Dear Readers, I’m the treasurer for Friends of Coldfall Wood and Muswell Hill Playing Fields, and for the second year running  I’ve planted up some wildflower window boxes for our raffle at East Finchley Festival. They were very popular last year, and this year we have a great selection of plants – everything from knapweed to scabious via harebells and primroses and cranesbill. It might help a bit if the labels hadn’t dropped off, but in a couple of weeks a lot of them will be in flower and I might be better able to work out what’s what.

The garden has gone berserk, as it often does at this time of year – we’ve had lots of rain after a very dry couple of weeks. It rained so much yesterday that when my husband opened the shed door, he discovered a fox curled up on one of the shelves. I’m not sure who was more surprised, but fortunately the fox was able to make a quick exit (some of the side panels are missing so the shed is basically more like a pergola). The baby sparrows are still taking advantage of all the plant life to look for caterpillars, and in short the whole place has been reclaimed by nature when my back was turned.

Two jackdaws just shot past the window. They’re definitely keeping their eyes open for any opportunity for a quick meal at the moment, and probably have youngsters to feed themselves.

I have treated myself to some betony and some annual echium – I’m still on the hunt for a biennial echium though, one of those with the six-foot tall flower stems. But although the lavender is in full flower, I’m not seeing many/any honeybees. It could be that someone local who normally has hives is having a bad year, or has given up beekeeping, but it still does seem rather odd. I shall have to put my antennae out and see if anyone knows anything.

And so, a pleasant Sunday morning passes, without any revision to do, or any exams to worry about. But do you know, I rather miss it?