spent a whole morning clearing, dividing and repotting. And now it looks like this –

The inhabitants were very surprised.

There was a bit of an autumn clean-up going on in other places. It’s one of my principles not to be too tidy – yes, folks, the nettles, tansy, alkanet and teasels are there FOR A REASON, dammit – but if I wanted to put in some crocuses under the witch hazel or to see the wild daffodils I planted last year come spring, or even to get to the bird feeder over the winter, something had to be done.

And I weeded the fruit patch. I think this bed will be quite productive this year.

On the poetry front, if anyone is thinking of going to the Reading for Rights event organised by FREA in Irvine next month, there is a poster up on the Burnedthumb website. I’ll be reading just before the interval.