Santolina dilemma

To cut or not to cut, that is the question.   These santolina plants are way too long and wayward.   Each and every plant needs a jolly good chop.   But I don’t want to do it just now.   Wayward as they are, they do give great colour and texture in the calabert garden.

I actually weeded there today; cutting back the secum and the worst of the flea bane weeds.   But there are gaps. Annoying gaps. I need at least five more lavender plants to fill in the missing bits.  Â  The cistus is flowering, the lavender stoechas flowering like mad, despite a lot of dead branches.   And the valerian is almost over and needed cutting back.

It will do as a start, but needs a more careful weed when it is less hot and time less pressing.

Pause there, we have creatures in this roof. I just heard scrabbling in the chimney. I suspect it is more of the pine marten variety. But I must remember to put a camera up there tomorrow to check.   I was woken early this morning by an almighty crash in the roof and dreaded more rats.

Are pine martens better? Well at least they are more photogenic.