I went down to dig up the dead stalks but just as I was about to put my fork in, I noticed growth! I must have pulled up the only dead one. The little green shoots are not particularly numerous, but are well scattered. Some are right by the stalks, others have come up from the roots, which extend quite a way from the stalks underground.I imagine this will be like kerria – great until it isn’t!

There are several big autumn cornflowers in the beds. This is the first flower bud I’ve seen.

I did a bit more finger-picking weeding on the ledge and then scattered some compost with seeds into the barer spots. I’ve put a bunch of morning glory seeds down the back edge and thrown them into the no man’s land of the fences and up around the back of the apple tree. I can’t plant in those harder spots, but if they’d like to grow, they’re welcome to.

This year, the slightly weak orange geum has bucked up and is the first to flower – though it’s doing so towards the fence.