Peter Has A Theory
Posted By Judith on 2nd July 2018
Well he actually has more than one, but the one in this story is to do with ‘when you think a job is finished’. It goes like this.
When you think a job is finished, stop and look at it because there will always be something you’ve missed or could do better.
Never has that been more true than in my ongoing battle with the ‘goosegrass’ in the garden, trying to stop it flowering and setting seed.
‘Goosegrass’, or to give it it’s Sunday name ‘Galium aparine’, is an annual with creeping stems which grow along the ground, over and through other plants. They attach themselves with small hooked hairs which grow out of the stems and leaves. The stems can be as long as three feet or more.
It has tiny, star-shaped, white to greenish flowers in Spring and early Summer. The fruits are burrs which grow one to three seeds clustered together and are covered with hooked hairs which cling to animal fur, or my clothing, thus aiding seed dispersal.
It’s known by a wide selection of common names including cleavers, clivers, bort, bedstraw, catchweed, stickyweed, stickybud, robin-run-the-hedge, sticky willy, sticky willow, stickyjack, I could go on, but I won’t.
In short it’s a pain in the neck and it actually brings me out in a rash. It’s only saving grace is the fact that it has very shallow roots and is therefore easy to pull out.
But here’s the thing. You think you’ve pulled it all out in one place, then the next day it’s back. Relentless.
But let’s not dwell on weeds, rashes or other bad things. Let’s be positive.
We have a Wood Pigeon nest in the plum tree, though I do fear it is a little too accessible to the local cat population. I hope I’m wrong.
Elsewhere, I might have mentioned before nature is a wonderful and beautiful thing,
(Geranium)
(Honeysuckle)
and what’s not to love about a bit of serendipity?
(Helianthemum growing through a Heuchera)
