I have had this huge rusty old pot for an absolute age and it’s full of cymbidium orchids , oxaylis and watsonia. It’s never done anything and I have only ever had one spike of orchids on it, but late last year we chopped down a huge cotoneaster limb from next door and now it gets full late afternoon sun. I can’t believe it, there aren eight spikes and it’s gone totally nuts. I am thrilled to bits - it’s changed the whole look of the garden on that side, I must add that the huge old pot was supposedly for boiling down whale blubber. I have my doubts

Even though poor Downderry's garden struggled through such a ghastly summertime, the last of the nerrines and the sugar maple are in full gold for Anna’s birthday. The mighty scarlet oak is not scarlet this year but all is well.