LAWN CUTTING AVOIDANCE COMPLEX

This is, of course, Meadowsweet which grows abundantly in the wet areas of the garden. Its scent is heady but it is prone to mildew.

Which brings me to wet.

It is raining again. The paper today announces a heatwave - get the barbecues out - but only for the South East. Hey you journalists, there are other people living in the UK. In fact more of us live north of Watford then South of it.
It always amazes me how, on the BBC forecast, they whizz up the east coast (or down) round Scotland, to N.I., Wales and the South West, along the channel and back to the Midlands and East Anglia. Nobody lives in North West England (let alone the Isle of Man).

Back to gardening - I have been down in the bottom corner clearing out the lush growth from the streams - watercress by the armsful. (Is there a word armsful or should it be arms full?) (Prefer the former so there is a word armsful now - take note OED) I have decided to start at the lowest point and work upwards through the ponds.

One side effect of working there is wetleg.
(Another new word.)
So far the wellies do not leak - but the trousers do.

My boardwalk made from cast off scaffolding planks is beginning to crumble. Odd planks are giving way and I cannot face replacing them all.
So it is patch and mend, stick new old planks on top of the bad ones. This will mean more chicken wire around each plank as they become very slippery when wet.

Now, talking of rain, sometimes it freezes and I took this image the other day - in summer. Sadly I missed the weed growing under the wisteria.

Finally to the disease mentioned in the title of this blog - LAWN CUTTING AVOIDANCE COMPLEX.
I am not an obsessive compulsive mower and edge trimmer. As my wife sometimes hints - I like the wild and disorganised look a bit too much. I do have and Armani suit which I wear once every three years but am usually a bit frayed at the edges, cuffs (sleeves rolled up like my Dad did) and collar. Comfortable rather than smart is the motto and this also applies to the garden.

Ah! Yes - mowing, I put it off yesterday and luckily the grass is now too wet.
It is time we had a drought so the grass stops growing and I have no dilemma - should I, will I - etc?

On a lighter note - the house is full of sweet peas. I am picking almost every day. The scent is glorious. I have kept their predators at bay this year.

I must go to Harlow Carr outside Harrogate (RHS), they have a sweet pea bonanza going on, and drown in the scent - if it is not raining or the lawn needs mowing.