Dear Readers, as you might remember I HAVE RETIRED (not sure if I mentioned that before 🙂 ) but my husband is still slaving away doing about 55 hours a week, so every lunch we try to get out for a walk around the County Roads here in East Finchley. And do you know, there’s always something to see? Today, for example, this little tabby cat was absolutely fascinated by something lurking under the paving stone. A mouse? Or just the sound of the water running? Who knows, but puss wasn’t responding to any of my usual enticements, so on we went…

Someone has planted some lovely spotted loosestrife. There is in fact a yellow loosestrife bee that feeds on this and similar species, so I shall be paying close attention just in case.

How much do I love ivy-leaved toadflax? Enough to take this portrait of this single plant. I love the way that it takes advantage of any old wall.

And then, on Hertford Road, there is the most magnificent tumbling, cascading pink rose. What a beauty.

And in a tree pit just up the road, there’s some purple toadflax, another favourite with bumblebees.

And then there’s this tree fern. The man from the house next door said that this garden put his to shame, though actually I think his garden was more nature-friendly. How we always love to apologise for our gardens/houses/etc, when actually they’re perfectly fine and dandy! Anyhow, it appears that the tree fern is a very fast grower. I love the way that the leaves unfurl (the ‘bud’ is known as a crozier), and the fractal thing that goes on, with the big leaf containing lots of identical smaller leaves.

There are some of these deep purple species geraniums – Mum and Dad used to have them at the bungalow in Milborne St Andrew, and they always make me smile. They were Dad’s pride and joy (along with the roses). I should point out that Mum always asked the man who came to help with the garden if he would mow around the daisies, and bless him, he always did.

There seems to be a fine crop of miniature sedum roofs to hide the fine collection of wheelie bins that each house now has – at least two, and sometimes three of them. It’s another habitat, for sure, though I wonder if we couldn’t think of other things to plant too – maybe a few wildflowers would add to the biodiversity? They are a great improvement on a row of bins, though (which is what I currently have).

And so, a twenty minute hike provides all sorts of things to look at and think about. And my husband is so energised that he’s rushed off to buy another flat white coffee to support the local economy. It’s always worth getting outside your front door if you can, even for a few minutes.