It’s typical April weather out there.

Occasional bursts of sunshine between very heavy showers.

So of course I decided to do some outside work. As one does. Why wait for a dry day when one can get thoroughly soaked to the skin buy a surprise deluge?

It all started with honeysuckle. It is one plant I am keen to cultivate as I love the scent. Honeysuckle all but took over the back garden of our last house as both side walls were covered in the stuff and the scent was only mighty. I loved it.

There was a honeysuckle plant here at the Manor but it died of old age and bad location. It was one of those hybrid types that looked fancy but had little scent. I don’t want a hybrid – I want plain old fashioned wild honeysuckle which I am unlikely to find in a garden centre. Fortunately there are a few straggly wild plants at awkward spots in the garden where no one can see them so I am attempting to propagate cuttings off those. The intention is to plant them at the south facing terrace where they should flourish and fill the house with scent.

I now have a pot with several honeysuckle cuttings in it, sitting on a sunny window ledge with an ugly plastic bag as an impromptu greenhouse. It looks ugly. I hope it works.

While I was out there I found a couple more trees I didn’t know I had. One was growing out of the back terrace amongst the weeds. I don’t know what it was but it is now history.

I also found a fuschia bush growing out of the side of the lake. I have no idea how it got there as the nearest fuschia is way over at the front garden [where fuschia has taken over a box hedge]. This interloper was well established with a three quarter inch trunk. It too has gone to meet its maker.

I also did a bit of clearing out on the lane but I fell over. Twice. And the second time I ended on my back. Not very dignified to be lying on the flat of one’s back, doubtless looking like an upturned beetle, in a puddle in the middle of a lane?

I decided it wasn’t a day for gardening after all.