Plans Afoot

 For years, a pair of spotted flycatchers raised brood after brood in a nest above our front door. The nest was perfect, overlooking an expanse of grass which provided plenty of insect life, and sheltered by two tangled climbing roses.

Spotted Flycatcher 2020

This year, they returned to the old nest as usual and spent a day or two making repairs. But it wasn’t as well protected as before, for one of the roses, left unpruned last season, had fallen forward, leaving the nest exposed. The flycatchers changed their minds and found a new site.

We still don’t know exactly where their new nest is. Maybe in a tangle of holly near the big shed, for they are still on the land, catching insects, raising their brood. I’m glad they are still with us.

Now that the nest has been abandoned, we have removed the falling rose. The front door looks very bare but I will replace it with another rose, and this time I will put more thought into it. So, it’s off to the garden centre tomorrow afternoon,  just Vee and me.

The very bare front door

Garden Centre

Today we went to The Range garden centre, where Evie wanted to have her photograph taken at all the stands.

 She insisted on two angles at this one.

 This, she said, was her favourite picture because it featured her favourite flower - the pansy.

We had an hour to use up before we picked up her sister. She asked, "Did you get the lion in the photo?"

And after all that, we only purchased two pot herbs and some lily bulbs. She wanted me to buy a fountain. There are about as many photographs of her standing beside the wide selection of fountains but I think that's enough garden centre for one day.

Oh well, maybe just the one then.

Roses Round The Door

Bertie Mill's Dublin Bay, originally uploaded by NellyMoser.

Kells, despite only being a small village, boasts two garden centres. This is not as widely known as it ought to be for there are quite a few people who have only heard of one of these.

I patronise both and this is my opinion -

If you want a bite to eat, or a pair of secateurs, perhaps some artificial flowers or maybe a draught excluder in the form of an elongated border collie then go to the one with the big, big sign.

However if you want something to grow in your garden be it a climbing rose, summer bedding, perennials or shrubs and you want it to be of excellent quality, well grown and affordably priced then go to the Kells Garden Centre, the one on the Kilgad Road.