Cats and Brambles

Planting up 15 baskets with summer bedding is not an easy task, especially when your cat likes one for her bed. The other one... Pebble... was stung by a bee on his lip. He leapt into the air like a mountain goat, at the same time, using both front paws to try and brush away the pain from his mouth. Still leaping he made it to the back door where I caught up with him. By this time he was frothing at the mouth and crying... as cats do. Oh no, looks like a trip to the Vet. But he stopped frothing, and went over to his food dish and ate something, so panic over. He now has a large spot on his bottom lip... and has he learnt his lesson? No, he is still chasing Bees.

At last, I have tackled half of my neighbour's overhanging hedge, meant to be Beech... the house is named Beech Cottage! However, the hedge has been taken over by brambles and elder, all growing profusely over my flimsy willow fence. I have taken all afternoon, have been scratched to bugg**y and have bled a lot, but it is done! Until the end of the summer when I will have to do the same all over again. Not being gardeners, my neighbours don't know a bramble from a beech and are not concerned about it. I, on the other hand object to walking by and almost losing an eye because a bramble runner has grown two feet in 24 hours. Any suggestions would be most welcome.

Another job ticked off the long list of garden jobs that have suddenly become urgent with all the warm weather.