Thistle down

Boy am I glad that job’s over.   The terraces are 99.9 per cent verbascum free. There are bound to have been a few I missed. But I am sure they will be manageable from now on.

And I cut down the flowering population of nasty thistles at the same time.

So now it’s all ready for a strim when I can grab some time.   But there is no panic now about the verbascums throwing up flowers while my back is turned.

There was a moment when I thought I was saved doing the afternoon work by a brewing thunderstorm.   But the rain held off and the wind picked up and up.   It started gusting and roaring and it still is.   I don’t think I’ve experienced a bigger storm here in years. The poor cherries and olives are bending so far they might snap.   And I suspect I will be hunting tree guards and cloches tomorrow morning if it dies down.

I thought I had best take a picture of the quince trees in blossom as they might be blasted off.   There are 14 trees on the bank, and a few more little seedlings which I might try and let grow.   Everyone brags and boasts about the scent of quinc blossom; but mine don’t seem to smell very much. I suppose if I cut some branches indoors, I might get some idea of the scent.   But I couldn’t spare even a branch of flowers.   It took years to get them fruiting so well.

I did raid the large apple tree for blossom on one of the lower terraces however.   Apples are much less precious than quinces.